OF   THE 

U  N  I  VER.5ITY 
OF    ILLINOIS 


385.4 


•  ItUNOIS  HISTORICAL  SURVR 


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*^OT^M!^^^^W^BE» 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  STATION,  CHICAGO. 


HISTORY  OF  THE 

Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company 


AND 


REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


A  HISTORY  OF  THE  GROWTH  AND  DEVELOP- 
MENT OF  ONE   OF   THE    LEADING   AR- 
TERIES OF  TRANSPORTATION  IN 
THE  UNITED  STATES, 

From  Inception  to  its  Present  Mammoth  Proportions, 

TOGETHER    WITH   THE 

BIOGRAPHIES  OF  MANY  OF  THE   MEN   WHO 

HAVE  BEEN  AND  ARE  IDENTIFIED  WITH 

THE    VARIED     INTERESTS     OF    THE 

ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


RAILROAD    HISTORICAL    COMPANY, 

CHICAGO,    ILLINOIS. 

1900. 


PREFACE. 


DN  ISSUING  the  History  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company,  the  publishers,  according 
to  custom,  desire  to  give  expression  of  a  few  words  of  explanation  regarding  the  work.     In 
compiling  a  history  of  a  railroad  we  were  treading  unknown  paths  which  might  lead  to  suc- 
cess or  failure  as  it  met  with  the  favor,  or  the  reverse,  of  the  army  of  operatives  to  whom 
we  looked  for  encouragement.     We  are  happy  to  announce  that  those  to  whom  we  appealed  for 
support  have  looked  with  favor  upon  our  enterprise  and  have  accorded  us  a  liberal  and  hearty  sup- 
port for  which  we  extend  our  sincere  thanks. 

We  are  under  especial  obligations  to  Mr.  William  K.  Ackerman  for  his  generous  permission 
^  to  use  his  excellent  "Sketch  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company,"  which  is  as  complete  and 
£  authentic  as  a  work  of  this  character  can  well  be.  No  better  commentary  op  his  effort  can  be 
<  made  than  that  appearing  in  the  Railway  Age  at  the  time  the  work  was  first  issued,  which  says : 

,.,  "Mr.  W.  K.  Ackerman,  for  many  years  president  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company 

and  for  nearly  thirty-two  years  connected  with  that  corporation  in  various  capacities,  has  availed 

>  himself  of  his  well  earned  leisure  to  prepare  an  extremely  interesting  brochure  which  he  entitles, 

§  'Historical  Sketch  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad;  together  with  a  brief  biographical  record  of 

its  incorporators  and  some  of  its  early  officers.' No  man  living  is  so  competent  as  Mr. 

Ackerman  to  chronicle  the  early  and  latter  days  of  this  great  enterprise,  whose  inception  dates  as 
far  back  as  1835 An  admirable  feature  of  the  work  is  the  entire  absence  of  censorious- 
ness  or  the  indication  of  personal  feeling  on  the  part  of  the  writer  against  any  of  the  numerous 
officials  with  whom  he  was  associated  during  his  long  career,  or  of  his  successors  whose  adminis- 
tration he  might  possibly  be  tempted  to  criticise.  On  the  other  hand,  a  kindly  and  appreciative 
spirit  marks  the  reference  to  the  numerous  officers  of  the  company  who  are  specially  named,  and 
some  of  the  sketches  of  persons  both  living  and  dead  are  extremely  interesting." 

We  desire  to  return  thanks  to  the  chief  officials  of  the  various  railway  orders  for  their  court- 
esy in  assisting  us  to  compile  creditable  sketches  of  the  orders  over  which  they  preside.  E.  E. 
Clark,  Grand  Chief  Conductor  of  the  O.  R.  C.;  Mrs.  J.  H.  Moore,  Grand  President  of  the  L.  A.  of 
O.  R.  C.;  F.  P.  Sargent,  Grand  Master  of  the  B.  of  L.  F.;  Mrs.  Georgie  M.  Sargent,  Grand  Presi- 
dent of  the  L.  S.  of  B.  of  L.  F.;  Mrs.  Ray  Watterson,  Grand  Mistress  of  L.  A.  of  B.  R.  T.;  C.  H. 
Salmons,  Editor  B.  of  L.  E.  Monthly  Journal;  Mrs.  W.  A.  Murdock,  Grand  President,  and  Mrs. 
^  Harry  St.  Clair,  Grand  Secretary  of  the  G.  I.  A.  to  B.  of.  L.  E.  have  given  us  their  hearty  co- 
operation. 

We  desire,  too,  to  extend  our  thanks  to  the  many  officials  and  army  of  operatives  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  for  their  generous  patronage,  without  which  our  efforts  would  have  been  in  vain.  To 
them  is  due  what  credit  there  may  be  for  the  success  of  the  work,  for  without  it  only  a  dismal  fail- 
ure would  have  ensued.  We  realize  that  there  are  many  whose  names  should  appear  within  our 
pages  that  do  not,  but  owing  to  indifference  at  the  time  our  representative  called  or  absence  at  re- 
peated endeavors  to  secure  an  interview  the  facts  could  not  be  obtained  and  of  necessity  must 
be  omitted. 

We  have  spared  no  effort  nor  expense  to  make  this  volume  the  most  superbly  illustrated 
work  of  its  kind  ever  issued  from  an  American  press  and  have  endeavored  to  raise  and  hold  the 
biographical  section  up  to  the  high  literary  standard  set  by  the  historian. 

Trusting  that  a  generous  and  discriminating  public  will  give  due  credit  for  the  excellencies 
of  our  efforts  and  judge  lightly  that  wherein  we  may  have  fallen  below  the  standard  we  had  set, 
\vc  place  in  its  hands  the  fruit  of  our  endeavor — a  History  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company, 
with  biographical  sketches  of  the  men  who  have  made  it. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PART  I. 

CHAPTER  I. 
HISTORY  OF  THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY. 

CHAPTER  II. 
HISTORICAL  BIOGRAPHIES. 

CHAPTER  III. 
PRESIDENTS  OF  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY. 

CHAPTER  IV. 
MILEAGE  AND  EQUIPMENT  OF  ROAD. 

CHAPTER  V. 
PERSONNEL  OF  THE  MANAGEMENT  OF  THE  ROAD. 


PART  II. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 


PART  III. 

RAILROAD  FRATERNITIES. 


PART  IV. 

MISCELLANEOUS  MATTER. 


HISTORY  OF  THE 
ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY, 

BY  W.  K.  ACKERMAN. 


DN  undertaking  a  brief  sketch  of  the  origin 
of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  it  is  nec- 
essary to  refer  somewhat  in  detail  to  the 
correspondence  of  two  men  closely  identi- 
fied with  its  early  progress,  and  whose  names 
stand  out  prominently  in  the  history  of  the 
state ;  I  need  hardly  say  that  these  are  the  Hon. 
Sidney  Breese  and  the  Hon.  Stephen  A.  Douglas. 
In  writing  upon  the  subject,  if  one  were  to  con- 
fine himself  to  the  contentions  indulged  in  by 
these  two  gentlemen,  for  the  credit  of  either 
originating  or  advocating  the  scheme,  consider- 
able time  and  space  would  have  to  be  given  up 
in  the  endeavor  to  reconcile  their  respective 
claims.  From  the  most  careful  examination 
made  of  the  correspondence  that  passed  be- 
tween them  upon  the  subject,  it  does  not  ap- 
pear, however,  that  either  of  these  gentlemen 
actually  originated  the  plan  of  a  central  road  ; 
indeed  Judge  Douglas  lays  no  positive  claim 
to  this,  but  Judge  Breese,  in  his  letter  to  the 
Illinois  Slate  Register,  Dec.  23,  1850,  says:  "I 
must  have  the  credit  of  it,  for  I  originated  it  in 
1835."  And  in  his  famous  letter  to  Judge 
Douglas,  written  Jan.  25,  1851,  to  the  latter  at 
Washington, -while  in  the  senate,  he  says,  "I 
claim  to  have  first  projected  this  great  road  in 
my  letter  of  October,  1835," — meaning  his 
letter  to  Judge  John  York  Sawyer  of  Oct.  16, 
1835.  But  even  in  this  letter,  he  gives  credit 


for  the  plan  to  "an  intelligent  friend  in  Bond 
county,"  who  was  William  S.  Waite  of  Green- 
ville, and  who  proved  himself  an  ardent  sup- 
porter of  the  road  until  its  final  completion. 
These  claims  of  Judge  Breese  are  referred  to 
by  Judge  Douglas  in  a  somewhat  sarcastic  as 
well  as  a  facetious  manner  in  the  voluminous 
correspondence*  which  was  carried  on  during 
1850  and  1851,  but  the  latter  modestly  abstains 
from  claiming  any  connection  with  the  measure 
until  December,  1843 — the  year  in  which  he 
entered  the  house  of  representatives  and  the 
same  year  in  which  Judge  Breese  entered  the 
senate — or  any  exclusive  credit  for  the  consum- 
mation of  the  scheme.  What  Judge  Breese  did 
claim,  was  undoubtedly  true,  viz:  that  he  had 
"said  and  written"  more  in  favor  of  the  plan 
than  anyone  else,  and  for  this  he  was  entitled 
to  great  credit. 

The  daily  Illinois  State  Register  of  Dec.  19, 
1850,  published  an  article,  quoted  from  the 
Benton  Standard,  stating  that  Judge  Breese 
favored  what  was  known  as  the  "Holbrook 
charter,"  to  which  particular  reference  will  be 
made  hereafter.  This  stirred  Judge  Breese  to 
a  reply  in  which  he  stated  that  he  was  in  favor 
of  accepting  the  release  of  the  Cairo  company 
on  condition  that  their  rights  were  to  be  re- 

*  "Early  Illinois  Railroads.     By  W.  K.  Ackerman, 
Chicago,  1884," 


12 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


spected.  In  the  same  letter,  he  claimed  that 
he  was  entitled  to  the  credit  of  the  whole 
scheme  of  a  central  road,  having  "originated  it 
in  1835."  The  editor  of  the  Register,  while 
willing  to  accord  him  all  due  credit,  reminds 
him  that  the  efforts  of  Senators  Douglas  and 
Shields,  and  Representatives  Wentworth,  Mc- 
Clernand,  Richardson,  Bissell,  Young,  and 
Harris,  must  not  be  overlooked :  that  they  all 
did  their  duty  and  were  deserving  of  praise. 
On  Jan.  5,  1851,  Senator  Douglas  replied  to 
Judge  Breese  in  the  columns  of  the  State  Reg- 
ister, assuring  him  that  no  injustice  was  in- 
tended to  be  done  him,  and  reminding  him  of 
the  fact  that  when  the  people  of  Chicago 
tendered  him  and  Gen.  Shields  a  complimentary 
dinner  for  the  part  they  had  taken  in  procuring 
the  grant  of  land  from  the  general  government, 
they  modestly  declined  it,  and  in  their  letter 
declining  the  honor  awarded  the  principal  merit 
to  their  colleagues. 

To  go  back  of  the  claims  of  both  of  these 
distinguished  gentlemen,  I  suppose  it  is  an 
historical  fact  that  although  Judge  Breese 
brought  the  plan  prominently  before  the  people 
of  the  state  by  newspaper  publications  and 
letters  to  prominent  men,  still  the  credit  of 
originating  it  really  belongs  to  Lieut.  Gov. 
Alexander  M.  Jenkins  when  in  the  state  senate 
in  1832.*  This  was  three  years  before  the  in- 
telligent friend  from  Bond  county  whispered  in 
Judge  Breese's  ear.  Senator  Jenkins'  plan 
was  to  build  the  road  from  Cairo  to  Peru. 
Judge  Breese's  plan  contemplated  a  line  from 
Cairo  to  Galena,  but  when  the  plan  was  fully 
developed,  Judge  Douglas  wrote  Chicago  as 
the  northeastern  terminus.  Judge  Breese  said 
that  the  reason  for  this  was  because  Judge 
Douglas  had  been  investing  in  Chicago  real 
estate  and  on  that  account  wanted  the  road 
extended  to  that  point.  This  was  an  unfair 
imputation,  but  a  natural  one,  for  Judge  Breese 
to  make,  because  his  plan  of  a  central  road 
which  was  a  local  one,  did  not  contemplate  a 

*  One  year  after  the  first  act  relating  to  the  con- 
struction of  railways  was  passed  by  the  general  assem- 
bly of  the  State  of  Illinois,  Jan.  28,  1831. 


branch  to  Chicago.  Many  opposed  the  enter- 
prise in  the  central  part  of  the  state,  fearing 
that  a  north  and  south  line  would  divert  traffic 
that  that  section  might  derive  from  an  east  and 
west  line  through  the  state.  It  must  be  borne 
in  mind,  that  the  prevailing  idea  at  that  time 
was  to  have  the  products  of  Illinois  shipped  to 
the  south  via  Cairo  and  the  Mississippi  river; 
but  Judge  Douglas,  who  took  a  broader  view 
'of  the  enterprise,  saw  the  necessity  of  connect- 
ing the  lakes  with  the  Mississippi,  and  the  St. 
Lawrence  with  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  as  well  as 
a  connection  at  Chicago  with  the  various  rail- 
ways then  projected  or  in  process  of  construc- 
tion from  the  principal  cities  of  the  east,  so 
that  the  measure  would  commend  itself  to  con- 
gress as  a  national  work  tending  to  benefit  the 
whole  country  and  not  a  local  enterprise  for  the 
particular  benefit  of  the  state  of  Illinois.  Only 
in  this  way  could  the  votes  of  the  members  of 
congress  from  Pennsylvania,  New  York,  New 
England  and  other  portions  of  the  Union  be 
secured,  as  they  did  not  of  course  favor  any 
proposition  having  for  its  tendency  the  diver- 
sion of  trade  from  the  upper  Mississippi  toward 
Mobile  alone. 

Judge  Breese  was  named  as  an  incorporator 
in  the  first  charter  granted  by  the  state  in  1836 
for  a  central  road  and  having  taken  so  deep  an 
interest  in  the  subject,  he  felt  a  commendable 
pride  in  the  ultimate  success  of  the  measure. 
He  was  naturally  jealous  of  his  position  in  the 
matter,  hence  he  could  not  brook  a  younger 
and  more  active  rival.  But  he  was  entirely  too 
sensitive  in  supposing  that  Judge  Douglas  had 
not  properly  recognized  his  early  efforts  in  the 
matter.  This  feeling  he  describes  in  one  of  his 
letters  to  Douglas,  in  which  he  says,  "In  the 
outset,  I  will  candidly  confess  that,  upon  the 
subject  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  with  all 
its  concomitants,  I  am  very  sensitive,  the  more 
especially  since  I  thought  I  had  discovered  a 
studious  endeavor  on  your  part  and  on  the  part 
of  those  with  whom  you  have  acted,  to  conceal 
from  the  public  my  agency  in  bringing  the 
measure  into  favor  and  in  opening  the  way  for 
successful  legislation  in  regard  to  it.  In  none 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


13 


of  your  speeches  and  letters  you,  and  others 
who  have  enjoyed  your  confidence,  have  made 
and  written,  has  there  been  the  least  allusion 
to  the  part  I  have  acted  in  the  matter,  nor  in 
any  of  the  papers  in  the  state,  supposed  to  be 
under  your  influence.  Seeing  this,  and  believ- 
ing there  was  a  concerted  effort  to  appropriate 
to  yourselves,  exclusively,  honors  to  which  I 
knew  you  were  not  entitled,  I  deem  it  my  duty, 
for  the  truth  of  history,  to  assert  my  claim,  and 
in  doing  so,  have  been  compelled,  much  against 
my  will,  to  speak  of  myself  and  of  my  acts  in 
regard  to  it.  My  whole  life  will  show  that  it 
is  the  first  time  I  have  ever  exposed  myself  to 
the  charge  of  egotism,  and  under  the  influence 
which  actuated  me,  I  may  have  claimed  too 
much." 

The  first  act  incorporating  an  Illinois  Cen- 
tral Railroad  company  was  passed  by  the  legis- 
lature of  the  state  of  Illinois,  January  18,  1836. 
It  was  a  special  charter  and  granted  many  valu- 
able privileges.  It  contemplated  rail  communi- 
cation only  as  far  north  as  the  Illinois  and 
Michigan  Canal.  The  scheme  proved  an  utter 
failure. 

Under  the  internal-improvement  act  passed 
Feb.i  27,  1837,  its  construction  was  undertaken 
by  the  state,  without  success,  as  there  was 
neither  credit  to  ensure,  or  capital  to  complete 
it.  The  appropriation  under  this  act,  $3,500,- 
000,  was  in  any  event  totally  inadequate. 

The  Cairo  City  &  Canal  company  was  in- 
corporated March  4,  1837.  It  was  authorized 
to  hold  real  estate  in  Alexander  county,  but 
more  particularly  the  tract  of  land  incorporated 
as  the  city  of  Cairo.  They  were  to  proceed  to 
lay  it  off  into  lots  for  a  town  to  be  known  as 
the  city  of  Cairo ;  they  were  also  empowered 
to  construct  dykes,  canals,  levees  and  embank- 
ments for  the  security  and  preservation  of  said 
city ;  also  to  construct  a  canal  to  unite  with 
Cache  river,  and  to  use  water  for  a  canal  run- 
ning to  and  through  the  city.  Reference  to 
this  scheme  is  made  in  order  to  show  in  a 
gradual  way  the  origin  and  progress  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad ;  its  connection  with 
the  canal  company  was  only  incidental,  Darius 


B.  Holbrook,  who  afterward  figured  conspicu- 
ously in  the  effort  to  obtain  a  charter  for  a 
central  road  having  been  connected  with  the 
canal  company. 

Five  years  later,  March  6,  1843,  the  state 
having  abandoned  the  attempt  to  build  any 
more  railroads,  the  legislature  incorporated  the 
Great  Western  Railway  company.  This  was 
known  as  the  "Holbrook  charter,"  so  frequently 
referred  to  in  the  correspondence  between 
Judge  Breese*  and  Judge  Douglas.  This  char- 
ter contemplated  a  "pre-emption  right"  only,  to 
Holbrook  and  his  associates,  in  which  the  state 
was  to  have  no  interest,  instead  of  a  direct 
grant  of  land  to  the  state.  This  company  was 
to  consist  of  the  president  and  directors  of  the 
Cairo  City  &  Canal  Company,  and  the  board  of 
directors  were  to  be  chosen  by  that  company. 

The  road  was  to  be  commenced  as  previ- 
ously contemplated  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio 
river,  and  was  to  run  in  about  the  same  direc- 
tion via  Vandalia,  Shelbyville,  Decatur  and 
Bloomington,  and  to  the  same  objective  point, 
the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal.  Rates  of  toll 
were  to  be  established  by  the  directors.  The 
company  was  authorized  to  issue  bonds,  which 
were  to  be  countersigned  by  the  president  and 
treasurer  of  the  Cairo  City  &  Canal  Company. 
Section  14  provided  that  whenever  the  whole 
indebtedness  of  the  company  was  paid  and 
liquidated  then  the  legislature  should  have 
power  to  alter  and  amend  the  charter  as  the 
public  good  should  require. 

An  estimate  was  to  be  made  by  a  person 
appointed  by  the  governor  of  the  value  of  the 
work  already  done  by  the  state,  under  the 
internal-improvement  act  of  Feb.  27,  1837,  and 
this  was  to  be  paid  for  by  the  newly-organized 
company  at  any  time  during  the  progress  of  the 
work.  When  all  the  obligations  of  the  com- 
pany were  paid,  then  the  railroad  company  was 
thereafter  to  forever  pay  the  state,  annually,  as 
a  consideration  for  granting  the  charter,  one- 
fourth  of  the  net  annual  income,  after  the  share- 

*  Judge  Breese  was  elected  to  the  United  States 
senate,  Dec.  18,  1842,  for  full  term  commencing 
March  4,  1843. 


14 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


if? 


: 
::. 


-'.  -~i  ' 
' 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


15 


holders  had  received  in  any  one  year  twelve 
per  cent  on  their  investment ;  and  the  act  ex- 
pressly provided  that  no  legislature  should  at 
any  time  so  reduce  the  tolls  as  to  produce  less 
than  twelve  per  cent  per  annum  net  to  the 
shareholders. 

The  Great  Western  Railway  company,  after 
spending  large  sums  of  money  in  doing  work 
which  eventually  inured  to  the  benefit  of  the 
state,  became  insolvent,  and  this  third  attempt 
to  build  a  central  road  proved  a  signal  failure. 
On  March  3,  1845,  its  charter  was  repealed  by 
a  special  act,  passed  for  that  purpose. 

That  Judge  Breese  favored  what  was 
known  as  the  Holbrook  charter  is  shown  by 
the  fact  that  on  Dec.  27,  1843,  he  presented  in 
the  house  of  representatives  a  memorial  of  the 
Great  Western  Railway  company,  praying  the 
right  of  pre-emption  for  Holbrook  and  his 
associates  to  a  portion  of  the  public  lands  over 
which  the  proposed  road  was  to  be  constructed. 
Judge  Douglas,  who  was  in  the  house  of  repre- 
sentatives at  this  time,  declined  to  give  this 
bill  his  support,  very  properly  insisting  that 
whatever  grant  was  made  should  be  conferred 
directly  upon  the  State  of  Illinois,  and  not 
upon  an  irresponsible  private  corporation  that 
he  did  not  believe  would  carry  out  the  project, 
and  which  he  stigmatized  as  a  "stupendous 
private  speculation  to  enable  the  Cairo  com- 
pany to  sell  their  chartered  privileges  in  Eng- 
land." This  opposition  of  Judge  Douglas  was 
probably  what  first  excited  the  hostility  of 
Judge  Breese  toward  him.  Judge  Breese  re-, 
fused  to  coincide  with  the  views  expressed  by 
Judge  Douglas,  and  the  bill  failed  of  passage. 
His  reason  for  wishing  the  pre-emption  to  run 
to  a  private  corporation  was,  because  he  had  no 
faitli  'in  tlie  ability  of  the  state  to  complete  the 
7, •<>;•/>•.  This  was  quite  natural  considering  the 
fact  that  they  had  so  signally  failed  in  all  pre- 
vious efforts  to  build  the  road.  At  the  next 
session  on  Dec.  12,  1844,  in  deference  to  the 
views  expressed  by  Judge  Douglas,  Judge 
Breese  introduced  a  bill  which  substituted  the 
words  state  of  Illinois  for  the  Holbrook  com- 
pany, as  the  party  to  whom  the  pre-emption 


right  was  to  pass;  but  he  appears  to  have  given 
it  a  luke-warm  support  and  it  did  not  pass.  At 
the  next  session,  Jan.  15,  1846,  Judge  Breese 
reported  another  bill  to  grant  to  the  state  of 
Illinois  certain  alternate  sections  of  the  public 
lands  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  the  Northern 
Cross  and  Illinois  Central  Railroads  in  Illinois, 
but  it  does  not  appear  that  he  ever  moved  to 
take  up  this  bill.  At  the  next  session,  Dec.  17, 
1846,  still  another  bill  was  introduced  by  Judge 
Breese,  covering  a  right  of  way  and  a  pre- 
emption right.  It  omitted  the  donations  to  the 
state,  but  permitted  it  to  purchase  the  lands  at 
a  dollar  and  a  quarter  per  acre  upon  the  con- 
dition that  it  would  build  a  railroad  through 
them.  This  bill  failed  also. 

In  these  various  efforts,  it  would  appear 
that  Judge  Breese  was  in  favor  of  granting  pre- 
emption rights  only,  and  a  right  of  way,  either 
to  a  private  corporation  or  to  the  state.  Judge 
Douglas,  on  the  other  hand,  insisted  that  an 
absolute  donation  to  the  state  should  be  made. 
This  was  one  of  the  principal  points  of  differ- 
ence between  them.  Judge  Douglas  stated  to 
Judge  Breese  that  if  he  would  consent  to  this 
change  he  would  allow  him  to  take  all  the 
credit.  Another  point  of  difference  was  in 
regard  to  the  terminus  at  Chicago.  It  is  evi- 
dent that  Judge  Douglas  particularly  favored 
this  plan,  regardless  of  whether  the  road  was 
built  to  Dubuque  or  not.  And  indeed  the 
eastern  members  also  favored  this  plan  be- 
cause it  contemplated  a  connection  with  the 
lakes ;  the  line  from  Cairo  to  Galena  being 
regarded  in  the  East  as  a  sectional  scheme, 
calculated  to  throw  the  trade  upon  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  at  the  expense  of  the  cities  on  the  lakes 
and  the  Atlantic  seaboard. 

Judge  Breese,  on  the  other  hand,  did  not 
favor  Chicago,  as  he  freely  admits.  He  says 
in  one  of  his  letters:  "You  will  recollect  that 
my  bills,  all  of  them,  established  the  roads  on 
the  routes  defined  by  our  internal-improvement 
system  of  1836  and  1837,  on  which  the  state 
had  expended  such  large  sums  of  money ;  and 
that  fact  was  a  strong  argument,  as  I  thought, 
in  my  report.  In  1847,  you  made  choice  of 


16 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Chicago  as  your  home,  and,  as  I  understood, 
purchased  a  large  amount  of  property  there. 
Now  neither  of  my  bills  touched  Chicago ;  they 
confined  the  roads  to  the  old  routes — the  Ill- 
inois Central  Road,  as  then  understood,  from 
Cairo,  by  Vandalia,  Shelby ville,  Decatur,  Bloom- 
ington,  Peru  and  Dixon  to  Galena.  A  new 
light  broke  in  upon  you  when,  in  conjunction 
with  Mr.  Butterfield  and  others  interested  in 
Chicago,  a  great  movement  was  set  on  foot  to 
disturb  my  plans  and  to  change  the  route  of 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  so  as  to  make  it 
run  to  Chicago  and  thence  to  Galena.  You  can 
not  have  forgotten  how  much  surprised  I  was 
when  you  informed  me  of  your  intention,  after 
you  had  taken  your  seat,  in  December  1847, 
to  bring  forward  this  proposition,  how  earnest- 
ly I  urged  upon  you,  while  admitting  the  im- 
portance of  the  change,  an  adherence  to  the  old 
plan." 

On  Feb.  10,  1849,  the  charter  of  the  Great 
Western  Railway  was  renewed  by  the  legisla- 
ture of  Illinois,  to  take  effect  April  13,  1849, 
the  grant  running  as  in  the  first  act,  to  the 
"president  and  directors  of  the  Cairo  City  & 
Canal  Company,"  with  certain  others  to  be 
associated  with  them,  but  under  the  name  and 
style  of  the  "Great  Western  Railway."  Among 
the  names  of  the  associate  directors  will  be 
found  those  of  Justin  Butterfield,  John  B. 
Turner,  Mark  Skinner  and  Henry  Corwith. 
The  new  board  was  reinstated  with  all  the 
powers  and  privileges  contained  in  the  first  act, 
the  act  repealing  the  charter  to  the  contrary 
notwithstanding.  Many  additional  and  valuable 
privileges  were  conveyed  by  the  state,  includ- 
ing a  grant  of  the  right  of  way  and  of  all  the 
work  and  surveying  done  at  the  expense  of  the 
state.  The  new  company  was  to  expend  at 
least  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  within  three 
years,  and  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  in 
each  year  thereafter  until  the  line  was  com- 
pleted from  the  city  of  Cairo  to  the  city  of 
Chicago. 

The  governor  of  the  state  was  to  hold  in 
trust,  for  the  benefit  of  the  company,  whatever 
lands  might  be  donated  by  the  general  govern- 


ment to  the  State  of  Illinois  to  aid  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  road,  anticipating,  as  it  were, 
the  action  of  the  general  government,  the 
question  of  a  land-grant  having  already  been 
freely  discussed  in  congress. 

Simultaneous  with  this,  Judge  Breese,  from 
the  committee  on  public  lands — of  which  he 
was  chairman  during  the  last  four  years  of  his 
term  as  senator — reported  the  following  bill  in 
the  United  States  senate,  February  1,  1849 : 

"A  bill  to  grant  the  right  of  way  across 
the  public  lands  and  to  dispose  of  said  land  in 
aid  of  the  several  states  in  the  construction  of 
railroads  and  canals. 

Be  H  enacted  by  the  senate  and  house  of 
representatives  of  the  United  States  of  America  in 
congress  assembled,  That  whenever  any  state  in 
which  public  land  is  situated  have,  or  shall 
authorize  the  construction  of  any  railroad  or 
canal,  and  the  route  of  the  same  shall  have 
been  surveyed  and  returned  to  the  secretary  of 
the  treasury,  the  right  of  way  on  said  route,  so 
far  as  the  same  is  situated  on  the  public  land,  be 
and  the  same  is  hereby  granted  for  said  purpose; 
and  also  the  right  to  take  stone  and  timber  and 
materials  for  said  erection  on  any  of  the  public 
land  adjacent,  so  long  as  said  land  is  unsold ; 
and  the  land  for  the  space  of  one  hundred  feet 
on  each  side  of  the  middle  of  said  route  shall 
be  and  remain  for  that  purpose,  so  long  as  said 
canal  or  railroad  is  sustained. 

"SECTION  3.  And  it  is  further  enacted, 
That  when  the  survey  of  said  route  shall  have 
been  returned  to  the  secretary  of  the  treasury, 
he  shall,  at  the  request  of  the  governor  of  said 
state,  reserve  from  public  sale  all  or  so  much  of 
the  public  lands  within  ten  miles  of  said  route,  as 
said  governor,  by  direction  of  the  legislature  of 
said  state,  shall  request,  and  the  same  shall  be  re- 
tained for  said  state,  and  shall  be  sold  and  con- 
veyed to  said  state  or  to  whoever  said  state  shall 
direct,  at  and  for  ihc  minimum  price  per  acre,  in 
such  quantities  and  at  such  times  as  said  state 
shall  desire,  in  aid  of  said  construction.  Provided 
nevertheless,  that  said  route  shall  be  so  surveyed 
and  returned,  and  said  land  so  reserved,  within 
three  years  from  the  passing  of  this  law ;  and 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


17 


POPLAR  STREET  STATION',  MEMPHIS,  TENN. 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  DEPOT,  COR.  MAIN  AND  CALHOUN  STREETS, 
MEMPHIS,  TENN. 


18 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


all  of  said  land  not  actually  so  purchased  and  paid 
lor  by  said  state,  within  ten  years  from  the  pass- 
ing of  this  act,  shall  be  subject  to  sale  and 
private  entry  in  the  same  manner  as  if  the  same 
had  not  been  reserved.  And  provided  further. 
that  this  shall  not  extend  to  any  land  but  such 
as  is  subject  to  private  sale  at  one  dollar  and 
twenty-five  cents  per  acre:  and  nothing  in  this 
act  contained  shall  be  so  construed  as  to  grant 
to  any  state  such  right  of  pre-emption  to  any  land 
heretofore  set  apart  or  reserved  for  schools, 
nor  to  any  public  land  which  may  have  been 
reserved  by  the  United  States  for  military  or 
other  public  purposes,  nor  to  mineral  lands, 
nor  to  any  to  which  a  right  of  pre-emption  may 
previously  have  been  acquired  by  any  person 
or  persons."  This  bill  passed  the  senate, 
February  13,  1849 — was  presented  in  the  house 
by  Jacob  Collamer  from  Vermont — but  met 
with  considerable  opposition,  and  failed  of  pass- 
age there.  This  bill  also,  it  will  be  noticed, 
contemplated  only  a  pre-emption  of  lands. 

As  far  back  as  1848,  Senator  Douglas  had 
introduced  a  bill  in  the  United  States  senate, 
granting  alternate  sections  of  the  public  land 
to  the  state  of  Illinois  to  aid  in  the  construction 
of  a  railroad  from  Cairo  to  Galena  with  a  branch 
to  Chicago.  This  bill  was  reported  from  the 
senate  committee  on  public  lands  of  which  Sid- 
ney Breese  of  Illinois  was  chairman.  It  was 
subsequently  taken  up  and  early  in  May  was 
passed  by  the  senate.  The  representatives  in 
the  house  from  Illinois  all  gave  it  their  cordial 
support,  but  toward  the  close  of  the  session  it 
was  laid  on  the  table  by  a  small  majority.  At 
the  next  session,  1848-9,  Douglas  again  intro- 
duced his  bill  in  the  senate,  but  before  any 
action  was  had  in  that  body,  the  Illinois  repre- 
sentatives in  the  house  had  succeeded  in  having 
the  bill  of  the  last  session  restored  to  its  place 
on  the  calendar;  but  congress  adjourned  with- 
out any  further  action  on  the  bill  by  the  house. 

In  December  1849,  Douglas,  with  his  col- 
league, Gen.  James  Shields,  who  had  succeeded 
Breese,  and  the  Illinois  delegation  in  the  house 
matured  a  bill  looking  to  the  construction  of 
the  Illinois  Central  Road  and  its  Chicago  branch. 


That  bill,  which  all  the  Illinois  members  had  a 
voice  in  framing,  was  introduced  in  the  senate 
by  Douglas  in  January  1850.  During  its  pend- 
ence  in  the  senate,  besides  receiving  the  support 
of  the  Illinois  senators,  it  was  advocated  by 
Henry  Clay,  William  H.  Seward,  John  C.  Cal- 
houn,  William  H.  King,  Thomas  H.  Benton 
and  Gen.  Lewis  Cass. 

While  the  bill  was  pending,  the  Cairo  City 
&  Canal  Company  induced  the  legislature  of 
Illinois  to  pass  a  measure  ceding  to  that  com- 
pany all  lands  that  might  at  any  time  be  granted 
by  congress  to  the  state,  to  aid  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  Senator 
Douglas  was  still  unwilling  that  the  grant 
should  pass  to  a  private  corporation  direct,  and 
finally  induced  Darius  B.  Holbrook  of  Cairo, 
111.,  the  president  of  the  Cairo  City  &  Canal 
Company  to  release  to  the  state  of  Illinois  all 
the  rights  of  that  company,  which  he  did,  ex- 
ecuting on  Dec.  24,  1849,  on  behalf  of  his  com- 
pany as  president,  a  full  release  and  surrender 
to  the  state  of  Illinois  of  what  was  known  as 
the  Holbrook  charter  with  all  the  rights  and 
privileges  therein  contained  ;  in  accordance  with 
which,  the  legislature  on  Dec.  17,  1851,  passed 
an  act  accepting  this  release  and  repealing  all 
the  acts  which  they  had  before  granted  to  this 
company — Jan.  16,  1836,  March  6,  1843  and 
Feb.  10,  1849. 

Judge  Douglas  in  his  letter  to  Judge  Breese 
of  March  13,  1851,  well  says:  "I  can  well  con- 
ceive that  it  might  prove  better  for  Mr.  Hol- 
brook and  his  partners,  and  more  effectual  for 
their  schemes  of  speculation  for  them  to  have 
had  a  pre-emption  than  for  the  state  to  have 
had  a  grant ;  but  I  apprehend  that  you  will  find 
it  difficult  to  convince  any  citizen  of  Illinois 
who  was  not  a  partner  in  the  speculation,  that 
it  was  better  for  tlie  state  not  to  have  tlic  lands 
t/ian  to  /tare  them,  or  to  he  required  to  pay  a  dollar 
and  a  quarter  an  acre  (or  them,  instead  of  receiv- 
ing them  for  nothing  under  the  act  of  last  session . 

The  same  act  accepted  the  act  of  congress 
of  Sept.  20,  1850,  granting  the  lands  to  the 
state  of  Illinois  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  a 
railroad  from  Chicago  to  Mobile.  The  Mobile 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


\  ( >hio  Railroad  was  not  however  fully  com- 
pleted from  Columbus,  Kentucky,  to  Cairo, 
until  1874.  In  1872,  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road company  extended  its  aid  to  the  Mississippi 
Central  Railroad  company,  and  that  line  was 
extended  from  Jackson,  Tennessee,  to  Fillmore, 
a  point  nearly  opposite  Cairo;  and  thus  for  the 
first  time  was  completed  an  all  rail  communica- 
tion from  the  lakes  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

The  bill  making  a  grant  of  lands  to  the 
states  of  Illinois,  Mississippi  and  Alabama, 
passed  the  United  States  senate  on  May  2,  1850, 
by  a  vote  of  26.  to  14,  and  was  passed  in  the 
house  on  Sept.  17,  1850,  by  a  vote  of  101  to 
7.S.  Mobile  was  inserted  as  the  objective  point 
by  Thomas  Childs,  Jr.,  of  New  York,  who  was 
at  that  time  largely  interested  in  the  Mobile  & 
Ohio  Railroad  company. 

Hon.  John  Wentworth,  in  his  "Congression- 
al Reminiscences,"  gives  an  interesting  account 
of  the  proceedings  attending  the  passage  of  this 
bill  in  the  house — and  the  state  of  Illinois  is 
largely  indebted  to  him  for  the  efforts  he  put 
forward  in  that  direction — but  the  claim  that  he 
once  owned  one-fourth  of  the  capital  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  company,  must  be 
regarded  as  an  extravagance  of  speech.  Hon. 
George  Ashmun  of  the  Springfield  district, 
Mass.,  and  a  friend  of  Daniel  Webster,  distin- 
guished himself  among  the  non-resident  sup- 
porters of  the  bill.  It  was  largely  through  his 
influence  in  the  house  that  the  bill  was  passed. 
On  their  return  to  Illinois  at  the  close  of  the 
session,  Judge  Douglas  and  Gen.  Shields  were 
tendered  a  public  dinner  by  the  citizens  of  Chi- 
cago in  consideration  of  their  services  in  obtain- 
ing the  passage  of  this  act.  In  declining  the 
honor,  they  modestly  awarded  to  their  colleagues 
in  the  house  the  full  measure  of  credit  for  having 
successfully  carried  the  bill  through  to  comple- 
tion. John  S.  Wright  of  Chicago,  worked 
most  faithfully  to  secure  the  land-grant  from 
congress  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  the  Cen- 
tral Road.  He  wrote  and  had  printed  and  dis- 
tributed at  his  own  expense,  circulars  stating 
briefly  the  necessity  of  the  road  to  the  welfare 
of  the  nation,  and  six  thousand  copies  of  peti- 


tions to  congress  urging  the  passage  of  the  act. 
These  petitions  were  prepared  in  three  different 
forms,  so  as  to  meet  the  wishes  of  the  South, 
the  East  and  the  state  of  Illinois,  and  set  forth 
the  advantages  to  be  gained  by  each  section. 
At  that  time,  such  documents  were  mailed  free 
to  postmasters,  and  he  kept  a  clerk  busy  for 
weeks  sending  these  to  every  postmaster  be- 
tween the  lakes  and  the  Gulf.  The  requests  to 
the  postmasters  to  get  signers  and  forward  the 
petitions  to  their  congressmen  were  promptly 
attended  to,  and  the  petitions  came  in  by  thou- 
sands, and  had  much  influence  with  members. 
Wright  also  went  to  Washington  and  spent* 
considerable  time  laboring  for  the  passage  of 
the  bill ;  he  also  published  a  pamphlet  in  which 
he  took  the  ground  that  the  grant  was  of  such 
immense  value,  it  should  go  direct  to  the  state 
and  that  it  should  hold  the  lands  and  build  the 
road  from  the  proceeds  of  their  sale.  He  wrote: 
"the  state  would  be  everlastingly  dishonored  if 
the  legislature  did  not  devise  laws  to  build  the 
road,  and  disenthrall  the  state  of  its  enormous 
debt  besides,  out  of  the  avails  of  this  land  grant. 
The  suggestion  was  not  altogether  unfeasible, 
but  it  is  exceedingly  doubtful  whether  the  state 
could  have  carried  out  the  project  as  success- 
fully as  a  private  corporation ;  judging  retro- 
spectively, it  is  fair  to  presume  that  it  would 
have  made  another  and  signal  failure  in  such 
an  attempt. 

On  Sept.  20,  1850,  the  act  passed  by  the 
thirty-first  congress,  on  the  17th  of  that  month, 
was  approved,  "granting  the  right  of  way  and 
making  a  grant  of  lands  to  the  states  of  Illinois, 
Mississippi  and  Alabama,  in  aid  of  the  con- 
struction of  a  railroad  from  the  southern  termi- 
nus of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  to  a 
point  at  or  near  the  junction  of  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  rivers,  Cairo,  with  a  branch  of  the 
same  to  Chicago,  and  another  ria  the  town  of 
Galena  to  Dubuque  in  the  state  of  Iowa."  Gov. 
William  H.  Bissell,  afterward  a  solicitor  of  the 
company,  was  in  the  house  at  the  time  this  act 
was  passed.  This  was  accomplished  after 


cago 


Address  of  Augustine  W.  Wright  before  the  Chi- 
Historical  Society. 


'• 


20 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


repeated  attempts  had  been  made,  beginning 
in  the  year  1843,  under  the  leadership  of  Sidney 
Breese.  George  W.  Jones,  senator  from  Iowa, 
suggested  the  amendment  providing  for  the 
termination  at  Dubuque. 

In  order  to  aid  in  the  continuation  of  this 
road  from  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  river  to 
Mobile,  similar  rights  were  conferred  upon  the 
states  of  Alabama  and  Mississippi.  Mobile 
was  the  objective  point  on  the  south,  and  the 
Mobile  &  Ohio  Railroad  participated  in  the 
advantages  of  the  grant,  receiving  its  share  of 
the  public  lands  through  the  states  of  Alabama 
and  Mississippi.  The  evident  design  was  to 
promote  traffic,  particularly  in  food  products 


Central  Railroad  company  afterward  accepted 
payment  for  such  lands  from  actual  settlers  at 
the  government  price.  The  act  further  provided 
that  the  construction  of  the  road  should  be  com- 
menced at  Cairo  on  the  south,  and  at  the  Illi- 
nois and  Michigan  Canal  on  the  north,  simul- 
taneously, and  continued  from  each  of  said 
points  until  completed,  after  which  the  branches 
to  Chicago  and  Dubuque,  Iowa,  were  to  be 
extended.  The  provision,  as  to  the  extension 
to  Dubuque,  was  a  singular  one  to  apply  to  a 
road  that  depended  upon  the  state  of  Illinois  for 
its  charter — it  assumed  that  a  bridge  was  to  be 
constructed  across  the  Mississippi  river  between 
Dunleith  and  Dubuque  connecting  the  two 


First  check  used  by  the  baggage  department.     Exact  size. 


from  Chicago  and  the  Northwest  and  cotton 
from  the  Gulf  states  to  the  South  and  to  Europe 
tvV?  Mobile,  but  the  shallowness  of  the  water  in 
Mobile  Bay  and  the  consequent  expense  of 
lighterage  and  of  other  charges  was  an  insuper- 
able objection  to  foreign  shipments  via  that 
point,  and  to  this  extent,  the  plan  of  connecting 
the  lakes  with  the  gulf  was  a  failure.  The  con- 
struction of  the  jetties  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Mississippi  river,  at  a  later  date,  placed  New 
Orleans  in  a  more  favorable  position.  Besides 
the  immense  traffic  carried  to  that  point  by  rail, 
a  large  quantity  of  corn  is  shipped  to  the  latter 
city  in  barges  from  St.  Louis  for  trans-shipment 
abroad.  The  grant  of  lands  referred  to  was  to 
cover  alternate  sections  in  even  numbers  within 
six  miles,  if  vacant  lands  to  this  extent  could 
be  found;  if  not,  then  within  fifteen  miles.  All 
pre-emption  rights  were  to  be  respected,  and  in 
accordance  with  this  provision,  the  Illinois 


states,  but  made  no  requirement  as  to  its  con- 
struction. In  point  of  fact,  this  bridge  was  not 
built  until  nineteen  years  after — in  1869 — thir- 
teen years  after  the  railroad  was  completed, 
and  then  under  a  separate  charter.")"  Fifteen 
years  after  its  completion,  the  railroad  company 
acquired  a  controlling  interest  in  it,  thus  fully 
perfecting  the  original  design  of  a  continuous 
railway  from  Cairo  to  Dubuque.* 

t  The  Dunleith  &  Dubuque  Bridge  Company. 

*  October  13,  1867,  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
company  leased  the  Dubuque  &  Sioux  City  Railroad 
extending  from  Dubuque  to  Iowa  Falls,  a  distance  of 
143  miles,  for  twenty  years  with  privilege  of  taking  the 
same  in  perpetuity.  The  lease  included  the  Cedar 
Falls  &  Minnesota  Railroad  extending  from  Waverly 
north  to  Mona,  a  distance  of  75 'j  miles.  A  year  later, 
it  leased,  upon  the  same  terms,  the  Iowa  Falls  &  Sioux 
City  Railroad  extending  from  Iowa  Falls  to  Sioux  City, 
a  distance  of  184  miles.  In  1887  it  constructed  the 
Cherokee  &  Dakota  Railroad  from  Onawa  to  Sioux 
Falls,  a  distance  of  155)4  miles,  and  the  Cedar  Rapids 
&  Chicago  Railroad  from  Manchester  to  Cedar  Rapids, 
42  miles. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


The  grant  of  land  was  to  apply  to  the  main 
road  and  branches,  respectively,  in  quantities 
corresponding  to  the  length  of  each,  and  only 
to  be  disposed  of  as  the  work  progressed.  All 
lands  that  had  been  previously  granted  to  the 
state  in  aid  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal 
were  to  be  reserved  from  the  operations  of  the 


Baggage  check  used  by  the  Illinois  Central 
for  many  years. 

act,  and  the  price  of  these  was  to  be  increased 
to  double  the  minimum  price  of  government 
lands.  So  that  one  effect  of  the  grant  was  to 
immediately  enhance  the  value  of  the  canal 
lands. 

The  grant  from  the  United  States  govern- 
ment was  to  go  direct  to  the  state  of  Illinois 


for  the  purpose  named.  The  railroad  and 
branches  when  completed  were  to  remain  a 
"public  highway"  for  the  use  of  the  government, 
free  from  toll  or  other  charge  upon  the  trans- 
portation of  any  property  or  troops  of  the 
United  States.  That  is  to  say — the  use  of  the 
road  bed  should  be  allowed  the  government, 
but  the  railroad  companies  should  not  be  obliged 
to  furnish  equipment  and  men  to  handle  the 
business.  Consequently  it  was  mutually  agreed, 


Present  check  used  by  the  Illinois  Central  baggage 
department. 

that  the  government  should  be  entitled  to  a 
reduction  of  thirty-three  and  one-third  per  cent 
from  the  regular  tariff  rates  on  all  transporta- 
tion conducted  for  their  account,  this  percent- 
age representing  the  value  of  the  use  of  the 
highway  or  road  bed.  The  United  States 
mails  were  also  to  be  transported  over  the  road 
for  such  compensation  as  congress  might  direct. 
In  case  the  road  was  not  completed  within  ten 
years,  the  state  of  Illinois  was  to  be  required 
to  pay  back  to  the  United  States  the  amount 
which  it  might  have  received  upon  the  sale  of 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


any  part  of  the  lands  and  to  reconvey  any  lands 
unsold. 

In  a  small  and  dimly-lighted  room  at  No.  1 
Hanover  Street,  a  little  narrow  street  leading 
out  of  Wall  Street,  in  the  city  of  New  York  in 
the  early  spring  of  the  year  1851,  there  met  a 
number  of  gentlemen  who  were  known  in  law 
as  the  incorporators  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  company.  It  was  no  new  scheme  that 
they  met  to  consider,  but  an  old  one  they  were 
about  to  revive.  In  entering  upon  this  great 
work,  they  were  not  indulging  in  mere  specula- 
tion or  experiment;  many  of  them  had  been 
connected  with  other  successful  enterprises  and 
this  experience  helped  them  to  form  a  proper 
judgment  in  the  prosecution  of  the  work  they 
were  about  tp  undertake.  Probably  no  body  of 
incorporators,  or  directors  as  they  afterward 
became,  was  ever  imbued  with  more  earnest 
determination,  confident  reliance,  pride  of 
undertaking,  and  honesty  of  purpose.  And  it 
may  be  added  that  no  corporate  body  was  ever 
formed  that  was  composed  of  men  of  more 
indomitable  energy,  integrity  of  character, 
business  capacity,  sagacity  and  foresight. 
They  were  men  who  lived  and  moved  in  the 
healthy  atmosphere  of  commercial  probity  and 
stood  high  in  the  estimation  of  their  fellow- 
men.  In  social  life,  their  established  reputa- 
tions gave  them  a  standing  among  men  that 
could  not  be  disputed.  In  the  prosecution  of 
their  trust,  the  interest  of  the  shareholders 
they  represented  was  regarded  as  identical  with 
their  own.  The  shareholders  in  turn  appreci- 
ated this  and  whatever  mistakes  were  made 
were  promptly  overlooked.  This  feeling  of 
mutual  confidence  strengthened  the  hands  of 
the  board  in  all  they  undertook  and  gave  char- 
acter to  the  enterprise  abroad.  The  enterprise 
upon  which  they  pinned  their  faith,  they  pro- 
moted and  sustained  to  a  large  extent  with 
their  private  fortunes.  It  is  true  that  they  had 
much  to  stimulate  them  in  their  efforts — a 
promise  of  two  million  and  a-half  of  acres  of 
beautiful,  rich  and  fertile  prairie  land  was  no 
mean  incentive  to  urge  them  on.  Yet  it  cer- 
tainly required  no  little  amount  of  courage  to 


take  up  a  project  that  had  already  been  thrc-j 
times  attempted,  twice  by  organized  corpora- 
tions and  once  by  the  state  of  Illinois,  each 
time  with  the  same  result — disastrous  failure. 
But  in  this  instance,  whatever  might  be  their 
fate  as  individual  investors,  the  benefit  to  be 
conferred  upon  the  state  of  Illinois  by  the  suc- 
cessful accomplishment  of  the  work  would  not 
be  less  marked.  When  the  dark  days  of  the 
panic  of  1857  overshadowed  them,  they  might 
have  abandoned  their  trusts  and  sold  their  re- 
spective interests  for  what  they  would  bring, 
but  this  would  have  been  to  them  a  poor  sub- 
stitution for  the  realization  of  their  plans,  and 
such  an  idea  does  not  seem  to  have  entered 
their  minds.  They  knew,  moreover,  that  there 
were  those  who  had  been  induced  to  invest 
their  money  in  the  enterprise  because  their 
names  had  been  identified  with  it,  and  they  felt 
that  they  were  resting  under  a  moral  obligation 
to  save  these  from  pecuniary  loss  if  possible. 

ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  LAND  DEPARTMENT. 

All  the  requirements  of  the  act  of  incor- 
poration having  been  complied  with,  the  deed 
conveying  the  lands  from  the  state  of  Illinois 
to  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  company  was 
executed  March  24,  1851,  by  his  excellency 
Augustus  C.  French,  governor  of  the  state. 
Simultaneously  with  the  delivery  of  the  deed, 
a  deed  of  trust  was  executed  by  the  president 
of  the  company  to  Morris  Ketchum,  John 
Moore  and  Samuel  D.  Lockwood,  conveying 
to  them,  in  trust,  all  the  lands  granted  by  the 
government  of  the  United  States  under  the  act 
of  congress  referred  to,  and  all  the  other  prop- 
erty of  the  company,  as  security  to  the  state 
for  the  faithful  performance  of  work  to  be 
undertaken,  and  to  secure  the  bonds  to  be 
issued.  This  was  an  important  trust  and  it  was 
of  the  utmost  importance  to  the  interests  of 
the  state  that  it  should  be  confided  to  those 
who  would  wisely  and  faithfully  administer  it 
on  its  behalf,  and  probably  not  in  the  whole 
state  of  Illinois  could  there  have  been  found 
two  more  fit  persons  for  this  purpose  than  John 
Moore  and  Samuel  D.  Lockwood. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


23 


The  state  had  the  appointment  of  two 
trustees  of  the  lands  and  the  railroad  company 
one;  the  latter  selected  Morris  Ketchum  of  the 
banking-house  of  Ketchum,  Rogers  and  Bement 
of  New  York,  who  was  also  the  second  treas- 
urer of  the  company.  He  was  a  brother  to 
Hiram  Ketchum,  the  celebrated  lawyer.  Mr. 
Edward  Bement  of  the  same  banking-house 
being  the  first  treasurer  elected.  Mr.  Ketchum 
was  also  connected  with  the  locomotive  works 
of  Rogers,  Ketchum  and  Grosvenor  of  Pater- 
son,  New  Jersey,  who  supplied  the  first  one 
hundred  locomotives  used  by  the  company  ;  he 
was  also  interested  in  the  New  York  &  New 
Haven  Railroad  company,  and  was  the  author 
of  the  plan  of  raising  money  on  "preferred 
stock,"  the  first  issue  of  which  was  made  by 
that  company  during  Mr.  Ketchum's  connection 
with  it.  It  was  a  clever  device  invented  to 
enable  railway  companies  to  raise  money  with- 
out increasing  their  mortgage  debt,  and,  while 
at  the  same  time  it  apparently  weakened,  it  did 
not  necessarily  impair  the  value  of  the  common 
stock.  The  land-commissioners  have  been 
John  C.  Dodge,  who  took  part  in  the  platting 
and  selection  of  the  lands;  John  Wilson, 
formerly  land-commissioner  of  the  general 
land-office,  Washington;  John  W.  Foster, 
author  of  the  "Mound  Builders,"  and  other  ar- 
chaeological works ;  Chas.  M.  Dupuy,  Walter 
M.  Phillips,  John  B.  Calhoun  and  Peter  Daggy; 
L.  P.  Morehouse  is  the  present  incumbent. 
His  long  and  faithful  service  in  the  engineering 
department  was  rewarded  by  his  appointment 
as  land-commissioner.  Mr.  Daggy,  though  re- 
tired as  commissioner  upon  a  liberal  pension, 
still  continues  to  act  as  secretary  of  the  land 
department. 

Of  the  lands  entrusted  to  them,  the  soil 
for  the  most  part  was  of  a  rich,  black,  deep 
mould,  of  unsurpassed  fertility,  capable  of 
producing  in  the  greatest  abundance  wheat, 
rye,  corn,  oats  and  fruits  and  vegetables  of  all 
kinds.  But,  with  all  their  productiveness,  the 
quarries  and  mineral  wealth  had  remained  com- 
paratively unsettled  and  uncultivated  until  this 
road  was  constructed,  and  would  have  continued 


so  in  all  probability  for  many  years  to  come, 
but  for  the  facilities  of  travel  and  transportation 
furnished  by  it.  These  lands  had  been  in  the 
market  subject  to  private  entry  for  a  third  of  a 
century  at  a  mere  nominal  value,  and  yet  in 
very  few  instances  were  purchasers  found  for 
them.  Remote  from  markets,  without  facilities 
for  transportation,  and  with  roads  almost  im- 
passable, the  cost  of  handling  the  products  of 
the  lands  to  a  market,  and  the  time  employed 
therein,  amounted  almost  to  as  much  as  the 
value  of  the  land. 

The  total  grant  of  land  to  the  state  of  Illi- 
nois was  2,594,115  acres  which  were  donated 
to  the  company,  being  at  the  rate  of  3700  acres 
per  mile.  The  grant  of  lands  referred  to  was 
not,  strictly  speaking,  the  first  act  of  congress 
making  a  grant  of  lands  directly  and  specifically 
to  aid  railroad  building,  but  was  among  the 
first  in  importance.  Of  the  land  donated  by 
the  state  to  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  com- 
pany, 107,614  acres  were  first  conveyed  to  pre- 
emption claimants.  Gov.  Joel  A.  Matteson,  in 
his  inaugural  message  to  the  eighteenth  general 
assembly,  convened  Jan.  3,  1853,  referring  to 
this,  says:  "I  have  not  heard  that  any  settler 
upon  the  company's  land  has  had  occasion  to 
complain,  but,  on  the  contrary,  when  the  time 
by  law  had  passed  for  proving  pre-emptions 
upon  the  company's  land  by  the  settler  upon 
the  lands,  the  company  took  no  advantage  and 
allowed  the  lands  to  be  entered  on  proof  being 
made,  the  same  as  if  directed  by  law.  This 
course  pursued  in,  can  not  fail  to  awaken  in 
the  minds  of  the  people  of  this  state  strong 
feelings  of  reciprocal  good-will."  The  rapid 
settlement  of  the  railroad  lands  stimulated  the 
sale  of  the  government  lands,  alternate  sections, 
which  for  years  had  been  in  market,  but  re- 
mained unsold,  though  for  a  considerable  time 
they  could  have  been  obtained  with  land- 
warrants  at  about  one-half  the  government 
price.  After  the  location  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral Railroad,  a  large  portion  of  them  were 
immediately  sold  for  from  $2.50  to  $5  an  acre, 
and  the  line  of  the  road  began  to  fill  up  with 
hardy  and  enterprising  settlers,  enabling  the 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


o 
o 


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t/2 

- 
o 
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CO 


a: 
h 

w 
O 
tn 

o 

Y. 


w 
a 


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x 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


25 


government  to  elose  its  land-offices.  Up  to 
January  1,  1890,  of  the  lands  donated  to  the 
company,  2,456,829  acres  had  been  disposed  of 
to  about  30,000  actual  settlers,  yielding  $28,- 
742,002.93.  The  population  of  the  state  when 
the  grant  was  made  was  851,470.  The  popula- 
tion of  Chicago  was  less  than  40,000.  By  the 
recent  census  (1900)  it  is  found  to  be  nearly 
2,000,000. 

The  landed  interest  seemed  for  a  time  to 
be  regarded  as  of  greater  importance  and  value 
than  the  railroad  itself.  Said  a  member  of  the 
English  Parliament — the  Hon.  Lawrence  Hey- 
worth  of  Liverpool — who  visited  Illinois  in 
1856,  and  went  over  the  line  of  railway  shortly 
after  its  completion,  "This  is  not  a  railway 
company;  it  is  a  land  company,"  and  so  im- 
pressed-was  he  with  the  future  value  of  the 
lands,  that  he  went  back  to  New  York  and  gave 
his  bankers  a  cartf-blanchc  to  purchase  all  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  company's  shares  that 
were  offered  for  sale,  and  they  did  not  stop 
purchasing  until  they  had  acquired  for  his 
account  an  interest  amounting  to  over  $1,000,- 
000.  I  mention  this  to  show  how  pleasing  a 
picture  the  beautiful  open  prairies  of  our  state 
presented  to  the  eye  of  a  foreigner  at  that  time, 
and  what  a  deep  impression  they  made  upon 
his  mind.  But  Mr.  Heyworth  failed  to  reap 
pecuniary  advantage  from  his  investment,  for 
the  reason  that,  like  the  projectors  already 
referred  to,  he  had  anticipated  too  much.  The 
country  indeed  made  the  railroad,  but  the  rail- 
road did  not  respond  quickly  enough  in  making 
the  country.  The  promise  of  the  enormous 
traffic,  that  it  was  believed  these  lands  would 
supply  to  the  railway,  was  not  fulfilled  soon 
enough  to  yield  sufficient  revenue  to  meet  the 
early  matured  interest  on  the  debt.  The  esti- 
mates and  predictions  made  by  the  friends  of 
the  road  told  a  flattering  tale  of  wealth,  and 
indeed  they  were  all  realized,  but  not  within 
the  time  expected.  The  difficulty  was  that 
these  rich  promises  pre-supposed  a  larger  emi- 
gration to  the  state  and  a  more  rapid  settlement 
upon  the  lands  than  could  possibly  take  place 
within  the  time  specified.  The  cry  went  out  to 


the  farmers  of  England,  Germany,  vSweden, 
Norway,  Holland,  and  other  countries,  at  the 
cost  of  many  thousands  of  dollars,  to  come 
over  and  settle  in  this  new  and  beautiful  coun- 
try, but  for  a  time  it  was  scarcely  heeded. 
Special  agents  were  employed  to  go  to  these 
countries  to  explain  the  advantages  of  settling 
in  our  state,  and  pamphlets  printed  in  their 
respective  languages,  describing  the  attractive- 
ness of  the  country  and  the  fertility  of  its  soil, 
were  scattered  broadcast  over  Europe.  The 
dismal  failure  of  Morris  Birkbeck  and  others  to 
establish  English  colonies  in  Illinois  was  still 
fresh  in  the  minds  of  many  of  the  English 
farmers,  and,  with  few  exceptions,  they  could 
not  be  induced  to  leave  the  mother  country. 
The  kind  words  spoken  of  Illinois  by  Birkbeck 
in  his  "Letters  from  Illinois,"  and  "Notes  on  a 
Journey  to  America,"  both  published  in  1818, 
were  savagely  attacked  by  other  Englishmen 
who  warned  their  countrymen  not  to  be  deluded 
by  his  statements.  Later  on,  however,  many 
Scandinavians,  Poles  and  a  few  Germans  and 
Russians,  found  their  way  over  and  located 
upon  these  lands,  but  for  the  most  part  they 
were  settled  by  people  from  the  adjoining,  and 
older  eastern  states,  who  were  perhaps  better 
qualified  to  judge  of  their  resources  and  could 
cultivate  them  to  greater  advantage. 

MEMORIAL  FOR  CHARTER. 
On  January  15,  1851,  Governor  Augustus 
C.   French  sent  a  communication  to  the  house 
of  representatives  transmitting  a  memorial  of 
which  the  following  is  a  copy  :* 

*Although  this  was  the  only  plan  for  the  comple- 
tion of  the  road  submitted  to  the  legislature,  another 
plan  was  seriously  agitated  by  some  of  the  leading  men 
in 'the  state  in  conjunction  with  certain  men  in  New 
York,  who  had  figured  considerably  in  Illinois  matters, 
and  a  bill  was  prepared  in  accordance  therewith.  The 
design  was  to  have  the  state  virtually  control  the  road, 
and  one  of  the  provisions  of  the  bill  was  that  the  stock 
should  be  made  a  basis  for  banking  under  any  law 
establishing  a  general  system  of  banking.  There  were 
other  curious  provisions  which  are  interesting  as  show- 
ing the  condition  of  things  at  that  time,  and  especially 
the  opinions  of  men  as  to  the  best  means  of  raising 
millions  of  money  by  a  bankrupt  state.  The  press  of 
the  state  discountenanced  the  project  and  favored  giv- 
ing the  lands  to  actual  settlers.  The  bill  for  this  pro- 
ject may  be  found  in  the  Chicago  Daily  Democrat  of 
January  11,  1851, 


26 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


"  To  tlie  honorable  the  senators  and  representatives 

of  the  people  of  the  state  of  Illinois  in  general 

assembly  convened: 

"The  memorial  of  Robert  Schuyler,  George 
Griswold,  Gouverneur  Morris,  Jonathan  Sturges, 
Thomas  W.  Ludlow  and  John  F.  A.  Sanford  of 
the  city  of  New  York;  and  of  David  A.  Neal, 
Franklin  Haven  and  Robert  Rantoul,  Jr.,  of  the 
city  of  Boston  and  vicinity,  respectfully  repre- 
sents : 

"That,  having  examined  and  considered  an 
act  of  congress  of  the  United  States,  whereby 
land  is  donated  by  the  United  States  for  the 
purpose  of  insuring  the  construction  of  a  rail- 
road from  Cairo,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  river, 
to  Galena  and  the  northwestern  angle  of  the 
state  of  Illinois,  with  a  branch  extending  to 
Chicago  on  Lake  Michigan,  on  certain  con- 
ditions, therein  expressed ;  and,  having  exam- 
ined also  the  resources  of  the  tract  of  country 
through  which  it  is  proposed  that  the  said  rail- 
road shall  pass,  and  the  amount  of  cost,  and 
the  space  of  time  necessary  for  constructing  the 
same,  the  subscribers  propose  to  form  a  com- 
pany, with  such  others  as  they  may  associate 
with  them,  including  among  their  number  per- 
sons of  large  experience  in  the  construction  of 
several  of  the  principal  railroads  of  the  United 
States,  and  of  means  and  credit  sufficient  to 
place  beyond  doubt  their  ability  to  perform 
what  they  hereinafter  propose,  make  the  follow- 
ing offer  to  the  state  of  Illinois  for  their  con- 
sideration : 

"The  company  so  formed  by  the  subscribers 
will,  under  the  authority  and  direction  of  the 
state  of  Illinois,  fully  and  faithfully  perform 
the  several  conditions,  and  execute  the  trusts, 
in  the  said  act  of  congress  contained.  And  will 
build  a  railroad  with  branches  between  the  ter- 
mini set  forth  in  said  act,  with  a  single  track, 
and  complete  the  same,  ready  for  the  transpor- 
tation of  merchandise  and  passengers,  on  or 
before  the  fourth  day  of  July,  which  will  be  in 
the  year  of  our  Lord,  eighteen  hundred  and 
fifty-four.  And  the  said  railroad  shall  be,  in 
all  respects,  as  well  and  thoroughly  built  as 
the  railroad  running  from  Boston  to  Albany, 


with  such  improvements  thereon  as  experience 
has  shown  to  be  desirable  and  expedient,  and 
shall  be  equipped  in  a  manner  suitable  to  the 
business  to  be  accommodated  thereby.  And 
the  said  company,  from  and  after  the  comple- 
tion of  the  said  road,  will  pay  to  the  state  of 

Illinois,  annually, *  per  cent  of    the    gross 

earnings  of  the  said  railroad,  without  deduction 
or  charge  for  expenses,  or  for  any  other  matter 
or  cause ;  provided,  that  the  state  of  Illinois 
will  grant  to  the  subscribers  a  charter  of  incor- 
poration, with  terms  mutually  advantageous 
with  powers  and  limitations,  as  they,  in  their 
wisdom,  may  think  fit,  as  shall  be  accepted  by 
said  company,  and  as  will  sufficiently  remuner- 
ate the  subscribers  for  their  care,  labor  and 
expenditure  in  that  behalf  incurred,'  and  will 
enable  them  to  avail  themselves  of  the  lands 
donated  by  the  said  act  to  raise  the  funds,  or 
some  portion  of  the  funds,  necessary  for  the 
construction  and  equipment  of  said  railroad. 
"ROBERT  SCHUYLER, 
GEORGE  GRISWOLD, 
GOUVERNEUR  MORRIS, 

of  Morrisania, 
FRANKLIN  HAVEN, 
DAV.  A.  NEAL, 
ROBERT  RANTOUL,  JR., 
JONA.  STURGES, 
THOS.  W.  LUDLOW, 
JOHN  F.  A.  SANFORD. 
"December  28,   1850." 

It  was  laid  on  the  table  and  ordered  to  be 
printed. 

On  January  14,  1851,  Asahel  Gridley  intro- 
duced in  the  senate  a  bill  for  an  "act  to  incor- 
porate the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  company," 
which  was  referred  to  the  committee  oh  internal 
improvements.  After  various  decisions  and 
references  from  day  to  day,  James  L."  I). 
Morrison,  on  February  5,  following,  offered  a 
substitute  for  the  original  bill,  to  which  various 
amendments  were  offered,  and,  on  the  next 
day,  February  6,  it  was  finally  passed  in  the 
senate  by  a  vote  of  23  to  2.  Four  clays  later — 

*  John  \Ventworth  said  that  it  was  proposed  to  (ill 
this  in  ten  per  cent  but  that  he  opposed  it. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


27 


February  10,  1851,  it  passed  the  house  of  repre- 
sentatives by  a  vote  of  72  to  2.  The  final  pas- 
sage of  the  bill  was  celebrated  in  Chicago  by 
the  firing  of  cannon  and  other  demonstrations 
in  honor  of  the  event.  That  clause  in  the  char- 
ter making  the  governor  of  the  state  an  r.v- 
oiliiio  officer  was  suggested  by  John  Went- 
worth. 

The  incorporators  named  were,  George 
Griswold,  Franklin  Haven,  David  A  Neal, 
Jonathan  Sturges,  Joseph  W.  Alsop,  Robert 
Rantoul,  Jr.,  John  F.  A.  Sanford,  Leroy  M. 
Wiley,  Robt.  Schuyler,  Henry  Grinnell,  William 
H.  Aspimvall,  Thomas  W.  Ludlow  and  Gou- 
verneur  Morris.  The  four  last  named  never 
took  a  very  active  part  in  the  affairs  of  the 
company.  Of  the  others  who  formed  a  part  of 
the  first  board  of  directors,  the  most  active  and 
prominent  were  Messrs.  Sturges,  Alsop,  Gris- 
wold, Neal  and  Sanford. 

The  act  was  accepted  by  the  company, 
March  19,  1851.  The  charter  was  a  special  one, 
and  in  its  bearing  upon  the  future  welfare  and 
prosperity  of  the  state,  probably  the  most  im- 
portant it  ever  granted.  It  conferred — as  was 
supposed  at  the  time — valuable  privileges,  al- 
though it  exacted  unusual  benefits  in  return. 
Among  the  privileges  granted  were  those  con- 
tained in  the  eighth  section,  which  -authorized 
the  board  of  directors  to  establish  such  rates  of 
toll  for  the  conveyance  of  persons  and  property 
as  they  should,  from  time  to  time,  determine. 
A  singular  provision  in  relation  to  this  right  to 
fix  rates  was,  that  it  was  to  be  governed  by  the 
by-laws  of  the  company.  The  language  of  the 
charter  is,  "as  they  shall  from  time  to  time  by 
their  by-laws  determine."  Ordinarily,  the  ob- 
ject of  a  by-law  is  to  serve  as  a  regulation  of  a 
society  or  corporation  in  a  manner  agreed  upon 
by  the  members,  but,  as  rates  of  transportation 
are  necessarily  frequently  changed,  to  make 
them  valid  and  binding  in  this  particular  case, 
would  necessitate  as  frequent  a  change  of  the 
by-laws,  and  as  this  could  only  be  done  by  the 
board  of  directors,  it  would  require  an  assembl- 
ing of  that  body  so  often  as  to  practically  make 
it  a  freight  and  passenger  department  of  the 


company.  Had  any  one  of  the  corporators 
supposed  for  a  moment,  that  the  day  would 
ever  come  when  this  right  to  fix  rates  would  be 
questioned,  and  that  the  highest  court  in  the 
land  would  decide  that  the  police  power  of  the 
state  must  override  the  right  to  fix  rates,  it  is 
very  doubtful  whether  the  charter  would  have 
been  accepted  at  the  time  it  was,  and  the  road 
would  not  probably  have  been  constructed  for 
many  years  after. 

The  work  of  constructing  700  consecutive 
miles  of  railroad  was  about  to  be  commenced. 
Although  overshadowed  by  more  modern 
achievements,  it  was  a  gigantic  undertaking 
for  that  day,  and  not  a  few  of  those  who  had 
witnessed  previous  failures,  believed  that  a 
similar  fate  awaited  this.  The  mortgage  upon 
2,000,000  acres  of  the  lands  and  the  property  of 
the  company,  to  secure  an  issue  of  construc- 
tion bonds  amounting  to  $17,000,000,  was  exe- 
cuted September  13,  1851.  Of  these,  $5,000,000 
were  negotiated  in  London,  and  such  was  the 
confidence  reposed  in  the  directory  of  the  com- 
pany that  the  bonds  were  eagerly  taken  up  at  a 
premium  before  construction  work  was  fairly 
commenced.  The  bonds  carried  with  them  the 
right  to  subscribe  to  the  share  capital  in  the 
proportion  of  ten  shares  to  each  bond,  and  as 
the  outlook  for  the  shares  was  very  promising 
at  the  time,  this  proved  a  very  popular  feature. 
At  this  time,  the  bonds  of  the  state  of  Illinois 
were  selling  at  a  large  discount,  so  that  in  the 
Eastern  states  confidence  in  any  Illinois  project 
was  too  limited  to  command  any  financial  aid 
in  that  direction.  At  this  time  and  for  many 
years  after,  foreign  capital  was  sought  to  carry 
out  all  the  leading  enterprises  in  the  West. 

Among  the  first  and  largest  expenditures 
made  were  those  for  procuring  the  right  of  way 
into  the  city  of  Chicago.  This  difficult  task 
was  entrusted  to  James  F.  Joy  and  Mason  Bray- 
man.  General  Brayman  wrote  me  on  Novem- 
ber 14,  1890,  as  follows:  "My  relation  to  the 
projectors  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  began 
in  the  autumn  of  1850.  My  retainer  as  their 
professional  adviser  dates  November  10,  1850. 
The  history  of  the  company  so  far  as 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


relates  to  Illinois,  and  especially  to  Chicago, 
during  the  contention  for  entrance  on  the  Lake 
Front  was  almost  dramatic  in  its  incidents." 

On  June  14,  1852  (Walter  Smith  Gurnee, 
being  then  mayor  of  the  city)  an  ordinance  was 
procured  from  the  common  council  of- the  city 
of  Chicago,  granting  permission  to  the  company 
"to  lay  down,  construct  and  maintain  within 
the  limits  of  the  city,  and  along  the  margin  of 
the  lake  within  and  adjacent  to  the  same,  a 
railroad  with  one  or  more  tracks."  This  ordin- 
ance was  confirmed  by  an  agreement  entered 
into  between  the  railroad  company  and  the  city 


by  purchase  and  through  condemnation  pro- 
ceedings. The  company  afterward  acquired  by 
purchase  most  of  the  riparian  rights  pertaining 
to  the  lands. 

On  March  22,  1851,  the  board  of  directors 
by  a  unanimous  resolution  appointed  Roswell 
B.  Mason  of  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  engineer-in- 
chief  with  jurisdiction  over  the  entire  line.  No 
person  could  have  been  selected  better  qualified 
for  the  work.  Mr.  Mason  was  born  Sept.  19, 
1805,  in  the  town  of  New  Hartford,  Oneida 
county,  New  York.  In  1822-3  he  was  in  the 
engineering  department  of  the  Erie  Canal ;  in 


THE  LARGEST  LOCOMOTIVE  IN  THE  WORLD. 

GENERAL  DIMENSIONS: — Cylinders,  23  inches- in  Diameter  x  30  inch  stroke.  Driving  wheels,  57  inches  in  Dia- 
meter. Boiler,  front  end,  82  inches  in  Diameter.  Weight  on  drivers,  193,200  pounds;  weight  on  trucks,  39,000 
pounds;  total  weight,  232,200  pounds.  Tender,  loaded,  132,700  pounds. 


of  Chicago  March  28,  1853.  Lands  for  depot 
purposes,  north  of  Randolph  street,  were  ac- 
quired by  purchase  from  the  United  States 
government  and  from  private  owners,*  and  the 
right  of  way  south  of  Park  Row  was  obtained 

*  Various  and  persistent  attempts  have  been  made 
by  different  parties  representing  the  heirs  of  Jean 
Baptiste  Beaubien,  Mark  Noble  and  others,  to  get 
possession  of  the  lands  in  fractional  southwest  quarter 
of  section  10,  extending  north  and  south  of  Randolph 
street . 

April  5,  1872,  under  a  special  act  of  congress, 
there  was  issued  to  Thos.  B.  Valentine  and  wife,  of 
San  Francisco,  scrip  for  about  13,000  acres  of  land,  in 
pieces  of  forty  acres  each,  in  consideration  of  their 
having  quitclaimed  to  the  United  States  a  similar  quan- 
tity of  land  in  the  county  of  Sonoma,  near  the  city  of 
San  Francisco,  to  which  Valentine  had  acquired  some 
title.  These  lands  were  included  in  what  was  known 


as  the  "Miranda  Grant"  (granted  in  1844  to  Juan 
Miranda,  and  from  whom  Valentine  had  received  his 
title) ,  which  the  government  had  inadvertently  disposed 
of. 

The  scrip  received  from  the  government  was 
locatable  on  any  public  lands  (not  mineral)  unappro- 
priated and  unoccupied.  October  18,  1875,  Valentine 
filed  a  claim  in  the  land-office  at  Springfield,  111.,  on 
fractional  section  10,  claiming  that  it  was  public  land 
and  that  he  was  entitled  to  a  patent  therefor.  This 
was  the  first  location  attempted  on  the  company's 
depot-grounds  under  "Valentine  Scrip."  Feb.  12, 
1878,  he  applied  to  the  commissioner  of  the  general 
land-office  for  a  patent;  the  application  was  allowed, 
and  the  patent  ordered  to  be  issued.  An  appeal  was 
taken  by  the  city  of  Chicago  (which  claimed  an  interest 
in  a  portion  of  the  ground)  to  the  secretary  of  the 
interior,  Hon.  Carl  Schurz.  February  28,  1879,  the 
secretary  reversed  the  decision  of  the  commissioner,  on 
the  ground  that  no  part  of  section  10  was  "public  land" 
upon  which  scrip  of  such  character  could  be  located ; 
that  it  could  only  be  located  upon  "lands  that  are  in  a 
state  of  nature." 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


1824  was  assistant  engineer  on  the  Schuylkill 
Canal ;  in  1825  was  assistant  engineer  on  the 
Morris  Canal  and  until  1831,  when  he  took 
charge  of  part  of  the  Pennsylvania  Canal.  In 
1833  he  became  superintendent  of  the  Morris 
Canal,  and  left  •  it  in  1837,  when  he  became 
chief  engineer  of  the  Housatonic  Railroad,  and 
held  that  position  and  that  of  superintendent 
until  1848.  From  1848-51  he  was  chief  engi- 
neer, and  superintendent  of  the  New  York  & 
New  Haven  Railroad. 

He  commenced  his  journey  to  Illinois  on 
May  14,  1851,  accompanied  by  a  corps  of  engi- 
neers. Their  route  west  was  as  follows :  by 
steamer  from  New  York  to  Albany,  thence  by 
railroad  to  Buffalo,  by  steamer  from  Buffalo 
across  Lake  Erie  to  Detroit,  by  railroad  thence 
to  New  Buffalo  on  the  east  side  of  Lake  Mich- 
igan— the  Michigan  Central  Railroad,  at  that 
time,  being  completed  only  to  this  point — and 
thence  by  steamer  to  Chicago  ;  arriving  through 
in  about  five  days.  A  few  days  after  his 
arrival,  he  organized  several  surveying  parties, 
divided  the  line  into  working  divisions  and 
appointed  over  each  a  competent  division 
engineer,  the  work  being  apportioned  as  fol- 
lows: 

N.  B.  Porter,  from  Chicago  to  Rantoul. 

L.  W.  Ashley,  from  Rantoul  to  Mattoon. 

C.  Floyd  Jones,  from  Mattoon  to  Main- 
Line  Junction,  and  north  of  Centralia  and 
the  main  line  from  Ramsey's  Creek  to 
Richview. 

Arthur  S.  Ormsby,  from  Richview  to  Cairo. 

H.  B.  Plant,  from  Ramsey's  Creek  to 
Bloomington. 

Timothy  B.  Blackstone,  from  Bloomington 
to  Eldena. 

B.  B.  Provost,  from  Eldena  to  Dunleith. 

B.  G.  Roots  had  charge  of  surveying 
parties  between  the  Big-Muddy  river  and 
the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad. 

Nearly  all  the  important  bridges  on  the 
line  were  constructed  by  Stone  &  Boomer, 
bridge  builders,  of  Chicago. 

Shortly  after  Col.  Mason's  arrival  in  Chi- 
cago, he  was  joined  by  Mr.  John  B.  Calhoun 


of  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  who  had  been  connected 
with  the  Housatonic  Railroad  company,  and 
who  took  charge  of  the  accounts  and  finances. 
Col.  Mason,  writing  of  him  several  years  after, 
says:  "He  was  a  competent,  faithful  and  reli- 
able man."  Mr.  Calhoun  remained  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  company  for  many  years  and  became 
its  land-commissioner.  He  was  a  genial  and 
courteous  gentleman,  unpretentious  and  thor- 
oughly honest,  and  a  man  of  such  an  ingenuous 
nature  that  he  despised  anything  like  deception. 
Millions  of  dollars  passed  through  his  hands 
during  the  work  of  construction  without  the 
loss  of  a  cent  to  the  company.  Very  heavy 
settlements  had  to  be  made  with  contractors 
during  the  progress  of  the  work,  and  most  of 
these  were  made  by  Mr.  Calhoun  personally, 
in  the  capacity  of  paymaster.  As  currency 
was  scarce  in  the  state  and  most  of  that  in  cir- 
culation was  practically  irredeemable,  it  was 
necessary  to  send  to  the  eastern  banks  to  pro- 
cure a  monthly  supply.  In  this  way  the  notes 
of  many  of  the  Hartford  banks  were  put  in 
circulation  along  the  line;  but  as  these  banks 
all  redeemed  in  specie,  it  was  not  long  before 
they  found  their  way  back  for  redemption. 

Mr.  Calhoun  named  almost  all  the  stations 
that  were  opened  for  business  on  the  road  after 
its  completion.  The  names  are  mostly  of  Indian 
origin,  but  a  few  were  named  in  a  peculiar 
manner.  "Tolono,"  for  example,  was  con- 
structed by  placing  the  vowel  o  thrice  repeated, 
and  alternating  arbitrarily  with  the  three  conso- 
nants which  the  word  contains,  producing  a 
name  sufficiently  unique. 

On  March  16,  1853,  in  addition  to  his  other 
duties,  Mr.  Mason  was  charged  with  the  care 
of  the  transportation' department  of  the  com- 
pany's road,  covering  such  portions  of  the  line 
as  were  completed  and  in  operation,  with  addi- 
tional title  of  general-superintendent,  and  in 
March  1855  additional  executive  powers  were 
granted  him  in  Illinois. 

In  the  early  prosecution  of  the  work,  great 
difficulty  was  experienced  in  procuring  laborers; 
the  country  through  which  the  line  was  surveyed 
was  of  course  entirely  unsettled.  Southerly 


30 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


from  Chicago  for  about  130  miles,  it  \v;is  an 
almost  unbroken  prairie,  inhabited  only  by  deer, 
wolves  and  other  wild  animals,  with  no  settle- 
ment in  view.  There  were  not  half  a  dozen 
places  on  the  entire  line  of  sufficient  import- 
ance to  be  known  on  the  map  of  the  state ;  so 
that  men  had  to  be  brought  a  great  distance  to 
do  the  work  and  they  had  to  be  cared  for  along 
the  line.  Indeed  with  the  exception  of  LaSalle 
and  Galena  on  the  main  line,  and  Jonesboro  in 
southern  Illinois  near  the  line,  there  were  no 
places  of  importance  along  the  proposed  route. 
Nearly  80,000  tons  of  iron  rails  of  a  superior 
quality  had  been  purchased  in  England  by 
Capt.  David  A.  Neal,  the  vice-president,  and 
these  began  to  arrive  early  in  1852.  There 
were  no  rail-mills  of  importance  in  this  country 
at  that  time.  The  cost  of  the  rails  purchased 
ranged  from  $38.50  to  $43.50  per  ton,  f.  o.  b.,  at 
Wales  or  Liverpool.  These  rails  were  for  the 
most  part  exceptionally  good  in  quality,  and 
some  of  them  were  in  track  for  thirty  years ;  a 
much  longer  period  than  the  steel  rails  now 
manufactured  will  last  under  ordinary  traffic. 
Considerable  portion  of  the  line  was  located 
and  construction  was  well  under  way  by  the 
fall  of  1851.  Maps  and  profiles  were  prepared 
and  these  were  deposited  with  the  commissioner 
of  the  general  land-office  at  Washington,  as 
required  by  law,  in  February  1852.  The  final 
approval  of  location  and  selection  of  lands  was 
secured  a  month  later.  The  last  contract  was 
let  Oct.  13,  1852.  In  May  1853  the  first  portion 
of  the  road  from  LaSalle  to  Bloomington,  61 
miles,  was  put  in  operation,  a  temporary 
bridge  was  erected  over  the  Illinois  river,  and 
cars  were  hauled  to  the  top  of  the  bluff  with 
ropes  and  chains  by  means  of  a  stationary 
engine.  In  July  1854,  128  miles  of  the  Chicago 
branch  from  Chicago  to  Urbana  were  finished 
and  trains  were  running.  A  few  years  after- 
ward the  company  donated  $50,000  toward  the 
construction  of  the  industrial  college  at  this 
point,  now  known  as  the  Illinois  University. 
In  November  of  the  same  year  the  communi- 
cation from  Freeport  to  Galena  was  completed. 
In  the  same  month  for  the  first  time,  passen- 


gers were  carried  from  Chicago  to  Cairo  ria 
Chicago  &  Mississippi  Railroad  to  St.  Louis, 
thence  east  by  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad 
to  Sandoval  on  the  main  line  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  from  which  point  the  road 
was  then  open  to  Cairo,  a  distance  of  118 
miles. 

The  writer  was  a  passenger  on  the  first 
train  that  passed  through  southern  Illinois  to 
Cairo  and  remembers  well  how  the  "Egyptians" 
turned  out  to  witness  the  novel  sight,  to  them, 
of  a  locomotive  engine  and  train  of  cars.  They 
lined  the  track  on  both  sides  at  every  station, 
the  men  dressed  in  their  snuff-colored  jeans, 
and  the  women  with  gaudy-colored  calicoes, 
check-aprons  and  big  sun-bonnets.  They  stood 
dumb  with  .amazement.  Many  of  them  looked 
as  though  they  had  come  out  "between  the 
shakes"  of  fever  and  ague. 

When  the  road  was  located  not  a  single 
railroad  track  crossed  the  right  of  way  between 
Chicago  and  Cairo,  a  distance  of  365  miles. 
The  first  work  put  under  contract  was  that  por- 
tion of  the  line  extending  from  Chicago  to 
what  was  then  known  as  Calumet  Station,  now 
called  Kensington.  This  was  done  in  order  to 
enable  the  Michigan  Central  trains  to  enter  the 
city,  and  that  company  made  a  temporary  loan 
to  the  Illinois  Central  Company  to  enable  the 
latter  to  complete  this  fourteen  miles  more 
promptly.  Their  first  train  passed  over  this 
new  track  on  May  20,  1852,  running  north  as 
far  as  Thirteenth  street,  where  a  temporary 
passenger  depot  was  constructed  and  which 
was  used  for  nearly  a  year  thereafter.  The 
road  from  about  Sixteenth  street  to  Randolph 
street  was  afterward  constructed  upon  piles 
driven  in  the  bed  of  the  lake,  and  this  piling 
was  maintained  until  shortly  after  the  great 
fire  of  1871,  when  the  right  of  way  was  filled 
with  debris  from  the  fire. 

The  line  into  Chicago  was  originally  located 
through  section  10,  T.  39,  N.  R.  14,  east  of  3d 
p.  m.,  to  t/if  Cln'eaffo  river,  so  that  north  of 
Randolph  street  it  passed  through  a  portion  of 
Fort  Dearborn  addition  then  owned  by  the 
United  States  government.  The  map  showing 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


the  location  \v;is  Hied  in  the  general  land-office 
at  Washington,  the  local  land-office  at  Spring- 
field and  in  the  registry  of  deeds  for  Cook 
county.  The  company  claimed  a  right  of  way 
through  section  10,  north  of  Randolph  street, 
•under  the  act  of  congress  of  Aug.  4,  1852, 
entitled,  "An  act  to  grant  the  right  of  way  to 
all  rail  and  plank  roads  and  macadamized  turn- 
pikes passing  through  the  public  lands  belong- 
ing to  the  United  States  incorporated  by  any 
of  the  states."  That  act  gave  such  a  right  for 
ten  years  after  its  passage.  The  company, 
however,  acquired  the  right  of  way  through 
section  10,  from  the  United  States  government 
by  purchase  on  Oct.  14,  1852,  at  a  cost  of  $45,- 
000  which  was  then  a  very  high  price.  After- 
ward the  railroad  company  brought  suit  against 
the  United  States  for  the  repayment  of  the 
moneys  paid  for  the  land  acquired  in  Fort  Dear- 
born addition,  on  the  ground  that  the  act  of 
congress  applied  to  the  lands  reserved  by  the 
government  for  military  purposes  as  well  as 
other  public  lands,  but  the  court  of  claims 
decided  adversely  to  the  railroad  company. 

The  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad  did  not 
enter  the  city  over  the  Illinois  Central  tracks 
until  Nov.  17,  1874. 

That  portion  of  the  "main  line,"  as  it  was 
called  between  Cairo  and  LaSalle,  a  distance 
of  300.99  miles,  was  completed  Jan.  8,  1855. 

With  its  southern  terminal  in  close  proxim- 
ity to  Dixie's  land,  the  road  offered  ready 
means  of  escape  for  slaves,  of  which  many 
were  not  slow  to  avail  themselves  whenever 
the  opportunity  offered.  This  they  did  by 
crossing  the  river  at  Bird's  Point,  Kentucky,  to 
Cairo,  and  secreting  themselves.in  freight  cars 
or  under  passenger  coaches  just  prior  to  their 
departure  for  the  north.  When  discovered,  if 
the  conductor  of  the  train  happened  to  be  friend- 
ly to  the  slave,  his  escape  was  winked  at,  but 
in  a  few  instances  they  were  returned  to  their 
masters,  under  the  law  as  it  existed  at  that 
time.* 

Up  to  Oct.  29,  1889,  the  transfers  of  freight 
and  passengers  between  the  north  end  of  the 

*  Fugitive-slave  law,  repealed  June  13,  1864. 


New  Orleans  line  and  the  Illinois  Central  at 
Cairo,  were  made  by  transfer  steamers  which 
conveyed  the  cars  from  one  point  to  another, 
but  on  this  date  the  Cairo  bridge  was  opened 
for  traffic,  forming  a  continuous  rail  route  from 
Chicago  to  New  Orleans,  a  distance  of  938 
miles.  The  length  of  the  bridge  is  3  miles  and 
4,720  feet,  and  its  cost  to  date  has  been  about 
$2,700,000,  which  will  be  further  increased  by 
expenditures  in  the  way  of  filling  approaches 
and  of  additional  tracks. 

The  Galena  branch,  LaSalle  to  Dunleith,  a 
distance  of  146.73  miles,  was  completed  June 
12,  1855. 

The  city  of  Galena  in  1850  lay  principally 
on  the  north  bank  of  the  river,  and  had  in  that 
year  a  population  of  6000 ;  the  whole  population 
of  Jo  Daviess  county  was  only  18,600.  The 
road  was  located  at  first  on  the  south  side, 
because  of  very  hostile  opposition  on  the  part 
of  the  people  of  Galena,  to  the  extension  of 
the  line  across  the  river,  owing  to  a  fear  that 
their  trade  would  be  injured,  which  at  that  time 
was  quite  large.  After  the  bridge  was  con- 
structed across  the  river  by  the  railway  com- 
pany, one  of  the  old  settlers  sat  at  the  south 
end  and  swore  that  he  would  shoot  the  first 
engineer  who  attempted  to  cross ;  a  little  kindly 
persuasion  on  the  part  of  some  of  the  more 
conservative  citizens  induced  him  to  retract 
this  oath. 

Some  idea  of  the  value  and  magnitude  of 
the  business  of  the  city  may  be  gathered  from 
the  following  table  of  exports  for  1851 : 


Lead, 

Flour,  - 

Barley, 

Pork, 

Lard, 

Bacon, 

Butter, 

Eggs, 

Hides  and  skins, 

Horses, 

Cattle, 

Lumber, 

Shingles, 


33,082,190  pounds, 

value  $1,417,151. 
39,385  barrels. 
42,731  bushels. 
3,185  barrels. 
125,000  pounds. 
312,568  pounds. 
87,618  pounds. 
-  22,880  dozen. 
9,326 

800  head. 
1,500  head. 
5,085,684  feet. 
-    2,470,000  bundles. 


32 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


W 
•x 


CO 

Ct, 


K 

o 


K 

B 


o 
is 

W 


W 

> 

W 
- 


K 

£ 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


33 


The  town  was  laid  out  in  1827  and  incor- 
porated as  a  city  in  1839. 

The  fear,  as  to  constructing  a  railway 
through  the  city,  was  certainly  well  founded, 
for  the  completion  of  the  road  to  Dunleith — 
now  called  East  Dubuque — 17  miles  north, 
proved  almost  the  ruin  of  Galena  as  a  business 
centre ;  the  trade  being  transferred  to  Dubuque. 
The  road  from  Galena  to  Dunleith  was  opened 
Monday,  June  11,  1855;  and  the  first  passenger 
train  passed  through  on  that  day.  No  railways 
were  at  this  time  constructed  from  Dubuque 
west,  and  all  the  merchandise  for  the  upper 
Mississippi  and  the  northwest  was  transferred 
to  steamers  at  Dunleith,  where  large  and  sub- 
stantial stone  warehouses  were  erected  to 
receive  and  store  it.  This  gave  for  the  time 
being  quite  an  impetus  to  the  place ;  the  price 
of  city  lots  rapidly  advanced;  a  fine,  large 
hotel,  called  the  "Argyle  House,"  which  many 
old  Illinoisans  remember  well,  was  erected  by 
Frederick  S.  Jesup,  a  banker  of  Dubuque, 
besides  many  stores  and  dwellings. 

A  connection  with  Chicago  at  Freeport  was 
made  by  using  the  tracks  of  the  Galena  &  Chi- 
cago Union  Railroad,  which,  in  1864  became  a 
part  of  the  Northwestern  Railway  system. 
When  the  Chicago  &  Iowa  Railroad  was  built 
in  1872,  from  Aurora  to  Forreston  on  the  main 
line,  its  tracks  were  used  and  the  arrangement 
via  Freeport  discontinued.  The  Chicago  branch 
between  Chicago  and  the  junction  with  the 
main  line,  a  distance  of  249.78  miles,  was  com- 
pleted September  26,  1856.*  Sections  of  the 
different  divisions  were  operated  as  fast  as 
completed. 

On  Saturday,  September  27,  1856,  Col. 
Roswell  B.  Mason,  engineer-in-chief,  having 
been  notified  that  the  last  rail  was  laid  on  the 
705.5  miles  of  road  and  that  the  construction  of 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  commenced  Decem- 
ber 25,  1851,  was  an  accomplished  fact,  im- 
mediately sent  a  dispatch  to  the  board  of  direct- 

*The  original  plan  was  to  have  the  Chicago  branch 
leave  the  main  line  at  a  point  between  Decatur  and 
Vandalia. 


ors  in  New  York  informing  them  of  the  circum- 
stance. 

Shortly  after  he  tendered  his  resignation 
to  the  board  and  it  was  reluctantly  accepted. 
In  1861  he  was  appointed  comptroller  of  the 
land-department  and  retained  that  position 
until  1867.  In  1865  he  was  appointed  by  the 
state  legislature  one  of  the  members  of  the 
Chicago  board  of  public  works  to  superintend 
the  lowering  of  the  summit  of  the  Illinois  and 
Michigan  Canal.  In  1869  he  was  elected  mayor 
of  the  city  of  Chicago,  and  held  that  office  at 
the  time  of  the  great  fire,  Oct.  9,  1871. 

In  1857  what  was  known  as  the  Peoria  & 
Oquawka  Railroad  was  constructed  from  Gil- 
man  on  the  Chicago  branch  to  El  Paso  on  the 
main  line,  thus  forming  a  connection  between 
these  two  important  divisions.  The  Oilman, 
Clinton  &  Springfield  Railroad,  connecting-  the 
branch  with  the  capital  of  the  state,  was  opened 
for  business  on  December  3,  1871. 

The  early  estimates  as  to  the  cost  of  con- 
struction of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  proved 
erroneous:  it  was  supposed  that  the  proceeds 
of  the  $17,000,000  of  mortgage  debt  created, 
secured  by  2,000,000  acres  of  land,  would  be 
amply  sufficient  to  construct  the  road,  and  that, 
immediately  upon  its  completion,  the  traffic 
offering  would  yield  sufficient  revenue  to  pay 
the  interest  on  the  bonds  issued  so  that  no 
large  contribution  from  share  capital  would  be 
necessary ;  but  this  proved  a  disappointment, 
and  it  was  found  necessary  to  call  in  not  only 
the  entire  amount  of  the  share  capital,  but  to 
.increase  the  capital,  all  of  which  was  paid  up 
in  full.  The  charter  provided  that  the  capital 
stock  should  be  $1,000,000,  which  might  be 
increased  from  time  to  time  to  any  sum  not 
exceeding  the  entire  amount  expended  on 
account  of  the  road.  The  capital  was  fixed  at 
$17,000,000,  corresponding  to  the  amount  of 
the  mortgage  debt,  but  this  has  been  gradually 
increased  to  meet  the  necessities  of  the  com- 
pany. It  is  now  $60,000,000.  The  dependence 
placed  upon  the  value  of  the  lands  granted  also 
proved  a  disappointment.  The  entire  proceeds 
of  these,  so  far  as  received,  during  the  construe- 


34 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


tion  of  the  line  and  until  its  completion  were 
not  sufficient  to  make  up  the  deficiency  in  in- 
terest on  the  funded  debt. 

To  refer  again  to  the  clause  in  the  charter 
of  the  company  requiring  the  payment  of  a  tax 
of  seven  per  cent  on  the  gross  earnings,  its 
great  importance  to  the  state  may  be  better 
understood  when  it  is  stated  that,  up  to  April 
30,  1899,  no  less  than  the  enormous  sum  of 
$17,652,930.00  has  been  paid  into  the  state 
treasury  under  this  requirement.  It  may  not 
be  uninteresting  to  the  tax-payers  of  Illinois  to 
show  what  this  sum  practically  represents  in 
assets  of  the  State.  In  a  recent  report  prepared 
by  Hon.  C.  W.  Pavey,  state  auditor  for  the 
United  States  census  department,  the  value  of 
public  buildings  owned  by  the  state  is  shown  as 
follows : 

State-house,  Springfield,  $4,000,000 

Northern  Insane  Hospital,  Elgin,  535,000 

Eastern  Insane  Hospital,  Kankakee,    -  1,211,000 

Central  Insane  Hospital,  Jacksonville,  -        800,000 

Southern  Insane  Hospital,  Anna,  -    643,000 
Institution,  Deaf  and  Dumb,  Jacksonville,    385,000 

Institution  for  the  Blind,  Jacksonville,  171,000 

Asylum  for  Feeble-Minded,  Lincoln,  182,000 

Soldiers'  Orphans'  Home,  Normal,  148,000 
Charitable  Eye  and  Ear  Infirmary,  Chicago,    84,000 

State  Reform  School,  Pontiac,  220,000 

Soldiers  and  Sailors'  Home,  Quincy,  235,000 

Northern  Penitentiary,  Joliet,  -  1,500,000 

Southern  Penitentiary,  Chester,  750,000 

Normal  University,  Normal,  250,000 

Illinois  University,  Urbana,  •    270,000 

Southern  University,  Carbondale,  200,000 

Executive  Mansion,  Springfield,  -        50,000 

Supreme  Court,  Ottawa,      -  50,000 

Supreme  Court,  Mount  Vernon,        -  -       55,000 

State-Arsenal,  Springfield,  15,000" 

$11,754,000 

In  the  constitution  of  1870,  the  following 
reference  is  made  to  the  payment  of  this  tax : 
"No  contract,  obligation  or  liability  whatever, 
of  the  Illinois  Central.  Railroad  company  to  pay 
any  money  into  the  state  treasury,  nor  any  lien 
of  the  state  upon,  or  right  to  tax  property  of, 
said  company  in  accordance  with  the  provisions 
of  the  charter  of  said  company,  approved 
February  10,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1851, 


shall  ever  be  released,  suspended,  modified, 
altered,  remittee!  or  in  any  manner  diminished 
or  impaired  by  legislative  or  other  authority ;  ' 
and  all  moneys  derived  from  said  company, 
after  the  paying  of  the  State  debt,  shall  be 
appropriated  and  set  apart  for  the  payment  of 
the  ordinary  expenses  of  the  state  government, 

•and  for  no  other  purpose  whatever." 

The  act  of  1869,  known  as  the  Lake  Front 
act,  contains  this  clause:  "This  act  shall  not 
be  construed  nor  have  the  effect  to  release  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  company  from  the 
payment  into  the  treasury  of  the  state  of  Illi- 
nois of  the  per  centum  on  the  gross  or  total 
proceeds,  receipts  or  incomes  derived  from 
said  road  and  branches  stipulated  in  the  charter 
of  said  company." 

The  year  1861  was  a  memorable  one  in  the 
history  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  Ten 

i  years  had  elapsed  since  its  charter  was  obtained. 
The  road  was  fully  completed  and  thoroughly 
equipped,  but  the  results  of  operating  it  were 
disappointing.  In  April  of  that  year,  the  gov- 
ernment placed  a  force  of  troops  at  Cairo. 
Communication  with  the  south  being  prohib- 
ited, the  through  business  was  cut  off,  and  the 
interests  of  the  company  suffered  for  a  time 
both  in  the  loss  of  traffic  and  the  failure  of  the 
farmers  to  pay  for  their  lands.  To  add  to  the 
difficulty,  the  bank  issues  in  Illinois  were  large- 
ly based  upon  the  securities  of  the  southern 
states.  The  overthrow  of  this  currency  caused 
the  withdrawal  of  $12,000,000  of  paper  from 
circulation  with  great  loss  to  the  holders.  The 
tax  payable  to  the  state  upon  the  gross  earnings 
was,  at  that  time,  payable  in  gold,  and  the 
company  was  obliged  to  pay  a  premium  of 
twenty-five  per  cent  for  a  draft  on  New  York, 
payable  in  coin.  As  .the  farmers  indebted  to 
the  company  could  not  meet  the  payments  due 
on  'their  lands  in  cash,  the  land-department 
adopted  the  alternative  of  accepting  pay  from 
them  in  corn,  with  which  their  cribs  were  over- 
flowing. Commencing  August  1,  in  that  year, 
there  were  received  1,860,000  bushels  of  corn 
for  lands,  and  a  large  quantity  was  received  in 
the  following  year. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


35 


With  the  necessities  growing  out  of  the 
war,  sorghum,  or  Chinese  sugar  cane,  began  to 
be  successfully  cultivated  in  Illinois  in  1861, 
and  about  1,500,000  gallons  of  syrup  were  pro- 
duced. Cotton  was  also  raised  to  a  consider- 
able extent  in  southern  Illinois,  the  price  of 
that  staple  having  reached  one  dollar  per  pound. 
Many  of  the  settlers  on  the  company's  lands  in 


hay  and  oat  crops  of  1861-2  were  unusually 
good,  and  the  prices  of  these  products  advanced. 
The  demand  from  the  south,  though  not  of  the 
character  looked  for,  was  very  great,  and  all 
the  corn,  oats  and  hay  that  could  be  transported 
to  Cairo,  found  a  ready  purchaser  at  extraordi- 
narily high  prices  in  the  person  of  Uncle  Sam's 
quartermaster.  Corn  sold  at  one  time  at  $1.50 


COURTESY  OF      WATERLOO  COURIER  ' 


WATEKPOWER  DAM  AT  WATERLOO,  IOWA. 


southern  Illinois  were  from  the  south,  and 
were,  therefore,  familiar  with  the  cultivation 
of  both  these  products. 

The  loss  of  the  southern  traffic  was  soon 
compensated  for  in  the  extraordinary  impetus 
given  to  every  branch  of  business  by  the  equip- 
ment and  movement  of  the  vast  number  of 
men  placed  in  the  field.  It  is  estimated  that  in 
Illinois  alone  that  year  65,000  men  were  with- 
drawn from  the  ordinary  occupations  of  civil 
life  to  engage  in  warlike  pursuits.  The  corn, 


per  bushel  at  Cairo  and  hay  and  oats  were  cor- 
respondingly high. 

The  offerings  of  freight  were  beyond  the 
carrying  capacity  of  the  line :  and  traffic  was 
tendered  at  various  points,  with  a  certainty  that 
it  could  not  be  moved,  in  order  that  claims  for 
damages  for  refusal  to  receive  might  be  made. 
Several  hundred  thousand  dollars  were  paid 
out  on  this  account.  The  movements  of  troops 
and  munitions  of  war  were  so  large  that  at 
times  whole  regiments  had  to  be  transported  in 


36 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


freight  cars.  It  was  no  uncommon  thing  for 
the  passenger  department  to  receive  an  order 
to  move  10,000  troops  at  a  few  hours'  notice. 
From  this  time  on  the  revenues  of  the  line  were 
immense  and  the  interest  on  the  bonded  debt 
of  the  company  was  no  longer  a  source  of 
anxiety  to  those  who  had  stood  by  it  so  heroic- 
ally through  the  struggles  of  the  preceding 
decade.  The  first  dividend  on  the  shares,  two 
per  cent,  was  earned  and  paid  that  year,  six 
years  after  the  completion  of  the  line. 

The  road  was  placed  at  the  service  of  the 
government,  which  at  times  had  practical  pos- 
session, and  the  number  of  troops  transported 
over  it  was  very  large,  as  was  also  the  quantity 
of  munitions  of  war  and  stores.  Most  of  the 
Illinois,  Minnesota  and  Wisconsin  troops  were 
sent  south  via  Cairo.  The  first  detachment  of 
Illinois  volunteer  troops,  under  orders  of 
Governor  Richard  Yates  and  in  command  of 
Brig-Gen.  Swift  of  Chicago,  was  carried  south 
in  April,  1861.  It  was  rumored  that  the  con- 
federates intended  an  attack  on  some  of  the 
bridges  on  the  road  south  of  Centralia,  and 
these  men  were  sent  there  to  defend  them. 
Such  was  the  haste  with  which  they  were  dis- 
patched, that  most  of  them  were  unprovided 
with  arms.  For  these  and  many  other  bodies 
of  troops  forwarded,  the  company  did  not  wait 
to  obtain  proper  requisitions  from  the  state, 
and  consequently  no  compensation  was  allowed 
for  the  service.  A  large  sum  of  money  due 
from  the  state  remains  unpaid  to  this  day. 
Free  transportation  was  given  during  the  war 
for  all  supplies  forwarded  to  the  sick  and 
wounded  in  the  hospitals  in  the  south.  During 
the  war,  not  only  slaves  and  refugees  from  the 
south,  but  deserters  from  the  southern  army, 
and,  I  am  sorry  to  add,  a  few  from  the  Union 
army  escaped  by  crossing  the  river  at  Cairo. 

The  demands  upon  the  road-bed  and  rolling 
stock  of  the  company,  from  1861  to  1865,  were 
so  heavy  that  at  the  close  of  the  war,  the  track 
had  been  so  overtaxed  as  to  be  in  an  almost 
unsafe  condition,  and  it  was  restored  only  after 
many  years  of  labor  and  the  expenditure  of 
large  sums  of  money. 


Many  of  the  Union  officers  and  privates, 
previous  to  the  war,  occupied  positions  in  the 
service  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  com- 
pany. Among  them  were : 

N!  Maj.-Gen.  George  B.  McClellan  was  engi- 
neer-in-chief  in  1856  and  vice-president  in  1857- 
9.  The  financial  resources  of  the  company  at 
this  time  were  quite  limited,  so  that  the  posi- 
tion proved  a  most  trying  one  to  fill.  In  that 
year  the  company  was  compelled  temporarily 
to  make  an  assignment  of  its  property,  and  the 
then  Capt.  McClellan  was  appointed  one  of  the 
assignees.  This  trust  he  administered  with 
great  faithfulness.  He  was  courageous  tinder 
difficulties,  exceedingly  tender-hearted,  just  and 
considerate  in  his  treatment  of  those  placed 
under  him,  and  was  beloved  by  all  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact.  He  had  charge  of  Chicago 
Harbor  in  1843  and  superintended  the  removal 
of  the  sand-bar  across  the  Chicago  river. 

'J  Maj.-Gen.  Ambrose  Everett  Burnside  was 
cashier  of  the  land-department  in  Chicago  and 
treasurer  of  the  company.  He  was  a  director 
of  the  company  from  1865  to  1868.  Upon  the 
breaking  out  of  the  war  in  1861,  he  was  called 
by  Gov.  Sprague  of  Rhode  Island  to  take 
charge  of  the  state  troops,  and  from  the 
colonelcy  of  the  First  Rhode  Island  Regiment 
he  rapidly  rose  to  the  rank  of  major-general. 
His  distinguished  services  in  North  Carolina 
caused  him  to  be  promoted  to  the  chief  place 
in  command  of  the  army  of  the  Potomac.  He 
afterward  served  his  state  many  years  and 
until  his  death  as  United  States  senator. 

/  Maj.-Gen.  Nathaniel  P.  Banks  was  resident 
director  in  Chicago  from  September  1860  to 
June  1861.  He  left  this  post  to  enter  the 
army. 

i  Brig. -Gen.  Thomas  E.  G.  Ransom  was 
station  agent  at  Farina,  a  small  station  in 
southern  Illinois,  at  the  time  the  war  broke 
out.  He  lived,  fought  and  died  a  brave  man, 
every  inch  a  soldier.  I  last  saw  him  alive  in 
his  tent  at  Bird's  Point,  in  May  1861.  He  was 
anxious  to  be  ordered  to  the  front. 

Brig. -Gen.  Mason  Brayman  was  one  of  the 
solicitors  of  the  company.     He  did  good  service 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


37 


for  the  company  during  its  early  organization 
and  was  instrumental  in  securing  most  of  its 
right  of  way. 

Brig. -Gen.  John  Basil  Turchin,  colonel  of 
the  Nineteenth  Illinois  Volunteers  and  author 
of  "Chickamauga,"  1889,  was  engaged  in  the 
land-department.  He  induced  a  large  number 
of  his  countrymen  to  settle  upon  the  lands  of 
the  company  near  Radom  station. 

\J  Brig. -Gen.  H.  L.  Robinson,  for  whom 
President  Lincoln  showed  some  friendship,  was 
a  conductor  on  one  of  the  suburban  trains.  He 
rose  to  the  position  of  colonel  and  quarter- 
master. 

Col.  John  B.  Wyman,  colonel  of  the  Thir- 
teenth Illinois  Volunteers,  lived  at  Amboy; 
was  division  superintendent  of  the  north  divi- 
sion ;  he  was  killed  at  Chickasaw  Bayou,  Dec. 
27,  1862. 

Col.  David  Stuart  was  one  of  the  solicitors 
of  the  company. 

Lieut.  Wm.  DeWolf  was  engaged  in  the 
land-department.  He  died  June  2,  1862,  from 
injuries  received  at  the  fight  at  Williamsburg, 
Va.,  May  4,  in  that  year. 

^Maj.  Joseph  Kirkland,  for  some  time 
auditor  of  the  company,  entered  the  volunteer 
service  in  1861,  in  the  first  levy  of  troops.  He 
served  faithfully  and  gallantly  as  private,  lieu- 
tenant, captain  and  major,  successively,  and 
was  with  Gen.  McClellan  in  his  Virginia  cam- 
paign and  remained  in  the  service  until  1863. 

Col.  James  T.  Tucker,  who  was  aid  to 
Gen.  Banks  while  the  latter  was  in  charge  at 
New  Orleans,  was  an  assistant-treasurer  of 
the  company.  He  was  commissioned  by  Gov. 
Richard  Yates  in  1861.  He  was  a  most  gener- 
ous-hearted young  man,  and  every  one  who 
met  "Jimmy"  Tucker  learned  to  love  him. 
After  the  war  he  was  the  company's  general 
southern  agent  at  New  Orleans,  which  position 
he  filled  most  acceptably.  He  died  in  that  city 
April  15,  1874. 

Sergt.  Charles  W.  Everett,  of  Battery  A, 
Chicago  Light  Artillery,  had  been  employed  in 
the  land-department ;  he  received  a  fatal  wound 


at  the  battle  of  Belmont,  Ky.,  and  was  brought 
to  his  home  at  Woodlawn  and  died  there.  It 
was  my  privilege  to  watch  with  him  during  his 
last  night  on  earth. 

-  Irving  W.  Carson,  the  celebrated  scout 
who  served  in  the  army  of  the  Potomac,  had 
been  conductor  on  the  Hyde  Park  train,  and 
was  killed  while  serving  under  Gen.  Grant  at 
Vicksburg. 

There  were  hosts  of  others,  principally 
privates,  but  many  of  whom  rendered  meritor- 
ious service,  that  enlisted  from  the  ranks  of 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  In  truth,  during 
the  early  part  of  the  war,  enlistments  by  the 
employes  were  so  numerous  that  it  was  difficult 
to  find  men  to  take  their  places. 

LAKE  FRONT  ACT  OF  1869. 

I  suppose  a  history  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,  however  brief  or  condensed,  would 
be  incomplete  without  a  reference  to  the  lake 
front  act.  It  will  perhaps  be  a  revelation  to 
many  to  learn  that  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
company  was  not  the  first  in  the  field  in  the 
effort  to  acquire  the  lake  front,  and  it  will  per- 
haps be  a  matter  of  interest  to  many  to  learn 
just  how  the  plan  originated.  As  far  back  as 
1866,  an  organization  known  as  the  Chicago 
Harbor  Improvement  Company,  and  which  was 
composed  of  many  of  the  leading  citizens  of 
Chicago,  attempted  to  obtain  from  the  legisla- 
ture of  the  state  of  Illinois  certain  rights  which 
can  be  more  clearly  defined  and  understood  by 
certain  articles  of  agreement  entered  into  by 
those  interested  in  it,  which  were  as  follows: 

CHICAGO   HARBOR    AND    IMPROVEMENT   COM- 
PANY. 

"Articles  of  agreement  and  association 
made  and  entered  into  by  and  between  the  re- 
spective subscribers  hereto,  each  with  the  other, 
for  the  uses  and  objects  and  upon  the  declara- 
tions herein  contained  and  stated. 

"First:  It  is  hereby  declared  to  be  the 
object  of  this  association  to  secure  by  legisla- 
tive, and  other  grants,  franchises,  immunities, 
easements  and  privileges,  the  right  to  create, 


38 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


39 


fill  in,  construct,  build,  dredge,  excavate  and 
dig  out,  own  and  possess,  lands,  piers,  wharves, 
breakwaters,  sea-walls,  canals,  slips,  docks, 
warehouses,  elevators,  stores  and  buildings  of 
every  name  and  description,  within  and  upon, 
and  off  from  the  limits,  or  any  part  thereof, 
now  covered  by  the  waters  of  Lake  Michigan, 
or  the  Chicago  river,  lying  and  situated  opposite 
and  east  of  fractional  sections  22  and  15  and  that 
portion  of  fractional  section  10  lying  south  of 
the  Chicago  river,  in  township  39,  north  range 
14,  east  of  the  third  principal  meridian,  within 
one  mile  of  the  shore  of  said  lake,  or  within  so 
much  and  such  part  of  said  limits  as  may  be 
feasible  and  expedient,  and  therein  and  there- 
upon, to  create,  fill  in,  construct,  build,  dredge, 
excavate  and  dig  out,  own  and  possess,  lands, 
piers,  wharves,  breakwaters,  sea-walls,  canals, 
slips,  docks,  warehouses,  elevators,  stores,  and 
buildings  of  every  name  and  description,  and 
do  all  and  singular,  such  other  work  and  per- 
form such  other  acts  as  may  be  necessary  to  be 
done  to  carry  out  and  effectuate  the  object  and 
ends  of  this  association. 

"Second:  This  association  shall  be  known 
and  called  'The  Chicago  Harbor  Improvement 
Company.' 

"Third:  The  officers  of  the  association 
shall  consist  of  a  president,  vice-president, 
treasurer,  secretary  and  an  executive  committee 
composed  of  five  members  of  the  association, 
to  be  chosen  by  the  association.  '  Said  officers 
and  executive  committee  to  hold  office  during 
the  pleasure  of  the  association.  The  duties  of 
the  executive  committee  shall  be  to  obtain  the 
legislation,  grants,  franchises,  immunities  and 
easements  mentioned  in  the  first  section  of 
these  articles. 

"Fourth:  All  grants,  franchises,  immuni- 
ties and  easements  obtained  by  the  association 
shall  run  to  individuals  composing  said  associa- 
tion, and  shall  be  owned  and  possessed  by  the 
several  members  thereof  in  equal  undivided 
pro-rata  proportions ;  and  each  member  thereof 
shall  have  the  right,  upon  the  organization  of 
any  corporation  under  and  by  virtue  of  such 
grants  or  franchises,  to  subscribe  for  and  re- 


ceive an  equal  proportion  with  each  and  every 
other  member  chereof  of  the  capital  stock  of 
such  corporation. 

"Filth:  It  is  hereby  agreed  by  and  be- 
tween the  parties  hereto,  that  each  member 
hereof  is  liable  for  and  hereby  promises  to  pay 
to  the  treasurer  hereof  his  equal  pro-rata  pro- 
portion of  all  assessments  made  to  defray  the 
expenses  incident  to  the  obtaining  of  the  legis- 
lation, grants,  franchises  and  easements  afore- 
said. 

"Sixth:  All  assessments  under  article 
fifth  shall  be  made  by  the  association  at  a  meet- 
ing called  by  the  secretary  thereof  by  written 
or  printed  notice  to  each  member  thereof,  such 
notice  specifying  the  time,  place  and  purpose 
for  which  such  meeting  is  called.  For  the  pur- 
pose of  this  section,  one-half  of  the  members 
of  said  association  shall  constitute  a  quorum, 
and  a  majority  vote  of  such  quorum  shall  be 
sufficient  to  create  a  valid  assessment. 

"Seventh:  Any  member  of  the  association 
failing  to  pay  each  and  every  assessment  made 
against  him  in  accordance  with  sections  fifth 
and  sixth  after  notice  and  demand  by  the 
treasurer  shall  forfeit  to  said  association  all 
interests  in  -its  grants,  franchises,  immunities 
and  easements,  and  may  by  resolution  be  de- 
clared expelled  therefrom. 

"Chicago,  March  10,  1866,  A.  D." 

The  organization  that  sought  to  obtain  this 
franchise  was  composed  of  many  of  the  leading 
citizens  of  Chicago,  but  they  were  governed  by 
selfish  motives,  and  could  give  nothing  in 
return — it  is  even  doubtful  whether  they  would 
have  carried  out  their  scheme.  They  failed  to 
procure  the  privileges  they  sought  to  obtain, 
and  at  the  next  session,  in  1869,  the  legislature 
conferred  similar  rights  upon  the  railroad  com- 
pany by  the  passage  of  an  act  of  which  the 
following  is  a  copy : 

LAKE  FRONT  ACT. 

"An  act  in  relation  to  a  portion  of  the  sub- 
merged lands  and  lake-park  grounds,  lying  on 
and  adjacent  to  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  on 
the  eastern  frontage  of  the  city  of  Chicago. 


40 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


"SECTION  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  people  of 
the  state  of  Illinois,  represented  in  the  General 
Assembly,  That  all  right,  title  and  interest  of 
the  state  of  Illinois  in  and  to  so  much  of  frac- 
tional section  15,  township  39,  range  14,  east 
of  the  third  principal  meridian,  in  the  city  of 
Chicago,  county  of  Cook  and  state  of  Illinois, 
as  is  situated  east  of  Michigan  Avenue  and 
north  of  Park  Row,  and  south  of  the  south  line 
of  Monroe  street,  and  west  of  a  line  running 
parallel  with,  and  four  hundred  feet  east  -of  the 
west  line  of  said  Michigan  Avenue — being  a 
strip  of  land  four  hundred  feet  in  width,  includ- 
ing said  avenue  along  the  shore  of  Lake  Mich- 
igan, and  partially  submerged  by  the  waters  of 
said  lake — are  hereby  granted,  in  fee,  to  the 
said  city  of  Chicago,  with  full  power  and  au- 
thority to  sell  and  convey  all  of  said  tract  east 
of  said  avenue,  leaving  said  avenue  ninety  feet 
in  width,  in  such  manner  and  upon  such  terms 
as  the  common  council  of  said  city  may,  by 
ordinance  provide :  Provided,  that  no  sale  or 
conveyance  of  said  property,  or  any  part  there- 
of, shall  be  valid  unless  the  same  be  approved 
by  a  vote  of  not  less  than  three-fourths  of  all 
the  aldermen  elect. 

"SECTION  2.  The  proceeds  of  the  sale  of 
any  and  all  of  said  lands  shall  be  set  aside,  and 
shall  constitute  a  fund,  to  be  designated  as  the 
"park  fund"  of  the  said  city  of  Chicago,  and 
said  fund  shall  be  equitably  distributed  by  the 
common  council  between  the  south  division, 
the  west  division  and  the  north  division  of  the 
said  city,  upon  the  basis  of  the  assessed  value 
of  the  taxable  real  estate  of  each  of  said  divis- 
ions, and  shall  be  applied  to  the  purchase  and 
improvement,  in  each  of  said  divisions,  or  in 
the  vicinity  thereof,  of  a  public  park,  or  parks 
and  for  no  other  purpose  whatsoever. 

"SECTION  3.  The  right  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  company,  under  the  grant 
from  the  state  in  its  charter,  which  said  grant 
constitutes  a  part  of  the  consideration  for 
which  the  said  company  pays  to  the  state  at 
least  seven  per  cent  of  its  gross  earnings,  and 
under  and  by  virtue  of  its  appropriation,  occu- 
pancy, use  and  control,  and  the  riparian  owner- 


ship   incident    to    such    grant,    appropriation, 
occupancy,  use  and  control  in  and  to  the  lands 
submerged  or  otherwise  lying  east  of  the  said 
line   running  parallel  with,    and    four   hundred 
feet  east  of  the  west  line  of  Michigan  Avenue, 
in  fractional  sections  10  and  15,  township  and 
range  as  aforesaid,  is  hereby  confirmed,  and  all 
the  right  and   title   of  the   state  of  Illinois,  in 
and  to  the  submerged    lands    constituting    the 
bed  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  lying  east  of  the 
tracks    and    breakwater  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  company,  for  the  distance  of  one  mile, 
and   between  the  south  line  of  the  south  pier 
extending  eastwardly,  and  a  line  extended  east- 
ward from  the  south    line    of   lot   twenty-one, 
south    of    and    near    to    the    round-house    and 
machine-shops    of   said  company,  in  the  south 
division  of  the  said  city  of  Chicago,  are  hereby 
granted,   in   fee,    to    the    said    Illinois    Central 
Railroad  company,  its  successors  and  assigns : 
Provided,  however,    that  the  fee  to  said  lands 
shall  be  held  by  said  company    in  perpetuity, 
and  that  the  said  company  shall  not  have  the 
power  to  grant,  sell  or  convey  the  fee  to  the 
same ;  and    that    all    gross    receipts   from  use, 
profits,   leases,   or  otherwise  of  said  lands,  or 
the  improvements  thereon,  or  that  may  hereafter 
be  made  thereon,  shall  form  a  part  of  the  gross 
proceeds,  receipts  and  income  of  the  said  Ill- 
inois  Central   Railroad    company,    upon  which 
said  company  shall  forever  pay  into  the  state 
treasury,    semi-annually,    the    per  centum  pro- 
vided for  in  its  charter,  in  accordance  with  the 
requirements    of    said    charter :     And  provided, 
also,   That    nothing  herein  contained  shall  au- 
thorize obstructions  to  the  Chicago  harbor,  or 
impair  the  public  right  of  navigation ;  nor  shall 
this   act  be   construed  to    exempt    the   Illinois 
Central  Railroad  company,  its  lessees  or  assigns, 
from  any  act  of  the  general    assembly   which 
may  be  hereafter  passed  regulating  the  rates  of 
wharfage  and  dockage  to   be  charged  in  said 
harbor:     And  provided,    further,    That    any    of 
the  lands  hereby  granted  to  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  and  the  improvements  now,  or  which 
may  hereafter  be,  on   the    same,    which    shall 
hereafter  be   leased   bv    said    Illinois    Central 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


41 


Railroad  company  to  any  person  or  corporation, 
or  which  may  hereafter  be  occupied  by  any  per- 
son or  corporation  other  than  the  said  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  company,  shall  not,  during 
the  continuance  of  such  leasehold  estate,  or  of 
such  occupancy,  be  exempt  from  municipal  or 
other  taxation. 

"SECTION  4.  All  the  right  and  title  of  the 
state  of  Illinois,  in  and  to  the  lands,  submerged 
or  otherwise,  lying  north  of  the  south  line  of 
Monroe  street,  and  south  of  the  south  line  of 
Randolph  street,  and  between  the  east  line  of 


provided  for  in  the  charter  of  said  company 
shall  forever  be  paid  in  conformity  with  the 
requirements  of  said  charter. 

"SECTION  5.  In  consideration  of  the  grant 
to  the  said  Illinois  Central,  Chicago,  Burling- 
ton &  Quincy  and  Michigan  Central  Railroad 
companies  of  the  land  a's  aforesaid,  said  com- 
panies are  hereby  required  to  pay  to  the  said 
city  of  Chicago,  the  sum  of  $800,000,  to  be 
paid  in  the  following  manner,  viz:  $200,000 
within  three  months,  from  and  after  the  passage 
of  this  act,  $200,000  within  six  months  from 


PHOTOGRAPH  BY  A.  W.  ADAMS,  WATERLOO,  IOWA. 


A  representative  of  the  type  of  Freight  Engines  used  on  the  West  End  of  the  Illinois  Central. 


Michigan  avenue,  and  the  track  and  roadway  of 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  company,  and 
constituting  parts  of  fractional  sections  10  and 
15,  in  said  township  39,  as  aforesaid,  are  here- 
by granted,  in  fee,  to  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road company,  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Railroad  company,  and  the  Michigan 
Central  Railroad  company,  their  successors  and 
assigns,  for  the  erection  thereon  of  a  passenger 
depot,  and  for  such  other  purposes  as  the  busi- 
ness of  said  company  may  require,  Provided, 
That  upon  all  gross  receipts  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  company  from  leases  of  its 
interest  in  said  grounds  or  improvements  there- 
on or  other  uses  of  the  same,  the  per  centum 


and  after  the  passage  of  this  act;  $200,000 
within  nine  months  from  and  after  the  passage 
of  this  act,  $200,000  within  twelve  months  from 
and  after  the  passage  of  this  act;  which  said  sums 
shall  be  placed  in  the  park  fund  of  the  said  city 
of  Chicago,  and  shall  be  distributed  in  like  man- 
ner as  is  hereinbefore  provided  for  the  distri- 
bution of  the  other  funds  which  may  be  ob- 
tained by  said  city  from  the  sale  of  the  lands 
conveyed  to  it  by  this  act. 

"SECTION  6.  The  common  council  of  the 
said  city  of  Chicago  is  hereby  authorized  and 
empowered  to  quitclaim  and  release  to  the  said 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  company,  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  company,  and 


42 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


the  Michigan  Central  Railroad  company,  any 
and  all  claim  and  interest  in  and  upon  any  and 
all  of  said  land  north  of  the  south  line  of 
Monroe  street,  as  aforesaid,  which  the  said  city 
may  have  by  virtue  of  any  expenditures  and  im- 
provements thereon  or  otherwise,  and  in  case  the 
said  common  council  shall  neglect  or  refuse 
thus  to  quitclaim  and  release  to  the  said  com- 
panies, as  aforesaid,  within  four  months  from 
and  after  the  passage  of  this  act,  then  the  said 
companies  shall  be  discharged  from  all  obliga- 
tion to  pay  the  balance  remaining  unpaid  to 
said  city. 

"SECTION  7.  'The  grants  to  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  company  contained  in  this  act 
are  hereby  declared  to  be  upon  the  express 
condition  that  said  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
company  shall  perpetually  pay  into  the  treasury 
of  the  state  of  Illinois  the  per  centum  on  the 
gross  or  total  proceeds,  receipts  or  income 
derived  from  said  road  and  branches  stipulated 
in  its  charter,  and  also  the  per  centum  on  the 
gross  receipts  of  said  company  reserved  in  this 
act. 

"SECTION  8.  This  act  shall  be  a  public 
act  and  in  force  from  and  after  its  passage." 

This  act  was  accepted  by  the  board  of 
directors  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  com- 
pany July  16,  1870,  and  the  secretary  of  state 
advised  accordingly. 

This  bill  was  returned  to  the  house  of 
representatives  April  14,  1869,  by  Gov.  John  M. 
Palmer  without  his  approval.  The  reasons 
given  for  the  veto  were  that  the  consideration 
for  the  grant  was  insufficient — that  the  rights 
that  were  confirmed  to  the  railroad  company 
were  too  vaguely  enumerated — that  the  act  was 
not,  in  his  judgment,  coupled  with  such  restric- 
tions as  would  protect  the  rights  of  the  state — 
that  the  act  did  not  require  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  company  to  place  improvements  on 
the  submerged  lands — that  the  price  named  for 
the  three  blocks  of  land  between  Randolph  and 
Monroe  streets — intended  to  be  used  for  a 
passenger  depot — $800,000  —  was  below  the 
market  value. 


On  April  16,  1869,  however,  the  act  was 
passed  in  the  house  over  the  governor's  veto 
by  a  vote  of  52  to  31,  and  in  the  senate  by  a 
vote  of  14  to  11.  A  careful  examination  of  the 
act  will  show  that,  although  the  railroad  com- 
pany was  to  receive  an  extraordinary  grant,  the 
interests  of  the  state  at  least  were  very  well 
guarded.  The  railroad  company  could  not  part 
with  the  fee,  and  were  obligated  to  pay  perpet- 
ually to  the  state  upon  all  gross  income  derived 
from  the  property  the  same  percentage  that 
they  pay  on  the  gross  earnings  of  their  railway, 
7  per  cent;  also  taxes  to  the  city  of  Chicago 
upon  any  of  the  lands  acquired  under  the  grant, 
that  might  be  leased  to  other  parties.  There 
was  also  a  provision  in  the  act  that  the  general 
assembly  should  reserve  power  to  regulate  the 
rates  for  dockage.  The  view  taken  by  many 
senators  and  representatives  who  voted  for  this 
measure  was,  that  the  state  was  simply  utilizing 
its  interest  in  the  submerged  lands  by  constitut- 
ing them  a  source  of  permanent  income  to  it 
and  incidentally  to  the  city  of  Chicago.  The 
ownership  of  docks  by  municipalities  has  never 
proved  very  profitable,  and  their  construction 
and  maintenance  have  been  fruitful  sources  of 
corruption.  It  is  possible,  therefore,  that  what 
was  regarded  by  some,  at  that  time,  as  a  tre- 
mendous "steal"  might  have  proved  a  large 
and  permanent  benefit  to  the  city  and  to  the 
state. 

The  construction  of  piers  at  that  time 
would  have  afforded  splendid  facilities  for  the 
shipping  interest  of  Chicago,  and  a  strong 
effort  was  made  to  induce  the  Michigan  avenue 
property  owners  to  consent  to  their  erection, 
but  many  of  them  owning  comfortable  and 
costly  homes  were  reluctant  to  surrender  them 
to  the  demands  of  business,  and  relinquish 
rights  which  they  had  acquired  under  original 
purchase,  as  well  as  under  a  special  act  of  the 
legislature  of  the  state  of  Illinois,  passed  in 
1863  which  is  as  follows : 

"The  state  of  Illinois,  by  its  canal  com- 
missioners, having  declared  that  the  public 
ground  east  of  said  lots  should  forever  remain 
open  and  vacant,  neither  the  common  council 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


43 


of  the  city  of  Chicago  nor  any  other  authority, 
shall  ever  have  the  power  to  permit  encroach- 
ments thereon  without  the  assent  of  all  the  per- 
sons owning  lots  or  land  on  said  street  or 
avenue." 

The  great  need  of  the  city  of  Chicago  is 
increased  dockage  ;  the  accommodation  offered 
by  those  on  the  Chicago  river  and  its  branches 
is  entirely  inadequate  to  the  wants  of  a  great 
city  of  nearly  2,000,000  inhabitants.  The  loss 
of  time  and  great  expense  to  which  vessels  are 
subjected  by  reason  of  being  compelled  to  pass 
through  the  numerous  bridges  spanning  the 
Chicago  river  are  very  great,  and  have  inflicted 
incalculable  injury  upon  the  shipping  interest 
of  the  port  of  Chicago,  while  the  delay  caused 
by  the  opening  and  closing  of  the  bridges  has 
also  proved  a  serious  inconvenience  and  loss  to 
her  citizens.  With  each  section  of  the  city  now 
supplied  with  a  park,  and  some  of  them  but 
partially  completed,  the  necessity  for  an  addi- 
tional one  in  the  business  portion  of  the  city, 
and  which  can  only  be  created  at  great  expense, 
does  not  seem  as  pressing  or  important  as  the 
construction  of  additional  docks,  which  the  city 
under  its  charter  has  the  right  to  construct. 

On  July  3,  1871,  with  a  view  of  preventing 
encroachments  upon  the  shore  of  the  lake,  cer- 
tain proceedings  were  commenced  by  the  United 
States  by  information  filed  in  the  United  States 
circuit  court  and  a  temporary  injunction  was 
obtained.  A  year  later,  a  stipulation  was 
entered  into  between  the  railroad  company  and 
the  war  department  upon  the  recommendation 
of  the  engineer  officers  of  the  United  States 
government,  establishing  certain  dock  lines  on 
the  east,  to  which  point,  those  authorized, 
should  be  allowed  to  construct  piers. 

Two  years  later,  April  15,  1873,  the  follow- 
ing act  was  passed:  "An  act  to  repeal  an  act 
entitled  'An  act  in  relation  to  a  portion  of  the 
submerged  lands  and  Lake  Park  grounds,  lying 
on  and  adjacent  to  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan, 
on  the  eastern  frontage  of  the  city  of  Chicago ; 
in  force  April  16,  1869.' 

"SECTION  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  people  of 
the  state  of  Illinois  represented  in  the  general 


assembly,  That  the  act  entitled  'An  act  in  re- 
lation to  a  portion  of  the  submerged  lands  and 
Lake  Park  grounds,  lying  on  and  adjacent  to 
the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  on  the  eastern 
frontage  of  the  city  of  Chicago ;  in  force  April 
16,  1869,'  be  and  the  same  is  hereby  repealed." 

The  subsequent  litigation  growing  out  of 
the  passage  of  these  various  acts  culminated  in 
the  decision  rendered  by  Judges  Harlan  and  H. 
W.  Blodgett,  February  23,  1888,  in  the  United 
States  circuit  court.  This  decision  confirmed 
to  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  company  its 
title  to  all  lands  held  by  it  north  of  Randolph 
street  and  also  all  its  rights  as  riparian  owner 
south  of  Park  Row.  As  to  the  distance  be- 
tween Park  Row  and  Randolph  street,  the  fol- 
lowing extract,  from  the  opinion  referred  to, 
will  perhaps  give  the  reader  a  clearer  view  of 
the  decision  rendered  by  the  court : 

"Upon  the  whole  case,  we  are  of  opinion 
that  the  effect  of  the  repealing  act  of  1873  was 
to  withdraw  from  the  railroad  company  as  well 
the  grant  of  the  submerged  lands  described  in 
the  third  section  of  the  act  of  1869,  as  the 
additional  powers  therein  conferred  upon  it,  by 
implication,  to  engage  in  the  business  of  con- 
structing and  maintaining  wharves,  piers  and 
docks,  for  the  benefit  of  com«ierce  and  naviga- 
tion generally,  and  not  in  the  prosecution  of 
its  business  as  defined  and  limited  by  its 
original  charter;  saving  to  the  company  the 
right  to  hold  and  use,  as  part  of  its  way  ground, 
or  right  of  way,  the  small  part  of  the  submerged 
lands,  outside  of  its  breakwater  of  1869,  be- 
tween Monroe  and  Washington  streets,  ex- 
tended eastwardly,  which  was  reclaimed — pre- 
sumably upon  the  faith  of  the  act  of  1869 — from 
the  lake  in  1873.  Such  appeal  was  attended 
with  the  further  result,  that  while  the  city  of 
Chicago  may,  under  its  charter,  preserve  the 
harbor,  prevent  obstructions  being  placed 
therein,  and  make  wharves  and  slips,  at  the 
ends  of  streets,  the  exercise  of  those  powers, 
and  the  whole  subject  of  the  development  or 
improvement  of  the  harbor  by  a  system  of 
wharves,  docks,  piers  and  other  structures,  is 
with  the  state,  subject  only  to  the  paramount 


44 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


authority  of  the  United  States  under  the  power 
of  congress  to  regulate  commerce." 

An  appeal  to  the  United  States  supreme 
court  may  be  taken  by  any  one  of  the  parties 
interested,  viz:  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
company,  the  city  of  Chicago,  or  the  s'tate  of 
Illinois,  at  any  time  within  two  years  after 
entry  of  decree— Sept.  24,  1888. 

VISIT  OF  FOREIGN  DELEGATES. 

The  year  1876  brought  new  misfortunes  to 
the  affairs  of  the  company.  Restrictive  legis- 
lation in  Iowa,  of  the  most  aggressive  character, 
compelled  a  large  reduction  in  local  tariff  rates 


fierce  trunk-line  war  between  the  Baltimore  & 
Ohio  Railroad  and  the  Vanderbilt  lines,  and  in 
which  the  Pennsylvania  Central  was  necessarily 
involved.  It  was  largely  a  struggle  for  suprem- 
acy between  cities,  but  much  personal  bitter- 
ness was  also  engendered.  Mr.  Garrett  boasted 
of  his  shorter  line  to  the  seaport  and  his  cheap 
fuel,  and  made  his  demands  accordingly.  Mr. 
Vanderbilt  pointed  to  his  curveless  and  grade- 
less  four-track  line  as  more  than  an  equivalent. 
The  battle  waxed  sore.  Freight  was  moved 
for  some  time  at  rates  below  the  cost  of  carry- 
ing. Practically,  at  Chicago,  both  of  these 
systems  entered  into  competition  with  the  lakes 


UNION  PASSENGER  STATION  USED  BY  THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  AT  Siorx  CITY,  IOWA. 


on  the  lines  in  that  state,  and,  incidentally,  on 
all  through  traffic  to  and  from  all  points  within 
the  state.  The  difficulty  was  aggravated  by  a 
loss  of  revenue  consequent  upon  a  failure  of 
crops  both  in  Iowa  and  Illinois.  Added  to 
this,  there  had  been  a  large  number  of  new 
lines  constructed  throughout  the  west,  but  par- 
ticularly in  the  states  of  Illinois  and  Iowa,  for 
which  there  was  no  remunerative  traffic.  The 
•  division  of  the  limited  traffic  over  so  many 
lines  was,  as  Mr.  Wilson  G.  Hunt  aptly  ex- 
pressed it,  like  giving  "one  bone  to  two  dogs." 
Competition  became  very  sharp  and  rates  were 
forced  so  low  that  many  of  the  weaker  lines 
were  driven  into  bankruptcy. 

The  crowning  folly  of  this  dark  year  in 
railroad   history    was  the  inauguration  of  the 


and  canal.  The  result  was  a  loss,  and  both 
sides,  weary  of  the  fray,  came  out  of  it  with 
largely  exhausted  resources.  The  introduction 
of  larger  grain-carrying  vessels  on  the  lakes, 
and  the  reduction  of  tolls  on  the  Erie  Canal, 
soon  proved  to  the  trunk-lines  the  folly  of 
attempting  to  compete  with  water-carriage. 
The  effect  upon  all  the  weaker  east  and  west 
lines  was  most  disastrous — they  were  compelled 
to  carry  freight  from  all  junction  points  south 
of  Chicago  at  the  same  rates  as  prevailed  at 
Chicago.  This,  of  course,  seriously  affected 
the  operations  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
as  it  deprived  them  of  the  haul  to  Chicago. 
The  result  was  that  their  traffic,  at  all  the  junc- 
tion points  in  Illinois,  was  confined  to  short 
hauls  between  the  stations,  changing,  in  fact, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


45 


the  entire  working  of  this  part  of  the  line  by 
reducing  it  to  a  local  business.  This  division 
of  traffic,  with  the  loss  of  the  long  haul  to  Chi- 
cago— which  had  for  so  many  years  proved  so 
certain  and  profitable  a  source  of  income  to  the 
company — proved  very  injurious  to  its  revenue. 

The  unsatisfactory  condition  of  the  affairs 
of  the  company — which,  however,  reflected  in 
no  degree  fairly  upon  the  management,  being 
due  entirely  to  circumstances  over  which  they 
had  no  control — produced  a  feeling  of  restless- 
ness among  the  foreign  holders  of  its  shares 
who  coxild  not  so  well  appreciate  the  conditions 
which  led  to  it  as  those  on  this  side  of  the 
Atlantic  ocean. 

The  average  shareholder  will  rest  in  sub- 
lime contentment  and  with  a  confidence  born 
rather  of  calm  indifference  than  of  intellectual 
comprehension,  regarding  the  affairs  of  his 
company,  so  long  as  other  brains  are  working 
out  successful  results  for  his  benefit.  He  will 
saunter  into  the  treasurer's  office  semi-annually 
or  qiiarterly,  if  notified,  scrawl  his  name  on  the 
dividend-book  in  a  more  or  less  legible  style, 
receive  his  check  in  silence  or  perhaps  with  a 
little  growl,  and  saunter  out  again,  scarcely 
troubling  himself  to  inquire  whether  his  divi- 
dend is  earned  or  only  paid.  But  woe  be  to  the 
luckless  wight  of  an  official,  who,  through  an 
error  of  judgment  or  unforeseen  circumstances, 
fails  to  accomplish  all  that  he  attempted  in  the 
way  of  cash  returns,  even  though  he  be  fortified 
with  the  aforesaid  shareholder's  proxy.  A 
shareholder's  meeting  is  a  tame  affair  with  the 
shareholders — with  dividend  checks  in  their 
pockets — absent ;  but  a  meeting  of  shareholders 
to  consider  ways  and  means  will  soon  resolve 
itself  into  a  warring  demonstration.  So,  in 
this  case,  this  temporary  check  to  the  com- 
pany's prosperity — happily  apparent  rather  than 
real — was  first  felt  on  this  side  of  the  water 
where  the  circumstances  of  the  case  were  better 
understood,  and  its  effect  was  soon  discounted. 
London  and  Amsterdam  slowly  responded  to 
the  shock. 

A  meeting  was  held  in  London  on  January 
26,  1877,  to  consider  existing  difficulties,  which 


was  presided  over  by  Sir  John  Rose,  and  at 
which  were  present  a  large  number  of  English 
shareholders,  and  representatives  of  the  admin- 
istration office  for  American  railroad  securities 
in  Amsterdam,  at  which  some  unnecessary 
denunciation  was  indulged  in.  Their  action, 
however,  resulted  in  the  sensible  conclusion 
to  appoint  a  joint-committee  to  select  delegates 
to  proceed  to  New  York,  to  confer  with  the 
directors  and  to  examine  into  the  financial  con- 
dition of  the  company,  and  then  to  visit  Illinois 
and  the  south  to  make  a  critical  examination  of 
the  company's  property  and  report  upon  its 
condition  and  resources.  Captain  Douglas 
Galton  was  appointed  on  behalf  of  the  English 
shareholders,  and  H.  de  Marez  Oyens  on  behalf 
of  the  Dutch  shareholders.  They  sailed  for 
New  York  and  held  a  series  of  lengthy  and 
very  satisfactory  conferences  with  the  directors, 
resulting  in  a  complete  dissipation  of  the  un- 
founded fears  which  had  been  entertained. 
They  then  proceeded  to  Illinois  and  went  over 
the  entire  line  with  the  officers  of  the  company, 
making  a  very  thorough  and  critical  examina- 
tion of  the  property  and  of  its  assets.  As  a 
result  of  their  inspection,  they  prepared  and 
submitted  to  their  respective  bodies  of  share- 
holders, April  27, 1877— three  months  after  their 
appointment — a  very  elaborate  report  covering 
the  conclusions  at  which  they  had  arrived  and 
giving  their  reasons  in  detail.  It  was  in  all 
respects  highly  complimentary  to  the  directors 
and  officers  of  the  company,  and  justly  so,  and 
most  reassuring  to  the  shareholders.  In  this 
report,  they  made  various  suggestions,  which, 
if  carried  into  effect  would,  in  their  judgment, 
prove  advantageous  to  the  interests  of  the  com- 
pany. Stringent  economies  were  introduced 
into  the  operations  of  the  line,  and  the  recom- 
mendations of  the  delegates  were,  so  far  as 
circumstances  would  permit,  carried  out.  The 
price  of  Illinois  Central  Railroad  shares,  which 
had  fallen  to  forty  cents  on  the  dollar,  rapidly 
recovered. 

The  office  of  president  had  been  vacant 
since  July  1876,  at  which  time  Mr.  John  M. 
Douglas  resigned,  and  on  October  17,  1877,  the 


46 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


writer,  who  had  filled  the  office  of  vice-presi- 
dent and  had  been  acting  president,  was  elected 
to  fill  the  vacancy,  which  position  he  held  until 
August  15,  1883,  afterward  again  serving  as 
vice-president  until  January  1,  1884,  at  which 
time  he  retired  from  the  service. 

The  year  1877  gave  promise  of  better 
things  for  the  railways  of  Illinois.  The  corn 
crop  of  that  year  in  this  state  amounted  to 
about  270,000,000  bushels  and  the  wheat  crop 
was  about  32,500,000  bushels.  The  price  of 
iron  and  steel  declined  to  a  very  low  point,  and 
railway  supplies  were  correspondingly  low.  In 
Iowa  the  indications  of  public  sentiment  toward 
railways  were,  temporarily,  somewhat  more 
favorable,  as  the  effects  of  injudicious  legisla- 
tion on  the  interests  of  the  state  were  begin- 
ning to  be  felt  by  the  people.  The  unwise  and 
restrictive  laws,  which  had  been  passed,  began 
to  cripple  the  railways  and  forbid  further  in- 
vestments of  capital  and  this  had  its  effect 
upon  the  legislature  of  the  state. 

RIOTS  OF  JULY  1877. 

The  dark  spot  in  railway  history  this  year 
was  the  inauguration  of  the  great  railway  strike 
which  occurred  in  July.  "Railway  strikes  at- 
tended by  riots  were  at  that  time  in  progress  in 
several  of  the  states,  but  the  first  demonstration 
in  Chicago  was  at  a  mass  meeting  of  working- 
men,  so  called,  held  Monday  evening,  July  23, 
at  the  corner  of  Madison  and  Market  streets,  at 
which  there  were  about  5000  people  present. 
The  first  indication  of  mob  violence  occurred 
next  morning,  Tuesday,  when  a  mob  of  men 
and  boys,  armed  with  clubs  and  sticks,  moved 
down  South  Canal  street,  compelling  all  work- 
men in  the  lumber-yards  and  factories  to  quit 
work.  They  were  dispersed  by  the  police  but 
later  on  in  the  day  another  mob  collected  near 
Remington's  gun-store  on  State  street.  This 
was  dispersed  also  by  the  police.  In  the  after- 
noon mobs  congregated  in  different  parts  of 
the  city.  The  first  actual  violence  occurred  on 
Wednesday,  when  the  rioters  began  driving 
men  from  their  work  and  destroying  property 
in  the  lumber  district,  and  massed  a  large  force 


near  McCormick's  reaper  factory  on  Blue  Island 
avenue.  A  second  mob  congregated  at  Van 
Buren  street  bridge  and  still  another  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  Illinois  Central  elevators.  This 
latter  was  most  effectually  dispersed  by  the 
police  under  Lieut.  Bell  and  Sergt.  Brennan, 
who  dealt  with  the  leaders  in  the  most  summary 
manner.  Before  noon  several  outbreaks  oc- 
curred in  various  parts  of  the  city  and  the  street 
cars  were  compelled  to  stop  running.  At  the 
Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  freight  depot, 
five  rioters  were  shot  dead.  That  evening  the 
rioters  raided  a  gun  store  and  appropriated  the 
stock.  Thursday  morning,  26th,  the  rioters 
were  massed  in  the  vicinity  of  the  16th  street 
viaduct  and  several  sanguinary  conflicts  took 
place.  At  noon  the  rioting  culminated  and  the 
police,  who  were  greatly  exhausted  from  their 
efforts  of  the  four  previous  days,  were  no 
longer  able  to  cope  with  the  rioters,  and  it  was 
found  necessary  to  order  out  the  military.  The 
first  and  second  regiments  reported  for  duty; 
two  six-pound  guns  and  two  companies  of 
cavalry  were  also  brought  into  service.  These 
troops  were  stationed  in  different  parts  of  the 
city  and  had  a  quieting  effect  upon  the  surging 
crowd,  but  in  one  instance  they  were  obliged 
to  fire  upon  the  rioters.  By  Monday,  July  31, 
the  riot  was  practically  at  an  end.  Owing  to 
the  prompt  measures  resorted  to  and  the  effi- 
ciency of  both  the  police  and  the  military,  the 
city  of  Chicago  happily  escaped  with  small 
loss."* 

The  whole  demonstration  had  none  of  the 
elements  of  a  strike,  the  men  were  simply  in- 
timidated and  feared  to  go  to  work.  The  prop- 
erty of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  as  was 
that  of  many  others,  was  imperilled  by  the 
action  of  lawless  mobs  that  visited  the  freight 
yards  and  shops  of  the  company  and  ordered 
the  engineers  to  stop  moving  trains  and  men  to 
quit  work.  These  demonstrations  were  made 
in  most  instances  by  men  not  connected  with 
the  railroads.  Almost  all  the  Illinois  Central 
men  took  a  stand  and  gave  proof  of  their  loyal- 
ty and  devotion  to  the  company  against  the 
*  "History  of  Chicago,"  by  A.  T.  Andreas,  1885. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


47 


rioters,  and  assisted  in  preserving  the  property 
of  the  company.  Indeed,  it  is  greatly  to  the 
credit  of  the  men  to  record  the  fact  that,  during 
this  trying  ordeal,  the  company  suffered  no 
loss  whatever  beyond  detention  of  traffic.  All 
of  its  rolling  stock  was  removed  to  a  place  of 
safety,  south  of  the  city. 

A    company   of  militia  was   organized  by 
volunteers   from   the    different  departments  of 


Oliver  A.  Berry,  and  other  faithful  men,  at  that 
time  in  the  service  of  the  company. 

In  1878  a  contract  was  entered  into  with 
the  Pullman  Palace  Car  Company  for  the  use  of 
their  sleeping  cars.  Previous  to  this  the  com- 
pany had  constructed  and  used  its  own  sleeping 
cars.  For  a  number  of  years  after  the  road 
was  constructed  it  was  not  regarded  as  a  pas- 
senger line.  Indeed,  it  is  very  doubtful  whether 


COURTESY  J.  R.  L'LLY 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  LOCOMOTIVE  No.  942. 


the  service,  muskets  were  purchased  for  their 
use  and  Col.  James  Noquet,  chief  draughtsman, 
was  placed  in  command  of  the  force  which  was 
placed  on  duty  in  the  freight  yard.  Many  of 
the  men  had  fought  in  the  Union  army,  and 
Col.  Noquet  had  been  a  soldier  in  the  French 
army  and  had  led  troops  against  a  mob  in  the 
city  of  Paris.  These  facts  being  made  known 
were  sufficient  to  deter  the  rioters  from  com- 
mitting depredations.  Col.  Noquet  was  as- 
sisted by  Thomas  J.  Tustin,  William  Wilkinson, 


the  passenger  receipts  were  sufficient  to  pay 
the  expenses  of  keeping  up  this  branch  of  the 
traffic.  It  had  no  through  connections  of  im- 
portance, but  after  the  acquisition  of  the  south- 
ern lines  leading  to  New  Orleans  and  to  other 
important  points  in  the  south,  the  character  of 
the  business  of  the  line  was  materially  changed 
and  it  gradually  began  to  take  its  place  among 
the  first-class  passenger  lines  of  the  country, 
and  it  became  necessary  to  devote  greater  at- 
tention to  this  class  of  traffic.  The  introduc- 


48 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


tion  of  the  elegant  coaches  of  the  Pullman 
Company  greatly  improved  the  service  of  the 
company,  a  fact  which  the  travelling  public 
were  not  slow  to  appreciate. 

May  26,  1880,  ground  was  broken  for  the 
construction  of  the  works  of  the  Pullman  Palace 
Car  Company  on  land  adjoining  the  Illinois 
Central  tracks,  about  one  mile  north  of  Kensing- 
ton station.  The  establishment  of  this  model 
manufacturing  town  of  Pullman  upon  the  road, 
at  so  convenient  a  distance  from  the  city,  gave 
an  immense  impetus  to  the  suburban  traffic 
which,  though  carried  on  for  many  years,  had 
not,  up  to  this  time,  proved  very  profitable. 

In  1879  the  company  constructed  a  bridge 
across  the  Chicago  river  under  authority  con- 
tained in  an  ordinance  which  had  been  passed 
many  years  before,  Dec.  1,  1862,  entitled  "an 
ordinance  approving  the  plans  for  a  bridge  to 
be  erected  by  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
company  across  the  Chicago  river."  This  con- 
nected its  depot  grounds  on  the  south  side  with 
the  lands  of  the  Chicago  Canal  &  Dock  Com- 
pany on  the  north  side.  The  construction  of 
this  bridge  added  immensely  to  the  facilities  of 
the  road,  enabling  it  to  reach  important  con- 
nections on  the  north  side,  theretofore  only 
reached  by  the  circuitous  route  afforded  by  the 
St.  Charles  Air-line  crossing  at  Sixteenth 
street. 

In  1880  the  Kankakee  &  Southwestern 
Road,  a  branch  line  running  southwest  from 
Otto,  was  extended  to  a  junction  with  the  north- 
ern division  at  Minonk,  thus  giving  an  inde- 
pendent connection  between  that  division  and 
the  Chicago  branch. 

Steel  rails  were  purchased  this  year  to 
complete  in  steel  the  entire  original  line,  and 
when  laid  soon  demonstrated  that  the  most  re- 
munerative employment  of  capital  in  a  railway 
is  in  perfecting  its  condition. 

In  1881  a  brick  elevator,  with  a  capacity  of 
600,000  bushels,  was  erected  at  Cairo;  and  in 
Chicago  two  new  docks,  and  the  substantial 
iron  viaduct  at  the  foot  of  Randolph  street 
were  completed.  In  the  following  year  addi- 
tional terminal  facilities  were  provided  by  the 


construction  of  additional  tracks  from  the  Chi- 
cago yards  south,  which  provided  two  tracks 
for  freight  trains,  two  tracks  for  passenger 
trains,  and  allowed  two  tracks  to  be  devoted 
entirely  to  suburban  business,  giving  the  road 
the  finest  and  safest  entrance  into  a  great  city 
possessed  by  any  railway  in  the  world. 

In  1883  the  South  Chicago  Railroad  was 
completed  which  afforded  a  double  track  con- 
nection, about  five  miles  in  length,  with  this 
important  manufacturing  town  and  added  large- 
ly to  the  suburban  traffic. 

RAILWAY  COMMUNICATION  WITH  THE  SOUTH. 

For  many  years  after  the  completion  of 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  the  directors 
made  repeated  attempts  to  carry  out  the  origi- 
nal intention,  as  contemplated  in  the  act  of 
congress  granting  the  public  lands  to  the  three 
states,  by  effecting  an  all  rail  communication 
with  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Traffic  to  and  from 
the  south  was  gradually  increasing;  and  tran- 
shipment of  produce  and  merchandise  at  Cairo 
by  ferry  to  Columbus,  Kentucky,  a  distance  of 
twenty  miles,  there  connecting  with  the  Mobile 
&  Ohio  Railroad,  was  attended  with  both  un- 
necessary delay  and  expense.  Accordingly  in 
1872,  a  contract  was  entered  into  with  the  lines 
that  were  then  known  as  the  Mississippi  Cen- 
tral Railroad,  232  miles  in  length,  and  New 
Orleans,  Jackson  &  Great  Northern  Railway, 
206  miles  in  length — which  were  operated  under 
one  management — providing  for  the  extension 
of  the  former  line  from  Jackson,  Tennessee,  to 
a  point  opposite  Cairo,  a  distance  of  108  miles, 
and  for  a  mutual  interchange  of  traffic.  Under 
this  contract,  the  Illinois  Central  Company  was 
to  invest  annually,  one-eighth  of  its  earnings 
from  traffic  to  and  from  those  lines,  in  their 
consolidated  mortgage  bonds  to  the  extent  of 
$100,000  per  annum  for  ten  years.  This  con- 
tract was  afterward  modified  to  the  extent  of 
an  engagement  to  purchase  outright  $200,000 
of  these  bonds  at  par,  annually,  to  the  extent 
of  $6,000,000  in  all.  This  was  done  in  order  to 
enable  the  two  southern  lines  to  negotiate  the 
bonds  so  as  to  procure  the  necessary  means  to 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


49 


construct  the  new  intermediate  road  and  make 
certain  necessary  improvements.  The  Miss- 
issippi Central  road  was  extended  to  Cairo — 
work  being  completed  so  that  it  was  opened 
for  traffic  December  24,  1873.  This  supplied  a 
most  important  link  in  the  direct  chain  from 
Chicago  to  New  Orleans,  a  distance  of  913 
miles. 

The  Illinois  Central  Railroad  company  sub- 
sequently exchanged  $5,000,000  of  its  five  per 
cent  bonds  for  the  same  amount  of  the  seven 
per  cent,  southern  bonds  with  the  engagement 
to  purchase  attached,  thus  practically  taking  up 
its  own  obligation  with  a  bond  bearing  a  re- 
duced rate  of  interest. 

The  opening  of  an,  all-rail  route  to  the 
south  had  the  effect  of  largely  diverting  traffic 
from  the  Mississippi  river;  but  the  southern 
roads  had  scarcely  recovered  from  their  im- 
poverished condition  following  the  close  of  the 
war,  and,  lacking  the  means  to  properly  equip 
and  maintain  them,  they  were  not  in  a  situation 
to  handle  the  large  traffic  offering.  Steel  rails 
were  selling  at  nearly  $100  a  ton  at  this  time, 
and  many  other  articles  of  railway  supplies 
were  correspondingly  high.  Added  to  this,  the 
financial  panic  of  1873  affected  all  railway  enter- 
prises throughout  the  country,  so  that  this  and 
the  year  following  were  years  of  unusual  de- 
pression; the  results  of  the  particular  arrange- 
ments referred  to  did  not  therefore  immediately 
prove  as  satisfactory  as  was  expected. 

In  1876  the  roads  between  New  Orleans 
and  Cairo  defaulted  on  their  interest,  and  on 
March  10,  in  that  year,  both  lines  were  placed 
in  the  hands  of  a  receiver.  Forclosure  proceed- 
ings followed,  and  as  a  result,  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral Railroad  company  became,  after  about  two 
years  of  litigation,  practically  the  owner  of 
both  lines,  under  purchase,  and  the  name  of  the 
company  owning  the  consolidated  New  Orleans 
line  was  changed  to  the  Chicago,  St.  Louis  & 
New  Orleans  Railroad  company.  It  was 
thought  by  many,  who  were  unfamiliar  with 
the  resources?  of  the  south,  that  the  additional 
obligation  assumed  by  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road company  would  prove  an  onerous  burden, 

4 


and,  for  the  time  being,  it  had  the  effect  of  de- 
pressing the  market-price  of  its  shares.  After 
the  Illinois  Central  company  obtained  full  con- 
trol of  the  two  lines,  it  completed  their  restora- 
tion to  the  standard  of  first-class  railways,  and 
then  what  was  feared  at  one  time  might  prove 
a  serious  burden  to  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
company  became  in  reality  the  best  paying  por- 
tion of  the  line. 

The  remainder  of  the  story  can  best  be 
told  by  producing  verbatim  the  report  of  Mr. 
William  H.  Osborn,  chairman  of  the  executive 
committee,  who,  through  all  these  trying  years, 
never  lost  faith  in  the  ultimate  success  of  the 
undertaking,  and  to  whose  sagacity  and  fore- 
sight, aided  by  the  indomitable  energy  of  Mr. 
James  C.  Clarke,  who  was  in  charge  of  the 
lines,  and  the  remarkable  legal  ability  displayed 
by  Judge  James  Fentress,  now  the  general 
solicitor  of  the  company,  maybe  attributed  the 
very  satisfactory  termination  reached.  This 
report  contains  an  epitome  of  the  entire  trans- 
action and  is  as  follows: 

Report  of  Mr.  William  H.  Osborn,  chair- 
man of  the  Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans 
Railroad  Company: 

"NEW  YORK,  Dec.  30,  1882. 

"To   THE    BOARD    OF    DIRECTORS    OF    THE    ILLINOIS 
CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY  : 

"Gentlemen: — This  railway,  consisting  of  548 
miles  of  main  track,  31  miles  of  branches,  with  1(X> 
locomotives,  2,241  cars,  and  all  other  property  and 
rights  attached  to  it,  with  $1,000,000,  five  per  cent, 
1951  bonds,  $125,000,  six  per  cent  bonds  and  $623,043. 70 
in  cash  will  be  surrendered  to  you  on  the  first  proximo, 
in  pursuance  of  the  lease  of  this  property  to  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  company,  dated  June  13,  1882,  thus 
completing  your  system  with  a  well  finished  railroad 
and  plant  from  the  lakes  to  New  Orleans. 

"The  Hon.  Stephen  A.  Douglas  introduced  in  the 
senate  of  the  United  States  in  1848,  a  bill  'granting  to 
the  state  of  Illinois  the  right  of  way  and  donation  of 
public  lands  for  making  a  railroad  to  connect  the 
waters  of  the  upper  and  lower  Mississippi  with  the 
chain  of  lakes  at  Chicago."  This  motion  resulted  in 
the  granting  of  lands  to  Illinois  and  similar  grants  to 
Mississippi  and  Alabama  in  order  to  effect  the  comple- 
tion of  this  important  connection. 

"It  was  the  subject  of  earnest  debate  in  the  senate 
in  1850  and  was  supported  by  Senators  Lewis  Cass  of 


50 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


SI 


Michigan,  Henry  Clay  of  Kentucky  and  William  H. 
Seward  of  New  York.  The  latter  gentleman,  speaking 
of  the  proposed  railroad,  said:  'I  regard  this  work  as 
a  great  national  enterprise— a  great  national  thorough- 
fare.' The  bill,  after  the  advocacy  of  these  distin- 
guished statesman,  passed  the  senate  by  a  vote  of 
nearly  two  to  one. 

"In  1851  the  state  of  Illinois  accepted  a  proposal 
to  build  the  road,  made  to  it  by  a  prominent  body  of 
New  York  and  Boston  gentlemen,  all  of  whom,  with 
but  two  exceptions,  have  passed  away. 

"The  act  of  the  general  assembly  of  Illinois,  ap- 
proved Feb.  10,  1851,  constituted  your  present  corpora- 
tion. Most  of  the  directors  named  in  the  charter 
became  the  active  managers  of  the  company,  and, 
before  the  Illinois  Central  Road  was  completed,  the 
directors  communicated  with  those  of  the  Mobile  & 
Ohio  Road,  and  upon  several  occasions  endeavored  to 
promote  the  completion  of  that  line  to  Cairo;  but  the 
Mobile  &  Ohio  Road  did  not  reach  Cairo  until  a  recent 
period.  The  public  events  which  arrested  the  progress 
of  the  country  for  so  many  years  left  the  railroads 
south  of  the  Ohio  river  in  the  most  dilapidated  and 
ruinous  condition.  There  was  no  railway  communica- 
tion from  Cairo  south  until  1874. 

"Previous  to  your  line  reaching  Cairo,  the  products 
of  Louisiana  were  shipped  by  steamboats  to  St.  Louis, 
trans-shipped  up  the  Illinois  river  by  smaller  steam- 
boats, trans-shipped  again  to  canal-boats,  and  reached 
Chicago  by  the  Michigan  Canal.  These  three  transfers 
caused  a  delay  of  a  month  or  six  weeks.  The  grain 
and  provisions,  which  were  so  indispensable  to  the 
south,  were  sent  in  the  same  circuitous  way.  Later  on 
this  traffic  was  connected  with  your  road  at  Cairo  but 
in  a  very  unsatisfactory  manner,  as  most  of  the  com- 
merce upon  the  lower  Mississippi  was  destined  for  St. 
Louis  and  Cincinnati;  Cairo  was  not  of  sufficient  im- 
portance to  command  exclusive  lines  of  boats  upon  the 
river.  Moreover,  this  river  communication  was  often- 
times very  expensive;  the  frequent  transfers  required 
expensive  packing  of  provisions;  grain  was  sent  in 
bags;  and  upon  the  north-bound  freight,  chiefly  sugar 
and  molasses,  the  waste  and  shrinkage  was  serious.  It 
is  a  singular  fact  that  the  rates  of  rail  transportation 
to-day  from  New  Orleans  to  Chicago,  and  from  Chi- 
cago south,  are  not  equivalent  to  the  loss  by  shrinkage 
and  waste  upon  the  sugar  and  molasses  in  former 
times,  or  to  the  cost  of  packing  the  provisions  sent 
south,  which  is  not  now  required  under  the  present 
modes  of  shipment  by  rail.  Thus  the  producer  is 
brought  close  to  the  consumer  at  least  expense.  It  is 
a  moderate  estimate  to  say  that  the  prices  of  provisions 
and  grain,  hay  and  other  products  of  the  north,  now 
ruling  in  the  south,  are  lessened  one-third  by  the  ad- 
vantage of  the  present  rail  communication. 


"The  Illinois  Central  directors,  in  1872,  unanimous- 
ly agreed  to  advance  about  $5,000,000  toward  the  ex- 
tension of  the  .Mississippi  Central  Road  to  Cairo,  and 
to  the  improvement  of  the  Jackson  Road  to  New- 
Orleans.  It  is  not  pleasant  to  waste  words  upon  the 
failure  in  the  expectations  of  the  company.  These  ad- 
vances at  one  time  appeared  to  be  lost  through  the 
failure  of  the  southern  lines  to  pay  the  interest  upon 
the  bonds  purchased.  It  may  be  well  to  remember 
that  in  February  187G,  the  board  of  directors  were  will- 
ing to  take  the  control  of  the  property  burdened  with 
a  debt  of  $18,372,834,  with  an  annual  interest  charge 
of  $1,404,655.97,  and  to  spend  $2,000,000  additional  in 
the  necessary  improvement  to  the  property.  Negotia- 
tions to  this  end  failed,  and  foreclosure  proceedings 
were  commenced  by  filing  a  bill  in  the  federal  courts 
in  the  spring  of  1870.  These  proceedings  terminated 
happily  in  1877,  and  the  two  roads  were  purchased 
that  year  in  behalf  of  the  bondholders  on  equal  terms 
—the  Illinois  Central  holding  a  majority  of  the  bonds 
in  default.  The  legal  steps  in  the  foreclosure  were 
directed  by  the  Hon.  John  A.  Campbell  and  the  Hon. 
.lames  Emott.  and  later,  by  the  Hon.  Jas.  Fentress  of 
New  Orleans.  Suffice  it  to  say  that,  under  the  counsel 
of  these  eminent  lawyers,  we  have  not  had  to  retrace 
our  steps  in  any  one  instance.  Repeated  legislation 
was  required  from  all  four  of  the  southern  states,  and 
ordinances  from  the  city  of  New  Orleans  and  other 
municipalities,  all  of  which  were  obtained  promptly 
and  honestly.  The  desire  of  the  southern  people  to 
have  a  first-class  railroad  was  expressed  through  the 
governors  of  the  states  and  the  legislatures,  who  gave 
every  assistance  which  could  consistently  be  granted. 
This  new  company  is  now  constituted  a  corporation  in 
perpetuity  with  the  right  to  lease  other  roads  or  to 
lease  its  own  road  to  the  Illinois  Central  Company. 
The  acts,  deeds  and  papers  have  been  carefully 
examined.  Your  possession  of  this  property  is  as 
absolute  as  if  the  original  charters  had  been  granted 
to  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company  directly. 

"I  have,  therefore,  the  satisfaction  of  concluding 
the  active  existence  of  this  corporation  which  has  had 
only  five  years  of  duration.  Your  road  constitutes  the 
most  important  north  and  south  trunk  line  in  the 
world.  The  traffic  is  chiefly  in  the  interchange  of 
commodities,  the  exclusive  growth  of  the  south  for 
commodities  grown  in  the  north,  and  is  of  indispens- 
able necessity  to  a  population  of  six  or  eight  millions 
of  people.  The  location  of  the  line  is  so  direct  that 
this  traffic  is  perhaps  less  open  to  competition  than 
that  of  any  other  line  on  this  continent. 

"Soon  after  the  appointment  of  receivers  in  1876, 
I  induced  those  gentlemen  to  appoint  Mr.  James  C. 
Clarke  the  general  manager  of  both  lines.  It  required 
the  whole  term  of  the  receiverships  to  catch  up  with 
arrears.  The  employes  were  unpaid  for  several  months; 


LIBRARY 


ILLIM 


52 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


there  were  not  fifty  tons  of  spare  rails  upon  the  road; 
no  supplies  in  the  machine  shops;  no  fuel  on  hand. 
The  demoralization  of  unpaid  employes  is  always  dan- 
gerous, leads  to  accidents,  puts  the  lives  of  all  the 
passengers  in  peril  and  causes  the  death  of  some. 
There  was  a  fatality  attending  these  lines  at  that  time. 
The  route  was  avoided;  many  travelers  preferred  to 
take  their  chance  upon  the  river  rather  than  face  the 
dangers  of  the  track.  Mr.  Clarke  had  not  the  power 
to  restore  order  and  discipline  to  the  management  of 
this  property  until  the  termination  of  the  receiverships, 
January  1,  1878.  From  that  date  full  control  of  the 
working  of  the  line  has  rested  upon  him.  Knowing 
him  for  many  years,  his  experience,  his  perfect  integ- 
rity, his  thoroughness  in  every  detail  of  railroad  con- 
struction and  management,  I  have  never  interposed 
my  comparatively  imperfect  knowledge  of  railway 
affairs. 

"Mr.  Clarke  has  rebuilt  this  line  from  its  ashes. 
At  the  machine  shops  were  piles  of  broken  cars;  and 
the  remnants  of  locomotive  boilers,  which  had  been 
exploded  for  years,  were  still  maintained  on  the  books 
of  the  company  as  engines.  The  bridges  all  required 
renewing;  the  ties  were  rotten  and  defective.  From 
this  confusion  Mr.  Clarke  now  delivers  to  you  a  well 
constructed  and  equipped  railroad.  35  engines  and 
1200  cars  have  been  built  in  the  shops  of  the  company; 
2\}/i  miles  of  bridging  have  been  built;  3,'i  miles  of 
open  trestle-work  have  been  rilled  up  with  solid  em- 
bankments; 1,341,500  new  cross-ties  have  been  put  in, 
equal  to  2,080  ties  per  mile  on  this  whole  road  and 
side  tracks.  The  road  has  been  extended  3 ,'-2  miles  to 
East  Cairo;  a  spur  line  of  12  miles  to  Lexington  is 
nearly  completed;  the  passenger  equipment  renewed 
and  doubled;  the  wooden  truss  bridges  replaced  with 
iron;  every  bar  of  iron  has  been  taken  from  the  track, 
which  is  now  laid  entirely  with  steel;  200  miles  of  track 
ballasted  with  stone  or  gravel,  and  over  100  miles  of 
the  road  have  been  fenced.  It  was  indispensable  to 
change  the  gauge,  adopting  the  standard  gauge  of  the 
north,  which  of  course  required  the  change  of  all  the 
motive  power  and  rolling  stock.  This  has  been  done. 
The  side  tracks  were  insufficient — 15  miles  of  new  side 
track  have  been  added,  the  shops  furnished  with  new 
machinery  sufficient  for  the  repair  and  construction  of 
engines  and  cars  at  both  of  the  principal  machine 
shops;  new  shops  have  been  built  at  Jackson,  Tenn. 
The  improvements  to  the  road  render  it  safe;  the  trains 
are  now  running  from  New  Orleans  to  Chicago,  about 
the  same  distance  as  from  New  York  to  Chicago,  at 
about  the  same  speed.  Passengers  going  to  St.  Louis 
were  formerly  two  nights  and  one  day  on  the  road; 
they  are  now  taken  through  in  twenty-nine  hours. 
The  station  grounds  on  the  river  bank  at  New  Orleans 
were  insufficient;  large  and  valuable  property  has  been 
purchased,  and  a  freight  station,  which  accommodates 


the   West  Indian  and  Mediterranean  freight  business, 
built  near  the  river  front. 

"These  betterments,  which  have  cost  about  $5,000, - 
000,  have  been  paid  for  out  of  the  earnings  of  the 
property.  The  road  is  not  overlaid  with  debt  to  cor- 
respond to  these  outlays.  On  the  contrary,  its  im- 
proved condition  and  the  increase  of  traffic  benefitted 
the  credit  of  the  corporation  to  such  an  extent  that  it 
has  been  practicable  to  issue  and  sell  five  per  cent 
bonds  to  take  up  the  older  issues  of  six's,  seven's  and 
eight's.  In  this  way  the  interest  charge  upon  the  prop- 
erty, which  is  intrinsically  worth  $5,000,000  more  than 
it  was  in  1876,  has  been  actually  reduced  $370,505.97 
per  annum  and  its  debt  from  $18,372,834  to  $17,000,000. 

"The  services  of  Judge  Fentress  in  arranging  and 
settling  the  many  legal  complications  which  cumbered 
and  afflicted  this  railway  and  in  securing  the  legislation 
affecting  its  powers  for  all  time,  though  not  as  con- 
spicuous to  the  eye  as  those  of  Mr.  Clarke,  have  been 
equally  valuable  and  of  as  much  permanent  import- 
ance. Annexed  to  this  statement  is  an  exhibit  of  the 
legislation  in  the  several  states. 

"The  company  has  no  engagements  with  other 
railway  corporations  excepting  those  for  the  construc- 
tion of  the  two  lines  in  Mississippi,  which  have  been 
entered  into  under  your  direction  and  by  your  author- 
ity. Its  recent  contract  with  the  Western  Union  Tele- 
graph Company  is  open  to  revision  at  short  periods, 
and  the  engagement  with  the  Pullman  Southern  Car 
Company  can  be  terminated  at  the  option  of  the~com- 
pany  in  1884.  It  is  free  from  floating  debt  and  free 
from  litigation. 

"You  take  this  productive  property  with  a  surplus 
in  hand  and  with  all  the  powers  necessary  for  its  future 
management.  You  now  own  $5,000,000  of  the  five  per 
cent  bonds,  for  which  there  is  no  immediate  use  as  the 
requirements  of  the  southern  line  upon  capital  account 
are  drawing  to  a  close  and  can  readily  be  met  from 
the  earnings  of  the  property.  I  therefore  beg  to  sug- 
gest to  your  consideration  the  cancellation  of  this  $5,- 
000,000  of  bonds,  thus  reducing  the  debt  to  $13,000,000, 
upon  which  the  interest  charge  will  eventually  be 
$650,000.  This  reduction  of  interest  charge  will  enable 
you  to  pay  larger  dividends  upon  the  $10,000,000  of 
stock  now  the  property  of  your  shareholders.  This 
step  will  reduce  your  entire  fixed  charges  to  about 
$1,350,000  on  1525  miles  of  railway. 

"For  the  next  thirteen  years  you  have  no  debt  to 
provide  for.  $2,500,000  of  your  bonds  fall  due  in  1895. 
It  seems  unwise  to  hold  $5,000,000  of  your  own  executed 
obligations  available  at  any  moment.  The  experience 
of  nearly  thirty  years  strengthens  my  impression  that 
prosperity — leading  to  unwise  expenditures — is  often- 
times as  dangerous  as  adverse  crops,  with  consequent 
loss  of  traffic  affecting  income.  The  specific  for 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


53 


accuracy  in  accounts  and  economy  in  expenditures 
appears  to  be — to  take  all  expenses  including  construc- 
tion out  of  income  and  divide  the  surplus  only. 

"I  beg  to  refer  to  you  the  annexed  exhibits  and 
reports. 

"In  retiring  from  this  trust,  I  have  every  reason  to 
believe  that  the  New  Orleans  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central  is  in  charge  of  zealous,  faithful  and  experienced 
men.  W.  H.  OSBORN,  Chairman." 

Report  of  Mr.  James  C.  Clarke,  general 
manager  of  the  Chicago,  St.  Louis  &-  New  Or- 
leans Railroad  Company: 


Railroad  Company — now  the  lessee  of  this  railroad — 
treats  of  the  work  which  has  been  done  on  track, 
building  bridges,  engines,  cars,  ballasting,  fencing, 
depot  grounds,  side  tracks,  shops  machinery,  steel 
rails,  change  of  gauge,  etc.,  etc.,  in  a  general  way. 
It  is  therefore,  considered  unnecessary  to  refer  again 
to  them.  At  the  close  of  the  year  1877,  there  were  60 
miles  of  steel  rails  on  the  track.  On  December  31, 
1882,  the  whole  main  track,  548  miles,  is  laid  in  steel 
rails. 

"REDUCTION  OF  GRADES  BETWEEN  JACKSON,  TENN., 
AND  CANTON. — The  maximum  of  grades  on  this  por- 
tion of  the  road  has  been  reduced  from  60  feet  per 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  STATION  AT  NEW  ORLEANS. 


"NEW  ORLEANS,  LA.,  January  i,  1883. 

"To  THE  SHAREHOLDERS  OF  THE  CHICAGO,  ST.  Louis  AND 
NEW  ORLEANS  RAILROAD  Co. 

Gentlemen : — I  was  elected  vice-president  and 
general  manager  of  this  company  in  January  1878. 
At  that  time,  the  equipment  of  the  road  in  motive 
power  and  rolling  stock  consisted  of  80  locomotives 
and  1240  cars.  At  the  present  time,  this  company 
has  106  locomotives  and  2242  cars  of  all  kinds.  Many 
of  the  engines  anJ  cars  on  the  schedule  in  1878  have 
been  rebuilt  and  renewed,  some  were  condemned 
as  unsafe  for  future  use.  n  of  the  old  engines  were 
sold,  their  capacity  to  draw  heavy  trains  being  too 
light  for  profitable  use. 

"The  report  of  the  chairman  of  our  board,  dated 
December,  30,  to  the  directors  of  the  Illinois  Central 


mile  to  a  maximum  of  40  feet  per  mile,  few  exceeding 
35  feet  per  mile. 

"This  has  enabled  our  engines  to  draw  over  this 
portion  of  the  road  six  to  eight  loaded  cars  more  per 
train  than  the  engines  of  the  same  class  were  able 
to  do  before  the  grades  were  reduced,  thus  largely 
reducing  the  expenses  in  train' service  by  increasing  the 
earnings  per  train. 

"The  portion  of  the  line  between  Jackson,  Tenn., 
and  East  Cairo,  no  miles,  has  some  grades  of  52 
feet  or  more  per  mile.  It  was  constructed  with  these 
grades.  Evidently  the  question  of  economy  in  operat- 
ing the  lines  as  a  channel  of  commerce  was  not  con- 
sidered in  adopting  such  grades.  I  recommend  to 
the  lessee  to  reduce  these  grades  to  a  maximum  of 
40  feet  per  mile.  The  work  may  be  done  gradually, 
and  the  outlay  spread  over  a  series  of  years.  I  am 


54 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


sure  it  will  pay  to  reduce  the  grades  on  this  portion  of 
the  road. 

"In    these   times   of    low    rates    for   transportation 
service,    nothing    is    more    conducive    to    economy    in 
operating   a    railroad    than    low   grades,    steel    rails,    a 
well-ballasted    track,    large    engines,    and    slow    speed  ' 
of  heavy  freight  trains. 

"CAPITAL  ACCOUNT — There  is  at  present  nothing 
to  call  for  any  immediate  large  outlay  of  money. 

"It  is  proposed  to  build  four  combined  brick, 
freight  and  passenger  stations  on  the  line  during  the 
coming  year,  costing  in  all  about  $15.000,  and  to  re- 
vise and  remodel  the  freight-houses  and  yards  and 
tracks  at  the  levee  station  in  New  Orleans,  to  adapt 
them  to  handle  the  business  with  less  force  and  ex- 
pense than  we  now  incur.  The  increased  facility  and 
decreased  expenses  in  transacting  business  at  this 
station  will  compensate  for  the  outlay  to  be  made. 

"MOTIVE  POWER. — The  present  equipment  of  en- 
gines seems  to  be  sufficient  for  the  wants  of  the  road 
until  the  business  shall  increase  to  require  more  power. 

"BALLASTING — I  recommend  to  the  lessee  the 
continuance  of  this  important  matter,  gradually,  as 
we  have  heretofore  done  during  the  summer  months 
when  the  traffic  is  light  and  the  engines  and  cars  can 
be  spared  from  service  to  transport  it. 

"FENCING. — This  necessary  precaution  to  avoid 
accidents  and  prevent  paying  damages  for  stock  in- 
jured or  killed,  which,  in  the  past  five  years,  has 
amounted  to  upward  of  $60,000,  should  be  gradually 
pursued  until  the  whole  line  is  enclosed. 

"MACHINE-SHOPS.  MACHINERY,  AND  TOOLS. — The 
present  condition  of  this  plant  and  its  location  is  all 
that  will  be  required  on  this  line  until  its  business  and 
traffic  shall  be  increased  fifty  per  cent  more  than  it 
now  is. 

"STEEL  RAILS. — It  will  be  necessary  to  buy  150 
to  200  tons  per  year  to  make  frogs  and  switches  and 
provide  for  those,  now  in  track,  which  may  be  broken 
or  rendered  unfit  for  use  by  reason  of  accidents. 

"LABOR. — During  the  past  five  years,  this  company 
has  employed  a  large  amount  of  unskilled  labor,  con- 
sisting chiefly  of  negroes.  My  experience  with  this 
class  of  labor  has  been  very  satisfactory.  When  in- 
telligently directed,  properly  treated,  and  justly  dealt 
with,  there  is  no  better  laborer  than  the  negro  to 
br  found  among  any  race  w  the  world.  They  are 
peculiarly  fitted  for  labor  in  semi-tropical  climates, 
and  by  nature  cheerful,  obedient,  kind,  imitative,  and 
contented.  They  are  fast  learning  that  "freedom" 
means  honesty,  industry,  and  intelligence.  They  are 
now  a  valuable  laboring  population,  and  each  year, 
as  they  acquire  education,  they  will  become  better 
citizens.  They  should  be  justly  dealt  with  and  treated 
with  the  respect  due  all  honest  laborer*. 


"CAPITAL  REQUIRED  FOR  FUTURE  IMPROVEMENTS. — 
From  the  past  five  years'  experience.  I  feel  I  am  jus- 
tified in  saying  that  this  property,  managed  as  we 
have  no  doubt  it  will  be,  will  furnish  the  funds  to 
make  the  betterments  and  improvements  that  may  be 
necessary,  as  well  as  to  provide  for  the  fixed  charges 
and  rentals. 

"The  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company  has,  to- 
day, assumed  the  control  and  management  of  this 
property  as  lessee.  Hereafter  its  earnings  and  ex- 
penses will  appear  in  the  accounts  of  that  company, 
under  the  head  of  the  'Southern  division  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad  Company.' 

"CONCLUSION. — As  you  are  aware,  the  managers 
of  this  property,  during  these  past  five  years,  have 
made  no  published  report.  All  our  receipts,  during 
these  five  years,  have  been  applied  to  the  operating 
expenses,  and  reconstruction,  and  to  the  interest  on 
the  prior  liens,  styled  the  first  and  second  mortgage 
bonds.  I  have  not  endeavored  to  draw  a  nice  distinc- 
tion between  operating  expenses  and  construction  ac- 
count. After  providing  for  the  interest  on  the  prior 
liens,  I  have  used  the  remainder  of  the  money  in 
rebuilding  this  road.  It  is  now  in  such  a  condition 
that  I  feel  it  safe  to  say  that  it  can  be  maintained  and 
steadily  improved  at  about  sixty  per  cent  of  its  gross 
earnings.  The  gross  earnings,  during  the  past  five 
years,  have  been  as  follows : 

1878 $2,842.434.15 

1879 3.357,305.00 

1880 3,716,902.42 

1881 4,059,151.40 

1882. 3,820,996.83 


A  yearly  average  of $3.559,357-96 

"The  report  of  the  chairman  of  the  board  referred 
to  gives  the  result  of  our  stewardship  of  your  proper- 
ty. 

"With  a  sense  of  gratitude  to  officers  and  em- 
ployes in  every  grade  of  the  service  for  their  zeal, 
anxiety,  and  devotion  at  all  times  to  promote  the 
company's  interest,  and  the  cheerful  co-operation  and 
aid  rendered  to  me  in  the  management,  I  desire  to 
place  my  aknowledgements  on  the  records  of  the  com- 
pany. 

Respectfully, 

JAMES  C.  CLARKE,  General  Manager. 

This  report  was  submitted  to  a  meeting  of 
the  board  of  directors,  held  January  17,  1883, 
and  the  following  preamble  and  resolutions 
were  adopted : 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


55 


[Extract  from  the  minutes:] 

"The  report  of  Mr.  William  H.  Osborn,  chair- 
man of  the  Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans  Rail- 
road Company,  addressed  to  this  board  under  date  of 
December  30,  1882.  accompanied  by  the  report  of  the 
Hon.  James  Fentress,  general  solicitor,  addressed  to 
him,  under  date  of  December  8,  1882;  and,  also,  the 
report  of  Mr.  James  C.  Clarke,  general  manager  of 
the  Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans  Railroad  Com- 
pany, addressed  to  the  shareholders  of  that  company, 
under  date  of  January  I,  1883,  having  been  submitted 
and  read,  it  was,  on  motion  of  Mr.  Webster,  duly 
seconded, 

"Resolved,  That  these  reports  be  accepted  by  this 
board,  printed,  and  a  copy  thereof  transmitted  to 
each  shareholder  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Com- 
pany, and  to  each  holder  of  the  leased  line  stock'  cer- 
tificates issued  against  the  shares  of  the  Chicago.  St. 
Louis  &  New  Orleans  Railroad  Company. 

"That  this  board  desires  to  express  and  place  on 
record  its  high  appreciation  of  the  wisdom,  zeal,  and 
unflagging  fidelity  with  which  Mr.  Osborn,  Mr.  Clarke, 
and  Mr.  Fentress,  and  every  other  officer  whose  work 
has  come  under  the  observation  of  this  board,  have 
conducted  the  affairs  of  the  Chicago,  St.  Louis  & 
New  Orleans  Company  since  the  property  was  placed 
in  their  hands.  And  the  president  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral Company  is  hereby  directed  to  express  to  those 
officers  of  the  Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans 
Company  the  thanks  of  this  board  for  the  gratifying 
results  which  their  labors  have  done  so  much  to  ac- 
complish." 

The  following,  moved  by  Mr.  Elliott,  and  duly 
seconded,  was  also  adopted : 

"In  view  of  these  highly  satisfactory  reports,  the 
board  deems  it  desirable  to  call  the  attention  of  the 
Illinois  Central  shareholders  specifically  to  the  in- 
creased value  of  their  property  resulting  from  the  in- 
telligent and  unwearied  efforts  of  the  officers  who  have 
been  charged  with  the  care  and  development  of  the 
Southern  line ;  therefore,  be  it 

"Resolved,  That  the  board  recommends  to  the 
shareholders,  at  their  next  annual  meeting,  to  take 
such  action  as  they  may  deem  best  to  express  their 
appreciation  of  the  results  thus  far  obtained  and  their 
recognition  of  the  services  rendered." 

In  obedience  to  the  request  of  the  board  of 
directors,  the  president  addressed  letters  to 
Mr.  Osborn,  Judge  Fentress,  and  Mr.  Clarke, 
expressing-  the  thanks  of  the  board,  of  which 
the  following'  are  copies: 


"ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY, 
PRESIDENT'S  OFFICE. 

CHICAGO,  January  24,   1883. 
"WILLIAM  H.  OSBORN,  Esq.,  New  York: 

"My  Dear  Sir: — At  a  meeting  of  the  board  of  di- 
rectors of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company,  held 
on  the  I7th  instant,  your  teport  to  them,  dated  December 
30,  1882,  was  submitted,  read,  ordered  to  be  printed, 
and  copies  mailed  to  each  shareholder  and  leased-line 
certificate  holder  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Com- 
pany. 

"The  following  resolution  was  offered  by  Mr. 
Sidney  Webster,  duly  seconded,  and  passed  unani- 
mously : 

"Resolved,  That  these  reports  be  accepted  by  this 
board,  printed,  and  a  copy  thereof  transmitted  to  each 
shareholder  of  the  Illinois  Central  Company  and  to 
each  holder  of  the  leased  line  stock  certificates,  issued 
against  the  shares  of  the  Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New 
Orleans  Railroad  Company  —  that  this  board  desires 
to  express  and  place  on  record  its  high  appreciation 
of  the  wisdom,  zeal,  and  unflagging  fidelity  with  which 
Mr.  Osborn,  Mr.  Clarke,  and  Mr.  Fentress,  and  every 
other  officer  whose  work  has  come  under  the  observa- 
tion of  the  board,  have  conducted  the  affairs  of  the 
Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans  Company  since  the 
property  was  placed  in  their  hands.  And  the  president 
of  the  Illinois  Central  is  hereby  directed  to  express 
to  those  officers  of  the  Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New 
Orleans  Company  the  thanks  of  this  board  for  the 
gratifying  results  which  their  labors  have  done  so 
much  to  accomplish." 

"Also  the  following,  offered  by  Mr.  John  Elliott : 

"In  view  of  these  highly  satisfactory  reports,  the 
board  deems  it  desirable  to  call  the  attention  of  the 
Illinois  Central  shareholders  specifically  to  the  in- 
creased value  of  their  property  resulting  from  the  in- 
telligent and  unwearied  efforts  of  the  officers  who 
have  been  charged  with  the  care  and  development  of 
the  Southern  line ;  therefore,  be  it 

"Resolved,  That  the  board  recommends  to  the 
shareholders  at  their  next  annual  meeting  to  take  such 
action  as  they  may  deem  best  to  express  their  appre- 
ciation of  the  results  thus  obtained  and  their  recogni- 
tion of  the  services  rendered. 

"I  do  not  know  that  I  can  add  anything  that  will 
emphasize  more  distinctly  the  sincere  gratification  felt 
by  the  board  on  the  completion  of  your  work  and  I  fear 
that  I  shall  but  feebly  convey  to  you  the  proper  expres- 
sion of  their  feeling.  Remembering,  as  I  do,  the  physi- 
cal condition  of  the  Chicago,  St.Louis  &  New  Orleans 
Railroad  six  years  ago.  and  the  complicated  state  of 
its  finances  and  affairs  generally,  the  work  which  you 


56 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


have  just  completed  seems  to  me  the  most  remarkable 
exhibition  of  energy,  skill,  and  untiring  perseverance, 
ever  recorded  in  the  history  of  railroad  management. 
Words  fail  me  to  properly  express  the  appreciation 
which  I  am  sure  every  member  of  the  board  of  direc- 
tors of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company  feels 
in  reference  to  the  prominent  part  you  have  .taken  in 
rescuing  this  property  and  in  protecting  the  interests 
of  the  Illinois  Central  shareholders.  This  work  has 
been  to  you  at  times  one  of  great  discouragement  as 
well  as  intense  anxiety;  but  the  grand  result  accom- 
plished, now  commanding  the  attention  of  those  in- 
terested with  you,  will,  I  am  sure,  compensate  you  for 
your  labors  and  call  out  from  the  shareholders  a  more 
earnest  expression  of  approval  than  has  yet  been  given. 


the  management  of  the  Illinois  Central  property  for  a 
period  of  over  a  quarter  of  a  century. 

"I  remain,  with  great  respect, 
Yours  very  truly, 

WM.  K.  ACKERMAM,  President." 

"ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY, 
PRESIDENT'S  OFFICE. 

CHICAGO,  January  24,  1883. 

"HoN.  JAMES  FENTRESS,  New  Orleans : 

"My   Dear   Sir: — At   a   meeting   of   the   board   of 
directors    of   the    Illinois    Central    Railroad    Company, 


>. 


COURTESY  S.   0.  HORTON,  DURANT,  MI98. 


Effects  of  a  collission  with  a  $10  cow. 


Even  without  this,  i  am  sure  that  the  eminent  satis- 
faction you  wiM  enjoy  arising  from  the  conscientious 
application  of  your  energies  in  developing  and  bring- 
ing to  a  successful  conclusion  so  arduous  a  work  as 
you  have  been  charged  with,  would  of  itself  amply 
repay  you  for  the  harassing  cares  which  have  sur- 
rounded you  in  its  prosecution. 

"Permit  me,  in  conclusion,  to  express  to  you  my 
own  sense  of  the  great  obligation  under  which  you 
have  placed  us,  and  to  express  the  hope  that,  although 
iii  the  future  you  may  not  be  engaged  in  the  active 
management  of  the  line,  yet  that  we  may  be  favored 
from  time  to  time  with  your  kind  co-operation,  and 
may  have  the  benefit  of  your  long  experience,  gained  in 


held  on  the  I7th  instant,  the  very  able  and  comprehen- 
sive report  prepared  by  you  as  solicitor  general  of  the 
Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans  Railroad  Company, 
and  addressed  to  the  chairman  of  the  executive  commit- 
tee of  that  company,  covering  a  period  of  five  years  past 
and  giving  a  synopsis  of  the  legislation  obtained  dur- 
ing your  management  of  the  legal  department  during 
that  time,  was  laid  before  the  board,  together  with  the 
reports  of  the  chairman  and  general  manager.  They 
were  read  in  full,  accepted  by  the  board,  ordered  to  be 
printed,  and  copies  thereof  sent  to  each  shareholder 
and  to  each  leased  line  certificate  holder  of  the  com- 
pany. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


57 


"The  following  resolutions  were  offered  by  Messrs. 
Webster  and  Elliott,  duly  seconded,  and  passed  unani- 
mously : 

[Same  preamble  and  resolutions  as  contained  in 
letter  to  Mr.  William  H.  Osborn.] 

"From  the  foregoing,  it  will  be  seen  that  it  is 
made  my  pleasant  duty  to  convey  to  you  the  thanks  of 
the  board,  as  expressed  in  the  above  resolutions,  which 
I  take  great  pleasure  in  doing.  There  was  but  a  single 
expression  on  the  part  of  all  the  members  of  the  board 
and  that  was  one  of  full  appreciation  of  the  very  able 
manner  in  which  you  have  conducted  the  legal  business 
of  the  Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans  Railroad 
Company  since  that  line  first  came  into  the  possession 
or  under  the  control  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
Company.  The  management  of  the  department,  over 
which  you  have  so  successfully  presided  during  the 
past  five  years,  has  been  eminently  satisfactory,  and 
the  board  feel  that  there  is  due  to  you  an  expression 
of  the  high  sense  of  obligation  under  which  you  have 
placed  the  shareholders  of  the  company  for  the  very 
happy  results  that  you  have  obtained. 

"Desiring  to  add  my  own  personal  congratula- 
tions and  good  wishes,  and  trusting  that  our  future 
relations  will  be  as  pleasant  and  harmonious  as  they 
have  been  in  the  past, 

"I  remain,  with  great  respect, 
Yours  very  truly, 
WM.  K.  ACKERMAN,  President." 

"ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY, 
PRESIDENT'S  OFFICE. 

CHICAGO,  January  24,  1883. 

"JAMES  C.  CLARKE,  Esq.,  New  Orleans : 

"My  Dear  Sir: — At  a  meeting  of  the  board  of 
directors  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company, 
held  on  the  I7th  instant,  the  report  prepared  by  you 
dated  January  I,  1883,  and  addressed  to  the  sharehol- 
ders of  the  Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans  Rail- 
road Company,  was  submitted,  read,  ordered  to  be 
printed,  and  copies  thereof  mailed  to  each  shareholder 
of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company. 

"The  following  resolutions  were  offered  by  Messrs. 
Webster  and  Elliott,  duly  seconded,  and  passed  unani- 
mously : 

[Same  pre-imble  and  resolutions  as  contained  in 
letter  to  Mr.  William  H.  Osborn.] 

"From  the  foregoing,  it  will  be  seen  that  it  is 
made  my  duty  to  express  to  you,  as  one  of  the  officers 
of  the  Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans  Railroad 
Company,  the  thanks  of  the  board  for  the  efforts  put 
forward  by  you  during  the  past  five  years  and  which 


have  resulted  in  bringing  this  property  to  its  present 
very  satisfactory  condition.  Although  the  board  of 
directors  have  now  by  formal  resolution  more  particu- 
larly called  the  attention  of  the  shareholders  to  your 
efforts  in  accomplishing  so  desirable  a  result,  yet  I  am 
sure  that,  during  all  the  time  you  have  been  so  en- 
gaged, they  have  never  ceased  to  feel  how  great  was  the 
obligation  under  which  you  had  placed  them.  Of  my 
own  personal  knowledge,  I  know  full  well  with  what 
difficulties  you  have  had  to  contend  and  the  many  ad- 
verse circumstances  with  which  you  have  been  sur- 
rounded. In  1874,  I  passed  over  the  line  of  road  which 
you  have  practically  rebuilt.  Comparing  my  recollec- 
tions at  that  time  with  its  present  condition,  I  can  bet- 
ter and  more  fully  appreciate  what  work  you  have 
accomplished.  The  Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans 
Railroad  from  this  time  on  becomes  a  part  and  parcel 
of  the  old  line,  which  it  has  been  the  good  fortune  of 
both  of  us  to  serve  for  so  many  years  together.  I 
sincerely  trust  that  our  relations,  personal  and 
official,  will  be  as  pleasant  and  cordial  in  the  future 
as  they  have  been  in  the  past.  Believe  me,  dear  Mr. 
Clarke,  yours  very  sincerely, 

WM.  K.  ACKERMAN,  President." 

In  addition  to  the  reports  made  by  Mr.  Os- 
born and  Mr.  Clarke,  was  one  furnished  by 
Judge  James  Fentress,  then  of  Bolivar,  Ten- 
nessee, giving  a  concise  statement  of  the  legal 
history  of  the  case.  He,  with  Hon.  John  A. 
Campbell  of  New  Orleans — ex-attorney-general 
of  the  United  States  and  at  one  time  one  of  the 
justices  of  the  United-States  supreme  court — 
had  been  most  active  in  the  management  of 
the  company's  legal  affairs  of  the  South,  and 
with  consummate  skill  had  been  instrumental 
in  bringing  them  to  a  successful  result.  Both 
Judge  Campbell  and  Judge  Fentress — owing 
to  their  great  ability  and  thorough  familiarity 
with  the  laws  of  Tennessee,  Mississippi  and 
Louisiana,  the  latter  unusually,  complex — were 
enabled  to  render  most  valuable  services  in  ex- 
pediting settlements  of  complicated  legal  ques- 
tions. Judge  Fentress  is  now  the  general- 
attorney  of  the  company,  resident  in  Chicago, 
having  succeeded  Mr.  Benjamin  F.  Ayer,  who 
held  that  position  for  many  years  and  is  now 
the  general-counsel  of  the  company.  The  law 
department  of  the  company  has  always  been 
maintained  at  a  high  standard,  and  among  its 
legal  advisers,  in  past  years,  may  be  found  the 


58 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


names  of  James  F.  Joy,  Hiram  Ketchum,  Will- 
iam Tracy,  Wm.  Curtis  Noyes,  Daniel  Lord, 
Charles  O'Connor,  Judge  Ebenezer  Lane,* 
Judge  James  Emmott,  Melville  W.  Fuller,  the 
present  chief-justice  of  the  United  States ;  W. 
C.  Goudy,  Senator  William  B.  Allison,  Lyman 
Trumbull,  and  John  N.  Jewett. 

Among'  those  prominently  identified  with 
the  history  of  the  road  we  mention  the  follow- 
ing: 

Edward  Turner  Jeffery  who  was  born  in 
Liverpool,  England,  procured  employment  as 
an  office  boy  with  Samuel  J.  Hayes,  superinten- 
dent of  machinery  of  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road in  October  1856.  He  was  afterward 
placed  for  a  while  in  the  tin  and  copper  shops, 
and  then  served  as  an  apprentice  in  the  machine 
shop,  cultivating  what  might  be  regarded  as 
an  hereditary  fondness  for  the  craft  of  the  ma- 
chinist. He  then  entered  the  department  of 
mechanical  drawing,  and,  after  he  had  mastered 
this  science,  he  was  —  at  the  age  of  twenty  — 
put  in  charge  of  this  department,  and  was  also 
made  secretary  to  the  superintendent  of  ma- 
chinery, and  had  charge  of  all  new  work  done 
ii>  the  shops  and  foundry.  From  February  I, 
1871,  to  May  4,  1877,  he  was  assistant-superin- 
tendent of  machinery,  and  on  that  date  he  was 
appointed  general  superintendent  of  the  road 

*Ebenezer  Lane,  jurist,  was  born  in  North  Hamp- 
ton, Massachusetts,  December  17,  1793,  and  died  in 
Sandusky,  Ohio,  June  13,  1866.  He  was  graduated 
at  Harvard  in  1811.  studied  law  under  the  guidance  of 
his  uncle,  Matthew  Griswold  of  Lyme,  Connecticut, 
in  1814,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  After  practis- 
ing for  three  years  in  Connecticut,  he  removed  to 
Ohio  and  settled  in  Norwalk,  Huron  county.  He  be- 
came judge  of  the  court  of  common  pleas  in  1824, 
and  from  1837  until  1845  was  judge  of  the  supreme 
court  of  Ohio.  After  his  retirement  from  the  bench, 
he  resumed  his  profession  and  was  afterward  engaged 
in  various  relations  with  western  railroads.  Decem- 
ber 6,  1855,  he  was  elected  resident-director  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company,  and  was  their 
legal  adviser  for  three  years.  He  withdrew  from  ac- 
tive employment  in  1859.  His  ability  and  experience 
rendered  his  advice  wise  and  trustworthy.  Like 
Rufus  Choate,  Horace  Greeley,  and  some  other  great 
nuii.  he  never  learned  to  write  legibly. 


serving  as  such  until  December  15,  1885,  when 
Ivj  was  appointed  general  manager  of  the  entire 
line  —  a  rare  promotion  for  one  of  his  age,  the 
more  so  when  we  consider  his  humble  begin- 
nings. He  resigned  as  general  manager  in 
1889. 

His  own  advancement,  step  by  step,  was 
fairly  won  without  favoritism  or  solicitation,  but 
solely  on  the  ground  of  merit  and  fitness.  His 
experience  not  only  added  to  his  capacity  as  a 
railroad  manager,  but  it  likewise  broadened  his 
mind  and  enlarged  his  heart  and  sympathies  for 
every  honest  wage-worker,  especially  for  the 
young  apprentice  in  the  shops.  His  official 
career,  in  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company, 
was  singularly  successful  throughout.  His  par- 
ticular strength  lay  in  his  thorough  adaptation 
to  the  company's  service  and  to  every  branch  of 
it  in  which  he  served,  as  well  as  in  his  great 
industry  and  energy.  (See  biography  in  Part 
II.) 

It  was  my  good  fortune,  during  the  seven 
important  years  of  my  connection  with  the  com- 
pany, as  its  executive,  to  have  so  able  a  man 
with  me,  and  one  so  loyal  alike  to  me  and  to  the 
company  as  was  Edward  T.  Jeffery.  He  was 
skillful,  energetic,  systematic,  and  economical ; 
and,  in  all  he  undertook,  he  worked  with  an 
intelligent  comprehension  of  the  duty  in  hand. 
.•V  harmonious  feeling  was  maintained  among 
the  employes,  and  their  devotion  to  him  was 
something  rarely  witnessed  in  corporate  opera- 
tions. 

The  seven  years,  heretofore  referred  to, 
were  the  most  prosperous  ones  in  the  history 
of  the  company.  Many  important  additions 
and  improvements  were  made  to  the  property 
during  this  time,  and,  as  the  engineering  de- 
partment had  been  abolished  —  Mr.  Leverett 
II.  Clarke,  chief-engineer,  having  resigned  after 
a  faithful  service  of  twenty-five  years  —  and 
the  construction  account  had  been  closed,  the 
planning  and  superintending  of  these  new  works 
devolved  largely  upon  the  general  superinten- 
dent. The  gross  earnings  were  increased,  the 
operation  expenses  were  kept  at  a  very  low  per- 
u-ntage,  while  at  the  same  time,  the  physical 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


59 


condition  of  the  property  was  fully  maintained 
and  large  additions  were  made  to  its  rolling 
stock. 

Joseph  !•".  Tucker  was  born  in  Saco,  Maine, 
September  2<).  1835.  He  entered  the  service 
oi"  the  company  September  15,  1856,  and  re- 
mained until  1884.  Five  of  these  twenty-eight 
years  were  spent  as  ticket  agent,  ten  as  genera! 
freight  agent,  two  as  general  superintendent,  and 
nearly  nine  as  traffic  manager. 


that  had  certain  of  the  freight  agents  in  former 
years  adopted  such  honorable  and  conservative 
principles  in  the  prosecution  of  their  business, 
it  is  more  than  probable  that  the  railway  interests 
of  this  country  would  have  suffered  less  than  they 
have  at  the  hands  of  legislatures.  Many  a  time 
at  meetings  and  in  conventions,  did  Mr.  Tucker 
warn  these  railroad  managers  and  freight  agents 
a-  to  what  would  be  the  result  of  their  doubtful 
dealings.  His  words  were  not  always  heeded. 


PHOTO  LOANED  BY  E.  H.  GERRY,  CHICAGO. 


A  representative  of  the  locomotives  used  by  the  Illinois  Central,  in  the  Chicago  suburban  service. 


From  the  foregoing,  it  will  be  seen  that  his 
education  in  the  traffic  department  was  thorough 
and  the  lessons  he  gained  there  taught  him  that 
earnings  for  his  road  meant  more  than  gather- 
ing a  large  volume  of  profitless  business  for  self- 
glorification.  The  "rate  per  ton  per  mile"  was 
his  ever  present  thought  —  and  he  aimed  to  se- 
cure such  a  rate  as  would  produce  a  reasonable 
net  result  of  profit.  In  this  matter,  he  was  a 
wholesome  example  to  many  in  similar  posi- 
tions and  they  might  have  studied  with  advan- 
tage his  conservative  course.  It  is  safe  to  assert 


and  when  the  storm  came  it  swept  into  bank- 
ruptcy the  properties  managed  by  the  reckless 
or  ignorant  men  who  had  withstood  him. 

There  is  another  thing  about  "Joe"  Tucker 
that  is  pleasant  to  record  and  that  is  the  esteem 
i1.!  which  he  was  always  held  by  the  shippers 
over  his  line  as  well  as  by  the  craft  of  traffic 
ipanagers.  It  was  always  said  of  him  that  his 
word  was  as  good  as  his  bond,  and  so  it  was. 
The  shippers  used  to  say  that  if  he  declined  to 
make  concessions,  he  could  always  give  a  good 
reason  for  the  ground  he  took  and  that  the  re- 


60 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


iusal  was  always  made  in  such  a  kind  spirit 
that,  although  they  might  feel  disappointed,  they 
could  not  go  away  offended.  And  in  his  re- 
lations to  other  lines,  it  required  no  cast-iron 
compact  of  any  association  of  traffic  managers 
to  bind  him  to  an  agreement  as  to  maintenance 
of  rates.  It  was  this  spirit  of  fairness  and  in- 
tegrity that  made  and  kept  him  host  of  friends 
both  among  freight  men  and  shippers. 

His  management  of  the  traffic  business  of 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company  extended 
through  some  very  troublous  times,  particular- 
ly during  the  period  when  railroad  commis- 
sioners were  sometimes  appointed  not  so  much 
for  their  fitness  as  for  political  reward.  When 
these  men  got  on  the  wrong  track  and  attempted 
to  make  unreasonable  reductions,  it  was  difficult 
to  reason  them  out  of  it,  for  they  were  dealing) 
with  a  subject  concerning  which  they  were  pro- 
foundly ignorant,  and  were  governed  more  by 
prejudice,  and  passion,  than  by  sound  sense  and 
sober  judgment.  But  Mr.  Tucker's  arguments 
before  the  board  of  railroad  and  warehouse  com- 
missioners, evincing  as  they  did  a  thorough 
mastery  of  the  subject  and  delivered  with  such 
fairmindedness  and  honest  precision,  were  us- 
ually listened  to  with  respectful  attention  and 
often  carried  conviction  to  his  hearers;  and,  in 
one  instance  at  least  —  aided  by  some  sugges- 
tions from  his  brother  officers  —  he  prevailed 
upon  the  members  of  the  board  actually  to  re- 
call a  schedule  of  tariff  rates  which  they  had 
ordered  to  take  effect  within  a  few  days.  He 
proved  clearly  to  the  minds  of  the  commissioners 
that  the  practical  effect  of  an  enforcement  of  the 
schedule  would  be  a  confiscation  of  railway 
property  and  that  it  would  also  operate  to  the 
disadvantage  of  the  public. 

John  C.  Welling  was  born  near  Trenton, 
New  Jersey,  on  February  24,  1840,  and  received 
his  education  in  that  city.  In  1858  he  went  in- 
to business  at  Titusville,  New  Jersey,  remained 
there  until  1861,  when  he  was  appointed  clerk- 
to  John  W.  Newell,  paymaster  of  the  United 
States  army.  He  was  in  the  government  ser- 
vice until  August  1866,  and  then  entered  the 
service  of  the  Ironton  Railroad  and  Mining  Com- 


pany, whose  mines  were  located  near  Allentown. 
Pa.,  and  owned  by  Robert  Lennox  Kennedy  of 
New  York.  He  afterward  served  as  Mr.  Ken- 
nedy's private  secretary  until  1874,  when  he  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  I.  C.  Railroad  Com- 
pany in  the  financial  department  in  New  York. 
September  i,  1874,  he  removed  to  Chicago  to 
take  the  position  of  assistant  treasurer.  Two 
years  later,  he  was  appointed  auditor.  His  title 
was  afterward  changed  to  general  auditor  and 
then  to  comptroller,  a  title  more  nearly  corre- 
sponding to  the  duties  performed,  his  office  be- 
ing charged  with  the  supervision  of  all  accounts 
of  the  company.  He  was  later  elected  vice- 
president,  which  position  he  retains  at  the  pres- 
ent time. 

Personally,  Mr.  Welling  is  held  in  very 
high  estimation  by  the  board  of  directors,  by 
every  brother  officer,  and  by  all  the  employes  of 
the  road,  especially  by  the  young  men  serving 
immediately  under  him,  who  find  in  him  not 
only  an  example  of  good  life  but  a  kind  and  help- 
ful counsellor. 

Benjamin  Franklin  Ayer  was  born  in 
Kingston,  Rockingham  county,  New  Hamp- 
shire, April  22,  1825.  His  family  is  one  of  the 
oldest  in  New  England,  he  was  descended  in  the 
eighth  generation  from  John  Ayer,  who  had 
settled  in  Haverhill,  Mass.,  in  1645.  After 
preparing  himself  at  the  Albany,  New  York, 
Academy,  Mr.  Ayer  entered  Dartmouth  College 
where  he  was  graduated  in  the  year  1846.  He 
afterward  attended  the  Dana  Law  School  of 
Harvard  College  to  perfect  himself  for  the  pro- 
fession of  the  law.  In  July  1849,  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  and  practised  in  Manchester, 
New  Hampshire  —  being  endowed  with  natural 
abilities  for  the  profesion,  he  soon  made  a  high 
reputation.  He  was  elected  to  the  legislature 
in  1853.  In  1854  he  was  appointed  prosecut- 
ing attorney  for  Hillsborough  county,  New 
Hampshire,  and  held  that  office  until  his  removal 
to  Chicago  in  1857.  He  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  of  Illinois  on  May  I5th  of  the  same  year,  and 
he  as  rapidly  rose  in  the  regard  of  our  people 
and  of  the  profession  as  lie  had  in  his  Eastern 
home.  In  1861  he  was  appointed  corporation 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


IU 


counsel  and  served  as  such  five  years,  during  . 
which  time,  he  prepared  the  revised  charter  of 
Chicago  in  1863.  He  was  afterward  of  the  law 
firm  of  Beckwith,  Ayer  and  Kales.  When 
Judge  Corydon  Beckwith  withdrew  to  accept 
the  general  solicitorship  of  the  Chicago  &  Alton 
Railroad  Company,  the  firm  was  continued  by 
Ayer  and  Kales.  In  1876  he  was  tendered  the 
position  of  general  solicitor  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral Railroad  Company.  Prior  to  this,  he  had 
devoted  his  attention  to  corporation  and  railroad 
law  and  had  distinguished  himself  in  this  class 
of  legal  practice.  He  accepted  the  offer  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad,  gave  up  all  other  prac- 
tice, and  has  since  devoted  himself  to  the  legal 
department  of  this  company.  He  was  elected 
a  director  of  the  company,  April  25th,  1877, 
which  position  he  still  holds.  In  1890  his  title 
was  changed  to  that  of  general  counsel.  Mr. 
Ayer  was  for  several  years  president  of  the 
Western  Railroad  Association,  which  was  or- 
ganized many  years  since  to  pass  upon  the  vali- 
dity of  patents  affecting  railways  and  which  in- 
cludes in  its  membership  all  the  leading  railways 
of  the  West. 

Timothy  B.  Blackstone,  late  president  of 
the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railway,  was  one  of  the 
division  engineers  who  assisted  Col.  R.  B.  Mason 
in  surveying,  locating  and  constructing  the  line 
of  the  road  and  was  with  him  from  May  1851, 
to  December  1855. 

Mr.  Marvin  Hughitt  was  born  in  August 
1837,  and  may  be  said  to  have  begun  his  railroad 
experience  with  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad 
in  1856,  in  the  capacity  of  superintendent  of 
telegraph  and  train  dispatcher.  He  entered  the 
service  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company 
in  1862,  and  occupied  the  positions  of  superin- 
tendent of  telegraph,  train  dispatcher,  assistant 
general  superintendent,  and  general  superinten- 
dent, successively.  He  was  appointed  general 
superintendent  in  1866  —  succeeding  W.  R. 
Arthur,  who  had  held  that  position  for  about 
seven  years  —  and  remained  in  that  position  un- 
til 1870.  The  period  of  his  connection  with  the 
company  was  a  somewhat  trying  one.  It  was 
during  the  stormy  days  of  the  rebellion,  when 


the  railway  service  was  a  hard  field  to  occupy. 
The  demoralization  incident  to  the  war  seemed 
to  permeate  every  part  of  the  line  and  unfortu- 
nately it  was  not  confined  to  the  subordinates. 
Many  of  the  men  in  the  different  departments 
having  enlisted  in  the  army,  their  places  had  to 
be  supplied  by  new  and  inexperienced  hands. 
Perfect  discipline  was  practically  impossible. 
The  earnings  of  the  line  were  very  large,  but 
all  supplies  and  materials  had  to  be  bought  at 
war  prices.  The  equipment,  both  in  quantity 
and  quality,  was  inadequate  to  the  demands  up- 
on it,  and  these  demands  were  all  the  more  diffi- 
cult to  meet  with  an  unballasted  road-bed  upon 
a  prairie  soil.  These  disadvantages,  particular- 
ly at  time  when  the  resources  of  the  road  were 
greatly  overtaxed,  required  about  as  much  hero- 
ism as  any  that  was  displayed  on  the  field  of 
battle,  and  reflected  great  credit  upon  those  who 
could  bring  good  results  out  of  such  compara- 
tively disordered  conditions,  and  Mr.  Hughitt 
was  well  entitled  to  a  share  of  this  credit. 

For  awhile,  the  United  States  government 
hesitated  about  making  payments  to  the  com- 
pany for  transportation  of  troops  and  munitions 
of  war.  Hon.  Elihu  B.  Washburne,  then  a 
member  of  congress  from  Illinois,  took  the 
ground  that  the  company  was  obliged  under  its 
charter  to  carry  them  free.  If  congress  adopted 
this  view,  it  meant  bankruptcy  for  the  road. 
The  matter  was  very  thoroughly  discussed  and 
exhaustively  examined  by  congress,  and  a  con- 
clusion was  reached  in  exact  accordance  with 
the  charter  —  that  the  road-bed  should  remain 
open  a  "public  highway"  free  for  the  transpor- 
tation of  troops  and  war  materials  for  the 
government;  but  that  the  company  was  not  ex- 
pected to  furnish  equipment,  supplies  and  men 
free. 

The  year  after  the  close  of  the  war,  1866, 
there  was  a  large  decline  in  the  passenger  traffic 
consequent  upon  the  discontinuance  of  hostili- 
ties. The  south  had  been  desolated  by  the  war, 
its  labor  system  was  disorganized  and  its  in- 
dustries were  not  yet  reconstructed,  so  that  its 
impoverished  people  were  unable  to  purchase 
much.  The  southern  states  not  taking  their 


62 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


x 

A, 


CJ 
x 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


usual  supply  of  food  from  the  north,  traffic  in 
that  direction  decreased.  The  road-bed  and 
equipment,  owing  to  the  heavy  traffic  of  the  five 
years  preceding,  were  greatly  deteriorated  and 
this  called  for  large  expenditures  in  the  way  of 
reconstruction,  sadly  affecting  net  results. 

October  i,  1867,  the  Dubuque  &  Sioux 
City  Railroad  was  leased ;  but  all  the  traffic  at 
1  hmleith  had  to  he  transported  across  the  river 
to  Dubuque  by  ferry.  This  year  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Dunleith  and  Dubuque  bridge  was 
commenced,  but  it  was  not  opened  for  business 
until  January  i,  1869.  In  1869  the  corn  crop 
in  central  Illinois  was  a  failure.  54  miles  of 
Cedar  Falls  &  Minnesota  and  49  miles  of  the 
Jowa  Falls  &  Sioux  City  railroads  were  con- 
structed this  year  but  both  lines  —  the  former 
to  Mona  and  the  later  to  Sioux  City  —  were 
not  completed  until  the  following  year.  In 
1869  the  Iowa  system  reached  the  total  length 
of  402  miles. 

In  1870  an  arrangement  was  made  with  the 
Ijelleville  &  Southern  Illinois  Railroad  for  run- 
ning through  trains  between  Cairo  and  St. 
Louis. 

In  1871  Mr.  Hughitt  was  succeeded  as 
general  superintendent  by  Mr.  Abram  Mitchell 
having  resigned  to  accept  the  position  of  assist  • 
ant  general  manager  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee 
&  St.  Paul  Raihvav.  In  the  same  vear,  he  be 


emne  superintendent  of  the  Pullman  Palace  Car 
Com pan\'.  In  February  1872,  his  connection 
with  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railway  com- 
menced, in  which  company  he  held  with  great 
credit  to  himself  and  to  the  material  prosperity 
of  said  company  the  various  positions  of  super- 
intendent, general  manager,  and  second  vice- 
president,  and  finally  rose  to  the  presidency. 

The  present  managers  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral Railroad  Company  have  a  goodly  heritage. 
'1  hey  have  emulated  the  example  of  their  pre- 
decessors in  carrying  along  a  work  born  in  in- 
tegrity of  purpose  and  prosecuted  with  heroism 
under  every  conceivable  adversity  to  a  success- 
ful completion. 

The  construction  of  the  Illinois  Central 
marked  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  the 
slate  of  Illinois,  an  era  in  which  it  could  turn 
from  the  mortification  of  broken  pledges,  and 
despair  of  insolvencey,  to  the  bright  realiza- 
tion of  restored  credit  at  home  and  abroad. 
Well  has  the  state  profited  by  its  sad  experience, 
"internal  improvement"  need  be  no  longer 
dreamily  indulged  in  as  a  joyful  anticipation  of 
childish  fancy  —  for  it  is  now  being  worked 
out  to  its  fullest  completion.  Well  may  its 
sons  rejoice,  and  let  them  not  forget  to  honor 
the  memory  of  those  who  filled  important  parts 
in  the  work  of  construction  and  commercial 
progress. 


CHAPTER  II. 


HISTORICAL  BIOGRAPHIES. 


HISTORICAL  BIOGRAPHIES. 


Among:  those  who  were  most  prominent  in  bringing  to  a  successful  termination  the  organization  and 
early  development  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  we  mention  the  following: 


JONATHAN  STURGES  was  one  of  the 
incorporators  of  the  company,  and  a 
director  from  February  10,  1851  to  May 
28,  1862;  he  was  again  elected,  May  17, 
1868,  and  held  the  office  until  the  time  of  his 
death,  Nov.  28,  1874.  He  was  also  acting-presi- 
dent at  one  time.  In  the  management  of  this  prop- 
erty, he  applied  the  same  rules  of  commercial  in- 
tegrity that  were  employed  in  his  own  business. 
In  the  days  of  its  sorest  trials,  Mr.  Sturges 
proved  the  main-stay  of  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road, and  in  the  time  of  its  greatest  financial 
depression  when  the  price  of  its  shares  declined, 
his  great  fear  was  that  some  who  had  been  in- 
duced to  purchase  them,  owing  to  his  official  re- 
lation with  the  company,  might  suffer  loss.  Mr. 
Sturges  was  born  at  Southport,  Ct.,  March  24, 
1802.  He  was  one  of  the  honored  merchants 
of  the  city  of  New  York.  His  business-house 
was  established  about  1834  and  was  then  Reed 
and  Sturges ;  afterward  it  became  Reed,  Hemp- 
stead  and  Sturges,  and  later  Sturges,  Bennett 
and  Company,  wholesale  grocers  at  No.  125 
Front  street.  He  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  July  i,  1834,  and  was 
elected  its  vice-president  in  1863,  and  retired 
from  that  office  in  1867.  The  following  is  an 
extract  from  a  letter  addressed  to  Mr.  Sturges 
by  his  brother  merchants,  Dec.  30,  1867,  on  the 
occasion  of  his  retiring  from  business  and  invit- 
ing him  to  meet  them  at  dinner :  "Your  life  among 
uj.  of  nearly  half  a  century  in  the  same  locality 
in  Front  Street,  we  can  truly  say  has  been  such 
as  commends  itself  to  every  one  both  old  and 


young,  who  regard  that  which  is -true,  just,  and 
noble,  in  mercantile  character."  *  *  *  * 

On  December  3,  1874,  the  directors  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  ordered  the  following 
minute  to  be  entered  upon  their  record : 

"In  1868,  Mr.  Sturges  retired  from  active 
business  with  an  ample  fortune  and  a  reputation 
for  probity  and  honor  which  is  better  than  earth- 
ly riches.  He  had  come  to  be  regarded  as  the 
foremost  man  in  the  tea  and  coffee  trades  which 
he  had  followed  for  so  many  years,  and  was 
recognized  as  a  wise  counsellor,  and  a  warm 
and  steadfast  friend.  The  good  example  which 
he  lived  doubtless  did  much  to  impart  to  the 
whole  body  of  traders,  of  which  his  house  was 
a  conspicuous  member,  that  character  for  integ- 
rity and  upright  dealing  which  it  has  always 
borne  —  which  it  still  maintains.  *  *  *  Mr. 
Sturges  was  a  promoter  of  many  important  un- 
dertakings, as  well  as  an  able  coadjutor  in  all, 
and  in  the  discharge  of  his  various  and  responsi- 
ble duties,  he  was  always  governed  by  a  recti- 
tude of  purpose  and  unswerving  fidelity  to  his 
trust.  Good  sense  and  a  sound  judgment  were 
the  distinguishing  characteristics  of  his  great 
worth  in  all  corporate  bodies.  As  one  of  the 
founders  and  directors  of  the  Bank  of  Commerce, 
as  director  and  acting-president  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Company,  as  one  of  the  pro- 
prietors and  directors  of  the  New  York  and  New 
Haven  Railroad  Company,  and  as  vice-president 
of  this  association,  he  was  widely  known  and 
held  in  high  regard.  Nor  was  it  in  the  walks 
of  business,  in  the  counting  room,  and  in  the 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


exchange,  that  he  was  chiefly  honored  and  be- 
loved —  he  was  a  recognized  patron  of  art.  In 
the  church,  he  manifested  the  virtues  of  a  Chris- 
tian ;  in  society,  the  unostentatious  attributes  of 
a  gentleman ;  in  the  service  of  his  country,  the 
devoted  zeal  of  a  true  patriot ;  as  a  citizen,  the 
love  of  the  philanthropist,  never  forgetti'ng  his 
obligations  to  the  poor,  the  sick,  and  the  crippled, 
but  extending  to  all  the  benefactions  of  a  warm 
heart  and  of  an  open  hand.  The  homage  we 
paid  to  the  good  man  when  living  we  desire  to 
perpetuate  in  hallowed  memories,  and  to  this  end 


being  signed  by  the  officers  of  the  chamber."  He 
died  in  the  city  of  New  York,  November  28, 
1874. 


York. 


EORGE  GRISWOLD  was  of  the  firm 
of  N.  L.  and  G.  Griswold  who  occupied 
a  rough-granite  store  at  No.  71  and 
72  South  street  in  the  city  of  New 

This  building  was  a  fitting  emblem  of 


the   standing  and   credit   of   the   house.       They 


COURTESY  B.  A  0.  R'Y. 


THE     HERCULES"  1837. 

This  was  the  first  locomotive  in  the  world  with  equalizing  frames  and  levels. 
See  article  Transportation  Advancement. 


we  inscribe  on  our  minutes  the  sentiments  that 
are  graven  on  our  hearts  —  of  gratitude  for  this 
life  of  uncommon  beauty,  of  sincere  sorrow  for 
our  own  great  loss,  and  of  our  sympathy  for  the 
family  of  the  bereaved  to  whom  it  is  ordered 
that  a  copy  of  the  foregoing  be  transmitted  after 


were  egaged  in  the  China  trade,  sailing  the  good 
ship  Panama,  and  did  a  very  large  business,  sel- 
ling Canton  goods,  teas,  etc.  J.  N.  A.  Griswold, 
son  of  George  Griswold,  who  in  1855  became 
president  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  com- 
pany, was  sent  as  super-cargo  on  the  Panama  to 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


69 


China,  and  resided  there  for  many  years.  Mr. 
Griswold  came  to  New  York  from  Lyme,  Conn., 
in  1794,  and  in  1796  the  house  was  established. 
In  those  early  years,  the  merchants  ruled  the  city, 
and  participation  in  politics  was  regarded  not 
only  as  honorable  but  as  an  imperative  duty. 
He  made  an  excellent  presiding  officer  at  politi- 
cal or  popular  meetings  for  any  purpose.  He 
was  always  ready  to  promote  the  interests  of  the 
city  and  added  largely  to  its  prosperity  in  his 
day.  He  had  many  noble  traits  of  character, 
and  more  than  one  young  merchant  owed  his 
success  to  the  help  and  counsel  Mr.  Griswold 
afforded.  Although  well  advanced  in  years  at 
the  time,  he  took  part  in  the  organization  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  company,  in  1851,  he 
was  a  man  of  such  wonderful  energy  for  his 
years  and  possessed  of  such  remarkable  will 
power,  that  many  of  the  younger  men  engaged 
with  him  in  this  important  work,  found  it  no 
small  task  to  keep  up  with  his  movements.  He 
was  "a  director  in  the  Bank  of  America  for  many 
years,  and  was  also  interested  in  many  institu- 
tions of  a  public  character  in  the  city  of  New 
York.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  attending  Dr.  Pott's  church.  He  died 
in  New  York,  September  18,  1859,  in  the  old 
homestead  which  he  had  occupied  for  so  many 
years  at  No.  9  Washington  Square. 


LEROY  M.  WILEY  was  born  in  Han- 
cock county,  Georgia,  on  October  30, 
1794.     His  father  was  born  in  South 
Carolina,  and  his  mother  in  Mecklen- 
burgh  county,  North  Carolina;  they  were  both 
of   Scotch-Irish    descent   and   were   among  the 
early     settlers     in     Hancock     county,     Georgia. 
About  the  year  1807,  they  removed  to  Baldwin 
county  and  resided  on  a  farm  near  Milledgeville, 
which  had  been  made  the  capital  of  the  state. 
Here  his  father  died,  leaving  his  widowed  mother 
with  seven  children  with  limited  means  to  fight 
the  battle  of  life  alone  and  to  provide  for  their 


support  and  education.  Under  these  circum- 
stances, Leroy  the  eldest  son,  then  only  fifteen 
years  of  age,  was  placed  in  a  dry-goods  store 
in  Milledgeville  to  earn  his  living  and  make  his 
way  in  the  world.  With  a  limited  education, 
by  industry  and  integrity,  faithfulness  and  close 
application  to  business,  he  soon  gained  the  con- 
fidence of  all  those  with  whom  he  came  in  con- 
tact and  laid  the  foundation  for  his  success  in 
life. 

Upon  his  arrival  at  manhood,  Mr.  Wiley 
entered  into  business  with  Thos.  W.  Baxter, 
who  had  married  his  eldest  sister,  under  the 
name  of  Wiley  and  Baxter,  and  for  many  years 
this  firm  continued  in  Milledgeville  doing  a 
large  and  profitable  business.  After  the  settle- 
ment of  Macon,  they  opened  an  additional  store 
in  that  city  where  they  were  equally  successful. 
In  1832  the  firm  was  dissolved,  Baxter  mov- 
ing to  Macon,  and  Wiley  went  to  Charleston, 
S.  C,  at  the  invitation  of  the  Messrs.  Parish 
of  New  York  and  became  associated  in  business 
with  them  under  the  firm  name  of  L.  M.  Wiley, 
Parish  and  Company  in  Charleston,  and  Parish 
and  Company  in  New  York.  They  did  a  large 
and  lucrative  business  extending  throughout  the 
Southern  States,  and  thus  Mr.  Wiley  became  one 
of  the  leading  merchants  of  the  South  and  a  man 
of  wealth.  After  the  retirement  of  the  Messrs. 
Parish  from  business,  Mr.  Wiley  removed  to 
New  York  and  became  the  head  of  the  house 
under  the  name  of  L.  M.  Wiley  and  Company, 
and  afterward  as  a  special  partner  in  the  firm  of 
W.  G.  Lane  and  Company,  continuing  in  business 
until  1854. 

In  the  winter  of  1853,  he  was  called  on  an 
urgent  engagement  to  St.  Louis,  and  through 
the  exposure  of  that  journey,  then  partly  made 
by  stage-coaches,  and  from  general  overwork, 
he  had  a  slight  attack  of  paralvsis,  and  at  the 
earnest  solicitation  of  his  friends  and  relatives, 
he  retired  from  all  mercantile  pursuits.  From 
this  time,  he  devoted  his  time  and  energies  to 
the  management  of  his  large  estate  and  to  various 
enterprises  in  which  he  was  engaged.  He  estab- 
lished a  large  flour-mill  and  iron-works  on  the 
Etowah  River  near  Cartersville,  Ga.,  and  became 


70 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


interested  with  others  in  various  railroad  com- 
panies, and  these,  together  with  his  plantation 
interests,  occupied  his  time.  He  was  one  of 
the  original  corporators  and  directors  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company  from  1851— 
64.  He  was  also  a  director  and  largely  inter- 
ested in  the  Great-Western  Railroad  Company 
of  Illinois,  afterward  the  Toledo,  Wabash  & 
Western  Railroad  Company.  At  the  commence- 


York,  resumed  his  old  quarters  at  the  Astor 
House,  and  engaged  again  in  the  various  railroad 
enterprises  in  which  he  was  interested.  The 
board  of  directors  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
Company,  out  of  respect  to  Mr.  Wiley  and  in 
recognition  of  his  valuable  services  to  the 
company  during  its  early  organization,  again 
elected  him  a  director.  May  29,  1867,  which 
office  he  held  until  the  time  of  his  death. 


COURTESY  B.  A  0.   R'Y. 


THE  "ATLANTIC."     1832. 

This  is  the  first  of  the  "Grasshopper"  class,  and  is  the  oldest  American  locomotive  in  existence. 

See  article  Transportation  Advancement. 


ment  of  the  war,  influenced  by  education,  associ- 
ation, and  sentiment,  he  removed  South  to 
protect  his  interests  and  to  cast  his  lot  with  his 
brothers  and  sisters,  and  remained  quietly  at 
his  plantation  near  Eufaula,  Ala.,  which  hence- 
forth became  his  home.  During  his  absence 
South,  his  seat  in  the  board  was  declared  vacant. 
May  19,  1864,  on  account  of  absenteeism.  After 
the  restoration  of  peace,  he  returned  to  New 


Mr.  Wiley  was  a  man  of  fine  physique  and 
indomitable  energy  and  a  gentleman  of  the  old 
school.  He  was  scrupulously  honorable  and  just 
in  all  his  transactions,  never  seemed  to  know 
what  fatigue  was,  and  his  invincible  will  power 
was  felt  among  his  subordinates  in  all  the  ram- 
ifications of  his  extensive  business.  In  society, 
he  was  courteous  and  polite,  and  among  his 
relatives,  he  was  exceedingly  kind  and  generous. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


71 


His  three  sisters  were  all  left  widows  with  large 
families,  and  two  of  them  without  means. 
The  families  of  these  two  he  supported,  and 
educated  their  children,  and  all  of  his  nieces  he 
educated,  giving  them  the  very  best  advantages 
the  country  afforded.  At  the  commencement 
of  the  war,  he  had  by  his  own  exertions  and 
without  entering  into  any  speculations,  accumu- 
lated a  fortune  estimated  at  two  millions  of 
dollars,  at  a  time  when  millionaires  were  not 
so  plentiful  as  they  now  are.  During  that  un- 
fortunate struggle,  much  of  his  property  was 
greatly  depreciated  in  value,  and  this,  together 
with  the  effects  of  emancipation,  swept  away 
one-half  of  his  estate,  which,  when  he  died,  was 
valued  to  be  about  one  million  of  dollars.  Having 
never  married,  he  gave  his  entire  property  to  his 
three  sisters  and  the  children  of  his  deceased 
brothers.  In  January  1868,  Mr.  Wiley,  while 
on  his  journey  from  Georgia  to  New  York,  was 
again  attacked  by  disease  of  the  brain,  and  his 
friends,  finding  him  in  this  condition,  removed 
him  to  the  home  of  Mr.  Gresham,  who  had 
married  his  niece,  in  Macon,  Ga.  But  he  did 
not  improve,  and  was  carried  to  Welanee — the 
name  he  gave  to  his  beautiful  home  in 
Alabama — and  there,  under  the  tender  care  of 
his  sisters  and  nieces,  he  quietly  passed  away, 
April  16,  1868,  and  his  body  lies  at  rest  in 
Macon,  by  the  side  of  his  mother. 


OBERT  RANTOUL,  JR.  was  an 
American  statesman,  born  in  Beverly, 
Mass.,  August  13,  1805.  He  was 
graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1826 
and  was  admitted  to  the  Essex  bar  in  1827.  In 
1837  he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts board  of  education.  In  1838  he  re- 
moved to  Boston,  and  in  1843  was  appointed 
by  President  Tyler  collector  of  that  port,  and  in 
1845  United  States  district  attorney  for  Massa- 
chusetts. Hiram  Ketchum — a  celebrated  lawyer 
of  New  York,  and  an  intimate  personal  friend 


of  Daniel  Webster,  and  who  strenuously  advo- 
cated his  nomination  to  the  presidency,  suggested 
the  latter's  name  as  a  fit  person  to  draft  the  char- 
ter of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  but  Webster 
could  not  give  it  attention  and  named  Rantoul, 
who  did  most  of  the  work  at  his  Boston  office. 
Hon.  George  White,  now  judge  of  probate  for 
Norfolk  County,  was  then  a  student  in  Rantoul's 
office,  and  copied  out  the  first  draft  in  his  hand- 
writing. Probably  Ketchum  aided  Rantoul  in 
formulating  the  charter;  there  were,  however, 
radical  changes  made  in  it  before  its  final  passage, 
which  Mr.  Rantoul  personally  superintended  in 
Springfield.  By  a  coincidence,  while  thus  en- 
gaged, he  was  elected  by  the  Massachusetts  legis- 
lature to  serve  out  Daniel  Webster's  term  in 
the  United  States  senate,  which  had  been  tem- 
porarily filled  by  Robert  C.  Winthrop  under  an 
appointment  of  the  governor,  entering  the  senate. 
February  22,  1851,  twelve  days  after  the  Illi- 
nois Central  Railway  charter  was  passed.  He 
wrote  to  his  son  on  taking  his  seat  a  letter  in 
which  occurs  this  passage  "I  arrived  this  fore- 
noon from  St.  Louis,  my  mission  to  Illinois  has 
been  completely  successful.  I  have  obtained  a 
charter  which  the  western  senators  here  call 
worth  five  or  six  millions.  This  however  is 
to  be  ascertained  by  the  result  of  the  experiment." 
After  Mr.  Rantoul's  services  of  a  few  weeks 
in  the  senate,  he  was  succeeded  by  Charles 
Sumner  for  the  long  term.  He  was  elected  to 
the  house  of  representatives  the  same  year,  1851, 
for  the  first  time,  and  died  before  his  term  ex- 
pired, August  7,  1852. 

Said  his  historian :  ''Of  the  great  men  who 
in  1852  were  summoned  to  "put  on  immortality," 
Robert  Rantoul,  Jr.,  in  all  the  elements  of  moral 
worth,  intellectual  activity,  practical  usefulness, 
and  beneficence  to  mankind,  was  one  of  the 
greatest.  His  life  was  a  scene  of  incessant  labor 
in  the  cause  of  liberty,  justice,  and  humanity. 
Of  every  subject  to  which  he  directed  his 
attention  gaining  with  unparalleled  .  facility  a 
profound  knowledge,  a  thorough  mastery,  he  de- 
voted his  acquirements  with  honest  and  inflexable 
purpose  to  advance  the  welfare  of  society;  yet 
lie  sounded  no  trumpet  before"  him.  His  manners 


72 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


were  gentle,  quiet,  and  unostentatious.  *  *  * 
Few  men  have  been  called  from  the  scenes  of 
American  civil  life  whose  death  caused  more 
unaffected  sorrow  and  tender  grief." 

One  of  the  laudable  acts  of  his  life  was  the 
effort  he  made  for  the  abolition  of  capital  punish- 
ment and  his  report  is  still  one  of  the  standard 
authorities  on  the  subject.  In  politics,  Mr.  Ran- 
tou!  was  a  democrat  and  an  earnest  advocate 


but  he  was  unsuccessful.  When  in  1863,  Ran- 
toul's  son  —  the  present  mayor  of  Salem,  Mass., 
was  introduced  to  President  Lincoln  at  the  White 
House,  the  latter  referred  to  this  fact  and  ac- 
knowledged he  did  all  he  could  to  stop  it,  but 
added  with  a  laugh  and  slapping  his  lank  thighs, 
"Your  father  beat  me,  he  beat  me!" 

Rantoul    was   the  author  of  an   interesting 
pamphlet  entitled :  "Letter  on  the  value  of  the 


COURTESY  B.  A  O.  R'Y. 


THE  "MT.  CLARE."     1845. 
Named  after  the  oldest  railroad  shops  in  the  world.     See  article  Transportation  Advancement. 


of  free-trade.  He  defended  the  first  fugitive 
slave  arrested  in  Massachusetts  under  the  act 
of  1850. 

At  the  time  application  was  made  to  the 
legislature  of  Illinois  for  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road charter,  there .  were  certain  Western  capi- 
talists who  desired  to  secure  it,  as  they  did  not 
wish  the  project  to  go  to  Eastern  capitalists. 
Abraham  Lincoln  was  employed  on  their  behalf 


public  lands  of  Illinois"  which  he  wrote  in  1850. 
It  was  an  inquiry  as  to  the  prospective  value  of 
lands  in  Illinois  and  an  examination  of  the  con- 
siderations which  would  probably  influence  the 
settlement  of  the  state.  In  this  pamphlet,  he  com- 
pared the  lands  of  our  state  with  those  of  the 
older  states  and  .showed  how  the  latter  had  been 
affected  in  value  by  railway  construction.  The 
pamphlet  teems  with  valuable  statistical  infonna- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


73 


tion,  and  we  quote  extensively  from  it.  At  that 
time,  1850,  it  appears  that  the  unsold  lands  in 
Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Illinois,  were  as  follows : 

Ohio,  containing  25,576,960  acres,  had  unsold  367,742 
Indiana,  "  21,637,760  "  "  "  1,511,266 
Illinois,  "  35,459,200  ' 11,449,471 

He  estimated  that  eleven  million  acres  of  land 
not  taken  up  in  Illinois  would  supply  a  popula- 
tion of  little  more  than  four  hundred  thousand 
persons  with  twenty-eight  acres  each,  and  pre- 
dicted that  this  increase  at  the  ordinary  rate 
would  occur  in  six  or  s'even  years,  and  that  if 
the  rate  of  increase  should  not  be  checked,  five 
hundred  and  sixty-five  thousand  persons  would 
be  added  to  the  population  in  eight  years,  and 
nine  hundred  and  five  thousand  in  twelve  years, 
this  at  the  ordinary  rate.  He  then  went  on  to 
show  what,  in  his  belief,  would  be  the  effect  of 
the  settlement  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
lands,  and  estimated  the  following  increases  in 
population  by  land  districts : 

District.                                    Rate  of  increase.  Pop,  I860 

yuincy  and  Chicago,                     66%  per  cent,  525,225 

Dixon,  Danville  and  Vandalia,     240          "  640,009 

Other  five,                                          80         "  633,620 

1,798,854 

His  estimate  was  very  nearly  reached.  The 
population  of  our  State  in  1850  was  851,470  and 
in  ten  years,  1860,  it  had  reached  1,711,951. 

Referring  to  the  debt  of  Illinois  and  its 
effect  upon  emigration  to  that  State,  he  says : 

"During  the  last  ten  years,  Illinois  has  la- 
bored under  a  debt  of  a  magnitude  absolutely 
overwhelming,  when  compared  with  her  re- 
sources at  the  commencement  of  that  period. 
She  had  then  before  her  a  very  gloomy  alterna- 
tive. If  she  endeavored  to  meet  even  the  in- 
terest of  her  obligations,  she  would  be  crushed 
under  the  weight  of  an  intolerable  taxation,  from 
which  her  most  able  and  enterprising  citizens 
would  have  fled  into  other  states.  If  she  aban- 
doned the  effort  in  despair  of  the  possibility  of 
success,  then  she  must  suffer  all  the  consequences 
of  the  total  loss  of  credit  consequent  on  her  bank- 
ruptcy. In  neither  case,  did  it  seem  to  be  prob- 
able that  her  public  works  could  be  made  avail- 
able toward  the  discharge  of  .the  debt  incurred 


for  them  or  aid  to  develop  the  resources  of  the 
State.  Why  should  an  emigrant  from  the  old 
world,  or  from  the  states,  with  the  broad  valley 
of  the  Mississippi  open  before  him  where  to 
choose,  voluntarily  assume  a  full  share  of  these 
embarrassments  by  becoming  a  citizen  of  Illinois? 
The  answer  which  the  emigrants  have  given  to 
this  question  may  be  seen  in  the  settlement  of 
Wisconsin  which  state,  with  a  colder  climate  and 
harder  soil  than  Illinois,  has  added  to  her  popu- 
lation more  than  eight  hundred  and  eighty  per 
cent  in  the  last  ten  years  —  a  progress  unpre- 
cedented in  the  history  of  the  world  in  any  agri- 
cultural community. 

"Ten  years  ago,  Illinois,  borne  down  with 
debt,  had  not  only  not  a  mile  of  railroad,  or  canal, 
or  plank  road,  in  operation  within  her  borders, 
but  no  reasonable  plan  had  been  agreed  upon 
by  which  she  could  hope  to  diminish  her  debt, 
discharge  her  interest,  or  acquire  facilities  of 
communication.  She  has  now  her  canal  debt 
rapidly  approaching  toward  extinction,  revenues 
sufficient  in  a  very  short  time  to  discharge  her 
whole  interest  without  increasing  the  rate  of 
taxation,  one  hundred  miles  of  canal,  and  a  still 
geater  length  of  railroad  in  highly  profitable 
operation,  with  plank  roads  in  great  numbers 
paying  dividends  large  enough  to  insure  the  ear- 
ly construction  of  several  thousand  miles  more. 
Not  only  so  but  she  has  before  her  the  certainty 
that  she  will  be  supplied  with  more  than  twelve 
hundred,  perhaps  it  may  be  safely  said,  more 
than  fifteen  hundred  miles  of  railroad  in  the 
next  five  or  six  years ;  and  channels  are  already 
constructed  to  convey  her  products,  transported 
to  her  borders  on  these  railroads,  through  Michi- 
gan, Indiana,  and  the  Eastern  states,  to  the  sea- 
board and  abroad.  If,  paralyzed  as  she  was  for 
the  last  ten  years,  her  growth  was  at  about  the 
same  rate  as  that  of  Michigan,  having  less  than 
half  as  dense  a  population,  with  her  railroads  and 
her  lake  borders  and  her  steamboats ;  about  the 
same  as  that  of  Missouri  with  only  two-thirds  as 
dense  a  population,  and  with  the  Queen  Citv  of 
the  Great  River  in  her  centre  receiving  the  whole 
current  of  emigration  up  the  Mississippi ;  about 
the  same  numerically  as  that  of  Wisconsin  and 


74 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Iowa  together,  these  two  starting  with  a  hundred 
thousand  square  miles  of  land  unoccupied,  whol- 
ly unencumbered  with  debt  and  accessible  from 
the  lake  and  from  the  river  —  why  should  she 
not,  in  her  present  healthy  condition,  her  limbs 
unshackled  and  her  pathway  free  before  her,  ad- 
vance with  the  step  of  a  giant  refreshed,  toward 
her  natural  position  among  the  first  in  popula- 
tion, power,  and  wealth  of  the  North  American 


is  not  worth  so  much  as  a  bushel  of  corn  costing 
twenty  cents  which  can  be  carried  for  tea  cents 
to  the  same  market  and  sold  for  the  same  price 
of  thirty-six  cents.  A  saving  of  twenty  cents 
per  bushel  on  the  transportation  of  your  corn 
is  the  saving  of  ten  dollars  on  the  crop  of  an  acre 
reckoned  at  fifty  bushels ;  and  this  sum  is  twen- 
ty per  cent  interest  on  a  first  cost  of  fifty  dollars 
per  acre.  It  will  be  better  economy,  therefore, 


COURTESY  B.  A  O.  F.-Y. 


THE  "DRAGON."     1848. 
This  is  one  of  the  oldest  examples  of  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  extant.     See  article  Locomotive  Advancement. 


confederacy  of  states?  *  *  But,  it  may  be 
asked,  will  not  a  larger  portion  of  the  additional 
population  coming  into  the  valley  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, diverge  into  the  new  states  and  so  be  drawn 
off  from  Illinois? 

Certainly  not  to  the  inaccessible  portions 
of  those  states  — -  because  a  bushel  of  corn  cost- 
ing six  cents  which  can  be  carried  for  thirty  cents 
to  a  market  where  it  will  sell  for  thirty-six  cents, 


taking  the  article  of  corn  as  a  criterion,  to  buy 
land  in  the  south  part  of  the  Danville  district  at 
fifty  dollars  per  acre,  when  the  prices  by  compe- 
tition for  it  shall  have  been  raised  so  high,  and 
you  have  a  double-track  railroad  within  twelve 
miles  of  your  farm,  than  it  would  have  been 
to  buy  the  same  land  at  a  dollar  and  a  quarter 
per  acre  when  there  was  no  practicable  outlet 
for  your  produce. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


75 


"Corn  was  carried  during  the  summer  from 
a  point  several  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Illi- 
nois River  down  to  the  Illinois,  thence  up  that 
river  to  the  canal,  thence  to  Chicago,  and  thence 
to  New  York,  and  there  sold  at  a  profit.  Corn 
was  not  low  in  Illinois  last  summer,  but  in  New 
York  is  was  considerably  lower  than  the  average 
of  the  last  four  years.  Corn  will  go  to  market 
cheaper  from  the  lands  in  the  Danville  district 
on  the  line  of  the  Chicago  branch  of  the  Central 
road  than  from  the  point  of  shipment  on  the 
Mississippi  first  referred  to.  Corn  is  so  cheap 
and  bulky  that  all  other  agricultural  produce 
may  be  carried  much  further  on  the  railroad 
without  too  great  an  addition  to  its  price.  All 
produce  for  which  a  market  can  be  found  at  the 
seaboard  will  bear  the  cost  of  transportation  from 
Illinois. 

"Xor  need  we  be  alarmed  at  the  vast  amounts 
of  produce  which  these  unsettled  tracts  are  capa- 
ble of  yielding.  The  Northwest  never  received 
so  great  an  accession  to  its  population  in  any 
equal  period  as  in  the  last  five  years ;  the  emigra- 
tion from  foreign  countries,  most  of  which  passes 
to  the  Northwest,  having  risen  to  299,610  in  1849. 
and  to  315,333  in  1850,  instead  of  less  than 
50,000  a  year  as  it  was  formerly.  Yet  with  this 
unparalleled  increase  of  laborers  cultivating  the 
richest  soil  of  the  world,  with  the  new  avenues 
to  market  that  have  been  opened  during  that 
time,  all  pouring  to  the  seaboard  the  surplus  of 
a  succession  of  bountiful  harvests  in  quantities 
unheard  of  before,  and  at  much  lower  freights 
than  before,  the  supply  has  not  kept  pace  with 
the  demand  as  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  agricul- 
tural products,  almost  without  exception,  have 
borne  much  higher  prices  during  the  last  four 
years  than  during  the  four  next  preceding.  The 
following  are  the  average  prices  of  the  whole 
quantities  of  some  of  the  principal  articles  ex- 
ported from  the  United  States  during  the  two 
periods : 

Flour,    1843-4-5-6,     $4.79        1847-8-9-50,     $5.77 
Wheat,      "         "  .96V  l-2S^ 

Corn,        "         "  .55  -71>4 

'The  prices  of  pork  and  other  animal  pro- 
ducts differ  also  in  about  the  same  proportion. 


The  difference  extends  also  to  southern  products, 
so  that  labor  will  not  be  diverted  at  the  South 
from  their  peculiar  staples,  to  wheat,  corn,  pork, 
and  the  articles  which  now  employ  Northwestern 
labor.  The  prices  were  : 

Cotton,  1843-4-5-0,  $  .068728  1847-S-9-50,  $  .08417 
Rice,  "  "  17.66  22.24 

Tobacco,    "         "        52.1.5  59.47 

''Stimulated  by  this  rise  of  prices,  the  ex- 
ports of  the  last  four  years  exceeded  those  of  the 
four  years  previous  in  vegetable  food  and  the 
products  of  animals  alone  by  about  one  hundred 
millions  of  dollars  in  the  total : 

The  animal  products,  exported  from  1843-46 

inclusive,  were  valued  at     -         -        -      $24,153,331 
And  the  vegetable  food  at  47,335,438 

Making  an  aggregate  of  $71,488,769 

"But,  during  the  period  from  1847-50  in- 
clusive, the  exports  of  animal  products 
were  about  doubled  and  amounted  to  $  47,354,655 

The  vegetable  food  was  more  than  doubled 

being  123,720,738 

Total      -  -    $171,075,393 

Subtract  amount  for  previous  four  years,         71,488,769 

$  99,586,624 

"The  demand  for  Northwestern  products 
for  exportation  is,  however,  far  from  being  the 
only  dependence  of  the  producer.  The  home 
demand  increases  and  must  continue  to  increase 
in  a  ratio  even  greater  than  the  foreign  demand. 
As  the  country  grows  richer,  a  larger  proportion 
of  its  population  is  withdrawn  from  agricultural 
pursuits  to  be  employed  in  manufactures  and 
mining,  and  in  fhe  management  of  internal  ex- 
changes and  transportation,  and  foreign  naviga- 
tion and  commerce.  All  these  persons  ceasing 
to  grow  their  own  food  and  consuming  freely, 
since,  taken  as  a  whole,  they  have  ample  means 
to  purchase,  create  a  continually  expanding  de- 
mand, which  for  the  last  five  years  at  least,  has 
not  been  overtaken  by  the  supply.  This  progress 
in  this  country  is  far  beyond  that  of  any  other 
part  of  the  world  in  the  rapidity  with  which  it 
proceeds.  This  communication  would  extend  to 
too  great  a  length  if  I  should  collect  all  the  ele- 
ments which  would  be  necessary  to  judge  ac- 
curatelv  how  fast  this  change  goes  on.  But  for 


76 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


the  present  purpose  and  with  a  view  to  contrast 
the  multitudes  of  men  devoted  now  to  other  than 
agricultural  pursuits  with  the  small  numbers  of 
a  time  not  far  distant,  let  us  compare  a  few  par- 
ticulars of  the  years  1830  and  1850. 

In  the  year  1830,  the  anthracite  coal  sent  to 
market  from  the  mines  of  Pennsylvania  was  less 
than  175,000  tons.  In  1850,  it  was  about  twenty 
times  that  amount.  In  1830,  the  iron  produced 
in  the  United  States  was  about  165,000  tons  or 


"The  instruments  of  transportation  compare 
as  follows  after  an  interval  of  twenty  years  only : 


Miles  of  canal  in  operation, 
Miles  of  railroad  in  operation, 
Miles  of  railroad  in  construction, 
Tons  of  shipping,  1 

Tons  of  shipping  built  in  the 

year    -        -        -        - 
Number   of   steamers   built    in 

last  five  years        - 


1830 

1,277 

73 

338 

191,776 


1850 

3,698 

8,779 

11,000 

3,535,454 


58,094        272.218 


196 


965 


COURTESY  B    A  0.  R'Y. 


THE  "PERKINS." 

The  first  of  the  type  of  heavy  ten-wheel  locomotives.     See  article  Transportation  Advancement. 


about  as  much  as  Great  Britain  produced  in  1800. 
In  1850,  the  United  States  produced  about  four 
times  as  much  as  in  1830  or  about  the  same 
quantity  that  Great  Britain  produced  in  1830. 
The  cotton  manufacturers  in  the  United  States 
consumed  in  1830,  45,000,000  of  pounds  of  raw 
material ;  in  1850,  270,000,000  of  pounds  or  six 
times  as  great  a  quantity. 


"The  imports  of  the  year  1830  were  $70,- 
876,920,  but  in  1850  they  had  risen  to  $178,138,- 
318.  This  increased  purchase  of  course  took  off 
increased  quantities  of  products  to  pay  for  it. 
The  imports  in  the  four  years  ending  with  1830 
were  $313,363,339 ;  for  the  four  years  ending  with 
1850,  they  were  $627,519,323,  while  the  exports 
for  four  years  ending  in  1830  were  $300,797,692, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


77 


and  for  the  four  years  ending  in  1850,  they  were 
$610,339,598.  The  imports  having  doubled  in 
twenty  years,  the  exports  have  doubled  also. 
Has  the  whole  demand,  both  domestic  and  for- 
eign taken  together,  been  sufficient  to  keep  up 
the  prices  of  the  surplus  products  of  the  North- 
west, as  compared  with  the  prices  of  manufac- 
tured and  imported  articles  which  the  farmer 
purchases  with  the  disposable  portion  of  his  crop? 
The  answer  to  this  question  determines  whether 
the  inducements  to  settle  in  the  Northwest  are 
gaining  strength ;  for  it  is  the  amount  which  his 
surplus  'Mill  purcliase  that  determines  the  ques- 
tion whether  the  fanner  will  grow  rich  or  poor. 

"If  we  compare  the  four  years  with  the  four 
preceding,  we  shall  find:  i.  That  goods 
manufactured  in  the  Eastern  States  have  become 
much  cheaper.  2.  That  imported  articles  have 
grown  cheaper.  3.  That  agricultural  products 
command  much  higher  prices  than  before.  4. 
That  the  cost  of  transporting  agricultural  pro- 
duce from  the  West  to  the  seaboard,  and  manu- 
factured and  imported  articles  from  the  seaboard 
to  the  West  has  been  materially  diminished  and 
i".  likely  to  be  still  more  so. 

"Each  of  these  four  changes  is  of  vast  im- 
portance to  the  settlers  on  public  lands,  and  their 
combined  influence  has  caused  wealth  to  pour 
in  like  a  flood  into  those  sections  of  the  North- 
west having  convenient  access  to  the  markets 
of  the  world.  Of  the  effect  of  this  tribute  of 
wealth  upon  the  accumulations  of  those  com- 
munities who  receive  it,  I  give  as  an  instance, 
that  the  wealth  of  the  thirteen  northern  counties 
of  Illinois  was  six  times  as  great  in  1849  as  it  has 
been  nine  years  before  in  1840,  as  follows. 

Population  and  valuation  of  the  thirteen 
counties  on  the  line  of  the  Chicago  &  Galena 
Railroad  in  1840  and  1849 : 

L-OI-STIES        POP.  1840  1850  VAL.  1840  VAL.  1849 

Jo  Daviess,  6,180  18,767  383,715  2,785,225 

Stephenson,  2,800  11,666  125,485  837,685 

Winnebas<o,  4,609  11,731  222,630  1,564,617 

McHenry.  2,578  15,800  88,930  1,545,277 

Lake,  2,634  14,134  95,385  1,222,088 

DeKalb,  1,697  7,544  66,945  720,108 

Kane,  6,551  16,242  289,565  1,442,001 

DuPage,      -     3,535  9,290  196,290  943,503 


Cook,     - 
Boone,     -    - 
Kendall, 
Carroll, 
Ogle.        - 

10,201 
1,705 
new 
1,023 
3,479 

43,280 
7,627 
7,730 

4,58(1 
10,020 

1,864,205 
55,990 

7,617,102 
717,292 
1,205,739 
370,372 
971,230 

85,345 

175,555 

46,992     178,417    3,630,040    21,942,239 

Population  in  1840,  46,992.  Valuation, 
$3.630,040;  per  head,  $77.25. 

Population  in  1850,  178,417,  by  United 
States  census. 

Deduct  15,000,  increase  1849  to  1850. 

Population  in  1849,  1^>3,417-  Valuation, 
$21,942,239;  per  head,  $134.27." 

The  town  of  "Rantoul"  114  miles  south  of 
Chicago  was  named  after  him. 


JOHN  F.  A.  SANFORD  was  an  incorpora- 
tor  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  com- 
pany and  one  of  its  directors  from  Feb. 
10,  1851  to  March  18,  1857;  he  was  of 
the  firm  of  Pierre  Chouteau,  Jr.  and  Company, 
extensive  traders  in  furs  and  other  commodities 
with  the  far-northwest  country  —  they  had  ware- 
houses in  St.  Louis  and  New  York.  Chouteau 
was  also  a  director  of  the  company  from  1857  to 
1860.  He  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Jan.  19,  1789. 
He  was  of  French  extraction,  his  father  and 
uncle,  Auguste,  were  the  founders  of  the  city 
of  St.  Louis  and  gave>  it  its  name;  they  were 
both  born  in  New  Orleans.  Pierre  was  at  first 
a  clerk  with  his  father  and  uncle,  who  were  then 
largely  engaged  in  the  fur  trade  with  the  Indians, 
but  soon  entered  into  business  for  himself.  May 
i,  1813,  Berthold  and  Chouteau  opened  their  new 
firm  in  St.  Louis  with  a  general  stock  of  mer- 
chandise. This  was  the  origin  and  foundation 
of  what  afterward,  by  the  addition  of  two  new 
partners  —  John  P.  Cabenne  and  Bernard  Pratte, 
Sr. —  with  their  added  capital,  became  the  great 
and  wealthy  "American  Fur  Company"  to  trade 
with  the  Indian  tribes  on  the  Upper  Missouri; 
and  which  for  many  years  almost  monopolized 
the  fur  trade  of  the  upper  country  and  acquired 


78 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


large  wealth.  Following  the  Indians  as  they 
receded  from  point  to  point,  Chouteau  established 
himself  at  different  points  on  the  Missouri  river 
and  finally  at  Fort  Benton,  Montana,  at  the  head 
of  navigation  of  the  Missouri  river.  In  1806, 
he  visited  Dubuqne  to  trade  with  the  Sacs  and 
Foxes,  ascending  and  descending  the  river  in 
canoes.  He  also  followed  the  Indians  as  they 
receded  up  the  Osage  river,  and  up  the  Missis- 


U  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  and  northwestward 
to  the  Blackfeet  country ;  monopolizing  the  fur 
trade  of  the  entire  region  east  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  and  also  controlling  the  trade  of  Santa 
Fe  in  New  Mexico.  This  business  necessitated 
the  employment  of  a  large  amount  of  capital, 
and  large  transactions  in  the  Eastern  cities  were 
carried  on,  so  that  Chouteau  was  finally  obliged 
to  take  up  his  residence  in  New  York ;  but  he 


THE  FIRST  PASSENGER  "MOGUL." 
WINAN'S  "CAMEL-BACK"  IN  BACKGROUND  TO  RIGHT. 

The  "600"  was  regarded  as  representative  of  the  highest  type  of  American  locomotive  twenty-five  years  ago. 

See'  article^Transportation  Advancement. 


sippi  from  Keokuk  to  St.  Paul,  having  trading 
posts  all  along  the  rivers.  In  1834,  he  and  his 
associates  purchased  the  interest  of  John  Jacob 
Astor  in  the  American  Fur  Company,  and  in 
1839  they  formed  the  trading  company  which, 
under  the  firm  name  of  P.  Chouteau,  Jr.  and 
Company,  extended  its  operations  southward  as 
far  as  the  Cross  Timbers  in  Texas,  northward 


afterward  returned  to  St.  Louis.  In  1808,  act- 
ing under  the  instructions  of  Governor  Lewis,  he 
concluded  an  important  treaty  with  the  Osages 
fixing  the  boundary  between  them  and  the 
whites.  In  1819  he  was  a  member  of  the  con- 
vention which  framed  the  first  constitution  for 
the  state  of  Missouri,  but  with  this  exception, 
he  never  engaged  in  politics.  Both  Chouteau 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


70 


and  Sanford  were  exceedingly  just  in  their  deal- 
ings with  the  Indians,  and  by  this  means  gained 
their  confidence  and  were  enabled  to  carry  on 
their  trading  with  them  amicably,  and  through 
these  transactions  amassed  a  large  fortune. 
Chouteau  died  in  St.  Louis  on  Sept.  8,  1865. 
Fort  Pierre,  1300  miles  above  St.  Louis  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  river,  was  named  in  compli- 
ment to  Pierre  Chonteau. 

Owing  to  his  generous  treatment  of  the  In- 
dians and  the  great  confidence  placed  in  him  by 
them,  Sanford  was  appointed  by  the  United 
States  government  Indian-agent  for  the  Man- 
dans,  Rickarees,  Minatarees,  Crows,  Kniste- 
neaux,  Assineboin,  and  Blackfeet  tribes,  and 
made  frequent  trips  up  the  Missouri  and  went 
among  the  Indian  tribes,  and  his  very  presence 
among  these  hostile  people  always  restored  con- 
fidence and  courage.  The  speech  of  Ha-wan- 
je-tah  —  the  one  horn,  a  Sioux  chief,*  will  serve 
to  show  the  estimation  in  which  Major  Sanford 
was  held  by  them : 

"My  father,  I  am  glad  to  see  you  here  to- 
day :  my  heart  is  always  glad  to  see  my  father 
when  he  comes  —  our  Great  Father  who  sends 
him  here  is  very  rich  and  we  are  poor.  Our 
friend  who  is  on  your  right  hand  —  meaning 
Pierre  Chouteau — we  all  know  is  very  rich  and 
we  have  heard  that  he  owns  the  great  medicine- 
canoe.  He  is  a  good  man  and  a  friend  to  the 
red  man.  My  father,  I  hope  you  will  have  pity 
on  us,  we  are  very  poor."  After  these  words, 
he  took  off  his  beautiful  war-eagle  head-dress, 
his  shirt  and  leggings,  his  necklace  of  grizzly 
bear's  claws,  and  his  moccasins,  and  tying  them 
together,  laid  them  gracefully  down  at  the  feet 
of  Major  Sanford  as  a  present.  Major  Sanford 
made  a  short  speech  in  reply,  thanking  him  for 
the  valuable  present  which  he  had  made  him, 
and  for  the  very  polite  and  impressive  manner 
in  which  it  had  been  done,  and  sent  to  the  steamer 
for  a  quantity  of  tobacco  and  other  presents 
which  were  given  to  him  in  return. 

He  frequently  visited  Washington  with 
representatives  of  these  different  tribes ;  an  amus- 


228. 


*  "Catlin's  North  American  Indians,"  Vol.  1,  page 


ing  and  interesting  story  is  told  also  by  Catlin 
of  a  young  Assineboin,  Wi-jun-jon — the  pigeon's 
egg  head,  who  was  selected  by  Maj.  Sanford 
to  represent  his  tribe  in  a  delegation  which  visited 
Washington  City  under  his  charge  in  the  winter 
of  1832.  With  Major  Sanford,  the  Assineboin, 
together  with  representatives  of  several  others 
of  those  Northwestern  tribes  descended  the  Mis- 
souri river  on  their  way  to  Washington  in  a 
Mackinac  boat  from  the  mouth  of  the  Yellow 
Stone.  Wi-jun-jon  and  another  of  his  tribe,  at 
the  first  approach  to  the  civilized  settlements, 
commenced  a  register  of  the  white  men's  houses 
or  cabins  by  cutting  a  notch  foe  each  on  the  side 
of  a  pipe  stem,  in  order  to  be  able  to  show  when 
they  got  home  how  many  white  men's  houses 
they  saw  on  the  journey :  as  the  cabins  increased 
in  numbers,  they  soon  found  their  pipe  stem 
filled  with  marks,  and  they  determined  to  put 
the  rest  of  them  on  the  handle  of  a  war-club 
which  was  soon  marked  all  over  likewise.  At 
length  while  the  boat  was  moored  at  the  shore, 
Wi-jun-jon  and  his  companion  stepped  into  the 
bushes  and  cut  a  long  stick  upon  which  they 
afterward  attempted  to  copy  the  notches  from 
the  pipe-steam  and  club,  but  the  cabins  increased 
so  in  number  that  they,  after  consulting  a  little, 
pitched  their  sticks  overboard.  Wi-jun-jon  was 
absent  a  year  on  his  trip  to  Washington  and  when 
he  returned  to  his  tribe  with  Major  Sanford, 
he  was  decked  in  a  full  suit  of  colonel's  uniform 
which  had  been  presented  to  him  in  Washing- 
ton. He  wore  with  it  a  beaver  hat  and  a  blue 
umbrella.  Catlin  frequently  accompanied  Maj. 
Sanford  in  his  visits  to  the  different  Indian  tribes 
and  in  this  way  procured  the  interesting  views 
and  'portraits  with  which  his  works  are  illus- 
trated;  and  to  the  correctness  of  which  Major 
Sanford  certifies.  It  took  about  three  months 
for  a  steamboat  to  reach  the  mouth  of  the  Yel- 
low Stone  from  St.  Louis.  The  steamer,  Yel- 
low Stone,  on  her  first  trip  up  .the  Missouri,  had 
Catlin  and  Sanford  on  board.  As  she  approached 
the  Mandan  village,  she  fired  a  salute  of  twenty 
guns,  which  caused  great  alarm  among  the  In- 
dians. When  they  stepped  aboard  they  met, 
to  their  great  surprise  and  delight,  their  old 


80 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


friend  Major  Sanford,  their  agent,  and  this  put 
an  end  to  all  their  fears.  Mr.  Sanford  married 
Miss  Emilie,  the  daughter  of  Chouteau.  He  was 
a  genial  gentleman  of  polished  and  graceful 
manners,  and  of  fearless  nature,  which  mani- 
fested itself  either  when  driving  a  spirited  horse 
or  facing  an  hostile  savage.  The  cares  and 
anxieties  of  the  immense  business  transacted  by 
his  firm,  but  largely  devolving  upon  him, 
weighed  heavily  upon  his  mind,  and  at  last  it 
succumbed  to  the  strain.  He  died  in  New  York 
in  1857,  much  beloved  and  respected  by  all  who 
were  brought  into  commercial  or  social  relations 
with  him. 


to  purchase  large  tracts  of  land,  "they  both  be- 
ing in  affluent  circumstances."  Whilst  Richard 
was  living  in  New  York,  a  son  was  born  to  him, 
in  1672,  and  called  Lewis,  after  his  uncle.  "Six 
months  after  this  child's  birth"  —  so  runs  the 
old  record  —  -  "the  father,  Richard,  died,  and  in 
a  few  weeks  the  mother  also  died,  and  this  child, 
the  sole  one  of  the  family  and  name  at  that 
period  in  this  country,  was  left  at  nurse  among 
strangers  at  Harlem."  Such  part  of  young 
Lewis'  papers  and  other  property  as  had  escaped 
the  pillage  of  servants  and  soldiers  was  placed 
by  the  Dutch — then  in  possession  of  New- 
York — under  the  care  and  management  of  some 


PHOTOGRAPH  LOANED  BY  GEORGE  E.  PETERS.  CHICAGO. 


The  present  type  of  switch  engine  used  by  the  Illinois  Central  R'y  Co. 


OUVERNEUR  MORRIS  of  Morrisa- 
nia,  was  the  only  child  of  Gouverneur 
Morris    and    Anne    Cary    Randolph, 
and   was    born   at    Morrisania,    New 
York,  on  February  9,  1813. 

The  earliest  record  of  the  Morris  family  in 
America  dates  from  about  the  time  of  the 
Restoration,  1660,  when  Colonel  Lewis  Morris, 
having  played  a  bold  and  daring  part  in  opposi- 
tion to  King  Charles,  being  then  in  the  Island 
of  Barbadoes,  and  thinking  it  imprudent  to  re- 
turn to  England,  directed  his  thoughts  and 
aspirations  toward  America.  Accordingly,  he 
sent  his  brother  Richard  to  New  York  empowered 


of  the  principal  inhabitants,  and  a  guardian  was 
appointed  for  the  infant.  When  New  York  was 
restored  to  the  British  in  1674,  Lewis  Morris,  Sr., 
came  from  the  Barbadoes,  took  charge  of  his 
nephew,  and  settled  upon  his  lands  in  New 
Jersey,  improving  at  the  same  time  his  estate 
in  Westchester  Co.,  which  by  the  royal  patent 
of  1676  was  called  the  lordship  or  manor  of 
Morrisania.  Before  leaving  Barbadoes,  Lewis 
Morris,  Sr.  had  unfortunately  married  a  woman 
of  low  extraction  and  bad  conduct  whom  he 
brought  with  him  to  America.  During  Morris' 
last  illness,  this  woman  destroyed  all  the  family 
papers  she  could  lay  her  hands  on,  and  so  re- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


81 


modelled  his  will  as  to  leave  herself  and  one 
P.ichley,  her  accomplice,  the  whole  personal  es- 
tate and  all  the  negroes  and  silver.  The  fraud, 
however,  was  so  evident  that  when  young  Lewis 
came  of  age,  some  years  after  his  uncle's  death, 
the  legislature  gave  him  possession  of  the 
estate  as  his  uncle's  heir-at-law.  Lewis  Morris 
married  Isabella  Graham,  a  near  relative  of  the 
Marquis  of  Mont  rose,  by  whom  he  had  fifteen 
children,  of  whom  five  daughters  and  two  sons 
survived  him.  At  different  times,  he  held  the 
offices  of  chief  justice  of  New  York  and  New 
Jersey,  state  councillor  and  acting  governor  in 
1731  and  governor  of  New  Jersey  in  1738. 

In  the  quaint  old  family  record  kept  by 
himself,  Lewis  Morris  says :  "I  begin  the  year 
the  25th  of  March.  I  was  born  at  Tintern  in 
New  Jersey  in  1698,  Sept.  23,  and  I  was  married 
by  Wm.  Vesey  [the  first  rector  of  Trinity 
Church]  on  March  17,  1723,  to  Mrs  Sarah 
Staats."  The  issue  of  this  marriage  was  three 
sons  and  one  daughter.  Lewis,  the  eldest  son, 
was  "born  the  8th  day  of  April  1726."  He  was 
afterward  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration 
of  American  Independence.  Sarah  Staats,  the 
first  wife  of  Lewis  Morris,  died  in  1731,  and 
Morris  married,  November  3,  1846,  "Mrs.  Sarah 
Gouverneur,"  and  the  issue  of  this  marriage 
was  four  daughters  and  one  son — Gouverneur, 
who  was  born  on  January  30,  1752,  and  who 
played  so  distinguished  a  part  in  the  struggle 
for  American  freedom  and  in  the  formation  of 
the  constitution,  and  who,  during  the  stormy 
days  of  the  revolution  in  France,  stoutly  main- 
tained the  integrity  of  his  government  in  the 
fulfilment  of  his  duties  as  accredited  minister 
to  the'  French  court.  In  the  autumn  of  1798, 
Gouverneur  Morris  returned  to  America  after 
an  absence  of  ten  years,  and  rebuilt  the  house  at 
Morrisania  in  which  he  had  been  born,  and,/ 
which  having  been  within  the  enemy's  lines 
during  the  revolution,  had  seen  so  many  stormy 
days.  In  1809  Gouverneur  Morris  married  Miss 
Anne  Gary  Randolph,  the  daughter  of  Thos. 
Mann  Randolph,  Esquire,  of  .Tuckahoe,  Virginia, 
and  in  1816  Morris  died,  leaving  to  her  the  care 

6 


of  his  son  and  also  of  his  estates,  in  which  she 
was  to  have  a  life  interest. 

Morrisania  was  far  removed  during  the 
early  part  of  the  century  from  the  busy  parts  of 
New  York  city,  and  communication  was  only 
easy  by  means  of  the  family  carriage.  Occa- 
sional trips  into  town  and  rare  journeys  not 
comfortable  and  often  dangerous  through  New 
\ork  state  to  Jefferson  County  to  inspect  lands 
— called  the  "Morris  tract,"  lying  along  the  St. 
Lawrence  River — seem  to  have  been  the  principal 
breaks  in  the  life  of  of  young  Gouverneur,  who 
with  only  the  companionship  of  his  mother,  and 
occupied  by  the  various  interests  connected  with 
his  farm,  grew  to  man's  estate.  On  May  28, 
1837,  Mrs.  Morris  died  and  Morris  became 
possessed  of  his  father's  estates  and  responsi- 
bilities. After  Mrs.  Morris'  death,  the  house 
at  Morrisania  was  closed  for  some  years  and 
during  this  period  Morris  mingled  somewhat 
in  the  society  of  New  York  and  among  his 
numerous  kinsfolk. 

-i  The  extensive  field  for  men  of  intelligence 
and  enterprise  which  was  opened  by  the  project- 
ing and  building  of  railways,  early  attracted  Mor- 
ris' attention ;  he  foresaw  the  great  effect  they 
would  have  in  helping  to  build  up  and  develop  the 
varied  interests  of  the  whole  country,  and  there- 
fore devoted  himself  earnestly  to  the  work.  His 
first  effort  in  this  field  was  in  connection  with  the 
New  York  &  Harlem  Railroad.  The  company 
had  by  herculean  efforts  completed  the  road  in 
1838  from  the  city  hall  to  Harlem,  I25th  street, 
in  the  course  of  which  it  had  blasted  its  way 
through  many  deep  rock  cuttings,  and  had  per- 
formed the  wonderful  feat,  for  that  early  day, 
of  driving  a  tunnel  of  several  hundred  feet  in 
length  through  the  rock  at  Yorkville  hill,  and 
had  built  a  long  and  high  viaduct  across  the 
Harlem  flats  at  great  expense.  The  road  was 
made  a  double  track  and  had  cost  so  much  that  the 
company  found  its  finances  completely  exhausted 
on  reaching  this  point,  as  also  were  its  powers 
to  proceed  further  under  its  charter.  About 
this  time,  1838,  another  company  was  chartered 
by  the  legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
called  the  New  York  &  Albany  Railroad  Com- 


82 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


pany,  empowered  to  build  a  road  from  New 
York  to  Albany.  Gouverneur  Morris  and  other 
gentlemen  interested  in  the  Harlem  road,  con- 
ceived and  carried  out  the  idea  of  purchasing  this 
charter  and  consolidating  it  with  the  Harlem, 
which  being  accomplished,  opened  the  way  for 
extending  the  Harlem  railroad  beyond  the 
Harlem  River.  Railroads  were  then  in  their 
infancy  and  people  were  timid  about  investing 


H.  Morris.  Morris  had  the  satisfaction  of  see- 
ing the  completion  of  this  extention  and  its 
opening  for  business  in  1841.  From  this  time 
forward  for  many  years,  he  acted  as  a  director 
in  the  company,  taking  a  very  active  part  in  con- 
ducting its  affairs,  and  at  one  time  held  the 
office  of  vice-president.  He  exerted  himself  in 
having  the  road  extended  from  time  to  time  Un- 
til it  reached  its  final  completion  in  1852,  by  a 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  "CAMEL-BACK"  TYPE. 


money  in  them  so  that  it  seemed  probable  that 
the  extention  would  have  to  be  abandoned.  In 
this  emergency,  Morris  came  forward  and  per- 
sonally supplied  the  means  with  which  to  extend 
the  road  as  far  as  Williamsbridge  in  Westchester 
County,  about  seven  miles,  making  use  of  the 
railway  bridge  built  for  wagon  travel  across  the 
Harlem  River  at  the  head  of  Fourth  avenue, 
that  bridge  being  owned  by  Gouverneur  Morris 
and  his  cousins  Gerard  W.  Morris  and  William 


connection  with  the  Boston  &  Albany  Road  at 
Chatham  Four  Corners  in  Columbia  county,  New 
York,  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles  from  the 
city.  The  last  fifty  miles  of  the  road  from  Dover 
Plains  to  Chatham  Corners  —  called  the  "Albany 
extension" — were  built  in  1851-2  by  Morris  in 
partnership  with  George  L.  Schuyler  and  Sidney 
G.  Miller  as  chief  contractors.  Seeing  the  im- 
portance to  the  Harlem  Railroad  of  having  a 
connection  with  deep  water  tide  at  its  southern 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


83 


terminus,  Morris  undertook  and  completed  in 
1850  the  construction  of  the  Port  Morris  branch 
road  from  a  point  near  the  Melrose  station  on 
the  main  line  to  a  point  on  the  East  river  oppo- 
site Flushing  Bay,  including  the  building  of 
ample  wharf  accommodations  for  large  vessels. 
This  road  was  built  upon  Morris'  own  lands  and 
with  money  supplied  entirely  by  himself.  He 
was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral Railroad  company  and  a  director  from  the 
date  of  its  incorporation  to  August  4,  1854. 

In  1850,  with  George  Barker  and  others, 
Morris  built  the  Vermont  Valley  Railroad,  twen- 
ty-two miles  long,  from  Brattleboro  to  Bellows 
Falls  on  the  Connecticut  river.  He  became  a 
director  in  the  company  and  subsequently  was 
chosen  president.  His  career  as  a  railway  pro- 
jector and  builder  ended  when  he  retired  from 
the  presidency  of  the  Vermont  Valley  Road  about 
1879.  Morris,  in  1852,  commenced  to  build  the 
Treverton  &  Susquehanna  Railroad  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. This  road,  sixteen  miles  long,  including 
a  very  long  bridge  over  the  Susquehanna  river, 
was  a  most  difficult  work,  requiring  much  time 
and  care  in  its  execution.  It  was,  however,  very 
satisfactorily  completed  in  1855.  Associated 
with  George  L.  Schuyler,  J.  S.  Stranahan,  Josiah 
W.  Baker,  Charles  G.  Case,  and  Sidney  G.  Miller, 
Morris  entered  into  contract  with  the  Albany  & 
Susquehanna  Railroad  Company  in  1853,  to  build 
its  road  from  Albany  to  Binghamton  in  Broome 
county  on  the  Erie  Railway,  a  distance  of  one 
hundred  and  forty  miles.  The  work  was  com- 
menced soon  after  the  contract  was  signed,  and 
the  grading  was  quite  far  advanced  when,  in 
1854,  a  difference  of  opinion  arising  between  the 
company  and  the  contractors,  work  was  stopped, 
the  contractors  considering  themselves  justified 
in  abandoning  it.  As  early  as  1839,  Morris  be- 
came persuaded  that  the  progress  of  railways 
through  the  country  could  not  be  arrested  by 
the  timidity  of  persons  unwilling  to  put  their 
money  in  them,  and  to  a  number  of  gentlemen 
averse  to  subscribing  for  the  completion  of  the 
New  York  &  Albany  road,  he  plainly  stated 
this  conviction.  "Gentlemen,"  said  he,  "it  makes 
no  difference  how  dilatory  you  are  in  the  matter, 


within  thirty  years  there  will  be  steam  communi- 
cation from  Boston  pierhead  to  the  Pacific." 
The  less  far-seeing  among  this  group  of  gentle- 
men were  inclined  to  treat  the  prediction  as  a 
flight  of  the  imagination,  but  many  of  them  lived 
to  see  the  prophecy  fulfilled,  for,  exactly  thirty 
years  and  four  months  after  it  was  made  the  last 
spike  was  driven  in  the  Pacific  Railway. 

In  February  1842,  Mr.  Morris  married  his 
cousin,  Miss  Martha  Jefferson  Cary,  of  Virginia, 
and  by  her  had  ten  children  of  whom  five  survive 
him.  Mrs.  Morris  died  in  1873,  and  in  1876, 
Mr.  Morris  married  his  cousin,  Miss  Anna  Mor- 
ris. After  his  second  marriage,  he  lived  quietly 
at  Pelham,  where  he  died  after  a  long  illness, 
August  20,  1888,  aged  seventy-five  years. 

The  period  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight 
years  covered  by  the  lives  of  the  two  men,  father 
and  son,  was  one  of  vast  interest  to  the  civilized 
world.  It  embraced  the  American  revolution  for 
independence,  the  revolution  in  France  for  liber- 
ty, the  development  of  the  far-reaching  power 
of  the  press,  the  perfecting  of  the  locomotive- 
engine  which  has  opened  up  the  immense  re- 
sources of  America,  and  the  unfolding  of  the 
amazing  power  of  the  electric  telegraph.  With 
keen  intelligence,  the  two  Morrises,  father  and 
son,  conceived  and  prophesied  the  development 
of  their  country,  and  each,  in  his  generation, 
labored  earnestly  for  its  advancement. 

Mr.  Morris  was  a  man  of  powerful  physi- 
que, had  a  robust  and  generous  nature,  and  pos- 
sessed broad  views  regarding  matters  of  public 
policy.  He  was  somewhat  negligent  of  his  per- 
sonal appearance,  but  with  commendable  pride, 
he  always  signed  his  name  "Gouverneur  Morris 
of  Morrisania."* 


FRANKLIN  HAVEN  was  born  May  30, 
1804.     When  the  Merchants  Bank  of 
Boston  was  incorporated  in  1831,  Mr. 
Haven  accepted  the  office  of  cashier. 
He  was  elected,  1836,  its  president,  which  office 
he  continued  to  hold  until   Jan.    1884,  having 

*  "Gouverneur    Morris,"    by   Anne   Cary   Morris, 
Genealogical  and  Biographical  Kecord,  January,  1889. 


84 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


served  the  institution  in  the  two  capacities  for 
over  half  a  century.  At  the  time  of  his  resigna- 
tion, he  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Franklin 
Haven,  Jr.  He  continued  a  director,  however, 
until  March  1885,  when  he  resigned  that  position 
and  was  succeeded  by  Abbott  Lawrence. 

In  1838,  he  was  appointed  pension  agent 
for  New  England  and  held  that  office  seventeen 
years.  He  was  also  appointed  sub-treasurer  at 


recognition  of  his  services.  Mr.  Haven  is  a  gen- 
tleman of  striking  features,  tall  and  erect,  of 
courtly  bearing  and  possessed  of  great  dignity 
of  manner  as  well  as  kindly  feeling,  and  is  per- 
fectly upright  in  all  his  business  relations. 
Among  the  people  of  New  England  and  especial- 
ly among  the  bankers  and  merchants,  none  stand 
higher  in  the  estimation  of  their  fellowmen  than 
he. 


A  "CAMEL  BACK." 


Boston  in  1849  an^  resigned  in  1853,  but  at  the 
request  of  President  Pierce  continued  a  year  lon- 
ger. As  chairman  of  the  commission  on  public 
lands  of  the  state  in  1859,  and  many  years  sub- 
sequent, he  had  much  to  do  with  the  growth  and 
development  of  the  city  of  Boston  over  what  is 
known  as  the  Back  Bay,  now  the  most  beautiful 
part  of  the  city.  He  enjoyed  the  acquaintance 
and  esteem  of  Daniel  Webster,  and  after  his 
death  and  that  of  his  son  Fletcher,  became  guar- 
dian of  Fletcher's  children.  He  was  an  incor- 
porator  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company 
and  a  director  from  Feb.  10,  1851  to  May  28, 
1862,  and  gave  much  of  his  valuable  time  to  the 
affairs  of  the  company.  As  he  resided  in  Bos- 
ton, he  was  obliged  to  make  a  journey  to  New 
York  each  time  he  attended  a  board-meeting, 
which  he  did  with  frequency.  When  he  retired 
from  the  directory,  the  board  made  a  handsome 


JOSEPH  W.  ALSOP  was  for  many  years 
of  the  firm  of  Alsop  and  Chauncey  of 
New    York,    formerly    Alsop,    Wetmore 
and  Cryder,  one  of  the  greatest  of  New 
York's  old  mercantile  houses.     The  Alsops  trace 
back  their  ancestry  to  Richard  Alsop,  who  was 
lord  mayor  of  Dublin  in  1597.     Joseph  W.  Al- 
sop was  descended  from  one  of  the  oldest  fami- 
lies in  Connecticut,  which  had  settled  at  Middle- 
town  before  the  revolution,   early  in  the  eigh- 
teenth century ;  Middletown  being  at  that  time 
a  commercial  seaport  doing  more  business  than 
New  Haven  and  Hartford  combined. 

Joseph  W.  Alsop  was  born  in  Middletown, 
November  22,  1804.  He  received  a  common- 
school  education.  At  the  age  of  fifteen,  he  en- 
tered the  commission-house,  of  which  his  father 
was  senior  partner,  as  clerk.  The  house  then 
commanded  a  large  share  of  the  West-Indian 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


85 


and  South-American  trade,  and  in  the  capacity 
of  agent,  Alsop  made  several  voyages  to  Santa 
Cruz  and  other  commercial  ports. 

He  came  to  New  York  in  1824,  and  soon 
thereafter  began  business  in  his  own  name. 
Branches  of  the  house  of  Alsop  and  Company 
were  established  on  the  western  coast  of  South 
America,  where  they  are  still  conducted  under 
the  same  firm-name  and  where  they  now,  almost 
alone,  maintain  the  repute  of  American  com- 
merce in  fields  from  which  it  has  been  driven  by 
our  own  stupid  legislation.  In  1842,  on  the  re- 
turn of  Henry  Chauncey  —  at  that  time  one  of 
our  first  merchants  —  from  South  America,  the 
firm  of  Alsop  and  Chauncey  was  formed.  The 
partnership  continued  until  the  death  of  Chaun- 
cey about  fifteen  years  ago.  Shortly  before  the 
discovery  of  gold  in  California,  William  H.  As- 
pinwall,  in  connection  with  the  old  house  of  How- 
land  and  Aspinwall,  started  a  line  of  steamships 
to  run  in  connection  with  the  Panama  R.  R.  In 
both  of  these  enterprises,  the  New  York  branch 
of  Alsop  and  Chauncey  took  a  prominent  part. 
Aspinwall,  upon  whom  the  principal  labor  of 
establishing  the  railroad  devolved,  subsequent- 
ly said  that  had  it  not  been  for  the  sagacity,  in- 
tegrity and  capital  of  Alsop's  firm,  the  road  would 
not  have  been  finished.  Besides  the  firm  of 
Howland  and  Aspinwall,  John  L.  Stephens, 
Gouverneur  Campbell,  Joseph  W.  Riley,  Edward 
Bartlett,  and  Samuel  Comstock,  were  associated 
with  Alsop  in  the  Panama  enterprise,  several  of 
whom  were  successively  connected  with  the 
house  of  Alsop  and  Chauncey,  and  all  of  whom 
were  familiar  with  the  Southern  coast  and  with 
the  wants  of  commerce,  and  who  understood 
the  usefulness  of  this  road  to  American  trade. 

Mr.  Alsop  was  the  first  president  of  the 
Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad,  and  was  receiver 
of  it  for  ten  years  and  retired  in  favor  of  Gen. 
George  B.  McClellan.  He  was  one  of  the  in- 
corporators  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Com- 
pany and  a  director  from  February  10,  1851  to 
May  27,  1863.  He  was  a  director  of  the  Sea- 
men's Savings  Bank  and  was  its  treasurer  for 
many  years,  and  was  also  director  of  the 
Woman's  and  St.  Luke's  hospitals.  Mr.  Alsop 


had  not  been  actively  engaged  in  business  for 
about  seven  years  at  the  time  of  his  death,  1878, 
but  had  remained  in  the  city  during  the  winter 
and  at  the  old  homestead  in  Middletown  during 
the  summer. 

Mr.  Alsop  was  always  a  warm  friend  to  the 
deserving  poor,  and  young  men  of  principle  and 
integrity  who  got  into  business  embarrassment, 
he  helped,  often  at  great  inconvenience  to  him- 
self. He  always  declined  to  accept  any  political 
office.  He  was  an  earnest  friend  to  the  demo- 
cratic party,  but  never  permitted  his  political 
principles  to  influence  or  disturb  his  social  rela- 
tions. He  died  at  his  residence,  No.  32  West 
Washington  Place,  New  York  City,  February 
26,  1878.  He  left  a  wife  and  one  son,  Dr.  Joseph 
W.  Alsop  of  Middletown,  Connecticut.  He  was 
an  exceedingly  conscientious  and  upright  man, 
and  died  as  he  had  lived,  deeply  loved  and  re- 
spected. His  remains  were  taken  by  special 
train  to  his  native  town  for  burial.  The  funeral 
services  in  New  York  were  conducted  by  Dr. 
Eaton  and  Dr.  John  Cotton  Smith,  and  at 
Middletown,  Bishop  Williams  officiated.  Thus 
passed  away  one  of  the  greatest  of  New  York's 
old  merchants. 


APT.  DAVID  AUGUSTUS  NEAL, 
the  first  vice-president  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Company,  was  one 
of  the  incorporators  of  the  company 
and  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  from 
February  10,  1851  to  March  19,  1856.  He  was 
born  at  Salem,  Mass.,  in  June  1793 ;  his  life  was 
an  exceedingly  eventful  one.  He  received  a 
thorough  elementary  education  and  left  school 
early.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  made  his 
first  voyage  to  Calcutta  as  super-cargo  in  the 
brig  Alexander,  a  small  craft  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  tons  burthen,  owned  by  himself  and  his 
father.  In  1817  he  made  a  voyage  to  Batavia, 
a  city  of  Java  —  the  capital  of  the  Dutch  posses- 
sions in  the  East  Indies,  in  command  of  the 
same  vessel.  This  voyage  he  always  said  was 


86 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


without  doubt  the  first  voyage  ever  navigated 
on  tee-total  principles.  As  he  had  come  to  the 
command  of  his  vessel,  as  the  phrase  is  "through 
the  cabin  window,"  that  is  to  say  through  the  cir- 
cumstance of  part  ownership  and  without  the 
rough  discipline,  delay,  and  experience  of  the 
lower  grades  of  service,  his  crew  at  once  began 
to  presume  upon  this  fact  and  to  test  his  quality. 
When  a  few  days  out,  the  men  sent  back,  by  one 
of  their  number,  the  usual  allowance  of  grog 
which  had  been  served,  stating  that  if  they  could 


Halifax,  in  July  1814,  he  sailed  in  a  transport, 
one  of  a  fleet  convoyed  by  the  Goliath,  Capt. 
Maitland,  for  Dartmoor  prison  in  England. 
While  in  the  fogs  of  the  Grand  Banks  of  New 
Foimdland,  he  took  part  in  an  attempt  to  get  pos- 
session of  the  transport,  was  severely  wounded 
and  had  his  hand  dressed  by  Surgeon  Barry 
O'Meara  of  the  Goliath,  who,  soon  after,  joined 
C'apt.  Maitland  on  the  Bellcrophon,  going  with 
him  to  St.  Helena  in  charge  of  the  captured 
Bonaparte.  Surgeon  O'Meara  afterward  wrote 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  LOCOMOTIVE  No.  383. 


not  have  more,  they  would  not  have  any.  The 
young  captain  took  them  at  their  word,  directed 
the  ship's  steward  to  "cut  off  the  tap,"  and  navi- 
gated his  brig  without  further  trouble.  His  com- 
ment was,  "the  rum  came  home  safe  and  so  did 
the  men." 

During  the  war  with  Great  Britain  in  1812, 
he  embarked  in  privateering  and  met  with  con- 
siderable success.  In  May  1814,  he  was  cap- 
tured and  taken  to  Halifax,  where  he  spent  his 
freedom  birthday  in  a  Britis*  prison.  From 


a  famous  memoir  of  the  Emperor.  Capt.  Neal 
carried  with  him  the  evidence  of  this  attempted 
escape  until  his  dying  day.  He  was  released 
from  Dartmoor  by  the  treaty  of  peace  of  1815. 
Later,  he  was  a  shipmaster  in  the  merchant  ser- 
vice and  commanded  ships  until  the  summer  of 
1826,  making  several  voyages  to  the  Mediterra- 
nean, the  East  and  West  Indies,  South  America; 
and  incidentally  visiting  a  great  deal  of  the  in- 
teresting scenery  and  a  great  many  of  the  his- 
torical spots  in  Europe  and  Asia.  He  was  an 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


87 


observant  traveller  and  gained  much  valuable 
knowledge  in  his  trips  abroad.  These  were  sin- 
gularly free  from  disaster  with  the  exception  of 
one  trip  to  Sumatra,  undertaken  in  1818,  where 
his  crew  fell  sick  and  some  died.  Failing  to 
ship  fresh  hands  there,  he  made  the  best  of  his 
way  around  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  the  is- 
land of  Saint  Helena  in  hopes  of  a  supply  of 
provisions,  medicines,  and  able  bodied  men.  But 
here  Napoleon  was  a  prisoner,  and  access  to  the 
harbor  was  so  jealously  guarded  that  he  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  nothing  but  supplies  for  his 
depleted  medicine-chest.  He  returned  from 
this  place  with  his  vessel  in  charge  of  himself, 
one  old  sailor,  and  two  chinamen,  they  being 
the  only  able  bodied  seamen  on  board.  In  this 
miserable  condition,  he  at  last, reached  the  coast 
of  Virginia  in  the  tempestuous  January  of  1820 
with  his  remnant  of  a  crew  on  short  allowance 
and  here  he  suffered  total  shipwreck  in  sight  of 
the  lights  of  Cape  Hatteras.  The  shore,  being 
white  with  snow,  had  misled  them  as  to  distance. 
Capt.  Neal  made  his  way  to  Norfolk  and  Balti- 
more, where  having  settled  the  disastrous  voy- 
age with  his  owners,  he  took  passage  for  Phila- 
delphia, early  in  March,  in  a  government  mail- 
wagon. 

On  retiring  from  the  sea,  he  became  a  com- 
mercial partner  in  the  house  of  Neal  and  Sons, 
which  was  founded  by  his  father,  an  old  revolu- 
tionary veteran,  privateersman,  and  prisoner  of 
war,  and  finally  became  head  of  that  house  on 
the  retirement  of  Capt.  Neal,  Sr.  He  became 
president  of  the  Eastern  Railroad  of  Massachu- 
setts in  1841,  when  it  was  extending  its  lines 
from  Massachusetts  into  New  Hampshire  and 
Maine,  and  subsequently  took  charge  also  of 
the  Reading  Railroad  of  Pennsylvania,  the  affairs 
of  which  were  much  disordered  and  which  was 
then  in  control  of  Eastern  bankers.  Both  of 
these  positions  he  resigned  in  1851  to  become 
vice-president  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
Company,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  original 
incorporators  and  in  which  he  held  a  large  pe- 
cuniary interest.  He  remained  in  that  position 
four  years.  He  was  director  for  five  years  until 
1856.  In  1851,  he  visited  Illinois  and  went  over 


the  proposed  route  with  Col.  Roswell  B.  Mason, 
was  very  favorably  impressed  with  the  country, 
and  made  a  very  elaborate  report  to  the  board 
of  directors  on  the  value  .  of  lands  and  on  the 
resources  and  probable  amount  of  traffic  that 
would  be  controlled  by  the  line  when  completed. 
He  also  paid  considerable  attention  to  the  organi- 
zation of  the  land  department  and  to  the  platting 
and  selling  of  the  lands  which  had  been  donated 
to  the  company.  During  the  period  of  the  con- 
struction of  the  road,  he  made  two  trips  to  Eu- 
rope, spending  a  considerable  portion  of  his  time 
in  Liverpool,  where  he  purchased  about  80,000 
tons  of  iron  rails  of  a  most  excellent  quality  —  56 
pounds  to  the  yard.*  In  London,  he  took  part 
in  the  negotiation  of  the  first  issue  of  sterling 
bonds  made  by  the  company.  They  were  sold 
at  a  premium. 

Capt.  Neal  was  a  man  of  robust  nature,  of 
indomitable  energy  and  of  great  physical  endur- 
ance. In  his  religious  views,  he  was  perhaps 
inclined  to  be  somewhat  heterodox,  or,  even 
skeptical  ;  he  was  brought  up  in  the  midst  of 
tendencies  and  influences  which  may  have  been 
intensified  by  his  early  acquaintance  with  orien- 
tal life  and  thought,  of  which  in  his  autobiogra- 
phy, left  in  manuscript,  he  writes  most  under- 
standing!)'. Capt.  Neal  never  held  political 
office  of  any  kind.  He  died  at  Salem,  Massachu- 
setts, in  August  1861. 


•ILLIAM  H.  ASPINWALL,  one  of 
the  incorporators  of  the  company, 
was  born  in  New  York,  December 
16,  1807;  he  was  a  nephew  of  Gard- 
ner G.  Howland,  and,  at  an  early  age,  he  entered 
the  old  shipping  house  of  Gardner  G.  and 

*  The  receiving  and  forwarding  of  these  rails  was 
entrusted  to  a  commission-house  established  in  New 
York  in  1852,  under  the  firm  name  of  Clark  &  Jesup, 
being  composed  of  Charles  G.  Clark  and  Morris  K. 
Jesup.  This  was  the  inception  of  the  present  firm  of 
Crerar,  Adams  &  Co.  (John  McGregor  Adams,  Edward 
S.  Shepherd),  extensive  manufacturers  of  railway 
supplies,  Chicago,  whose  senior  partner,  John  Crerar, 
recently  died,  leaving  such  a  munificent  sum  to  the 
city  for  a  public  library,  and  other  liberal  bequests. 


88 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Samuel  S.  Howland,  and  was  taken  into  the  firm 
in  1832.  In  1837  the  new  firm  of  Howland  and 
Aspinwall  was  established.  This  house  had  the 
largest  Pacific-coast  trade  of  any  firm  in  New 
York,  besides  doing  an  extensive  business  with 
the  East  and  West  Indies,  England,  and  the 
Mediterranean.  Shortly  after  the  discovery  of 
gold  in  California,  he  retired  from  the  active 
management  of  the  firm  and  secured  the  contract 
for  a  line  of  mail-steamers  to  run  from  the  Isth- 


enterprises,  Mr.  Aspinwall  was  eminently  suc- 
cessful and  he  held  the  office  of  president  of 
the  company  for  many  years.  He  founded  the 
city  of  Aspinwall,  at  the  eastern  terminus  of  the 
railway.  Besides  his  brief  connection  with  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad,  Mr.  Aspinwall  was  in- 
terested in  the  construction  of  the  Ohio  &  Mis- 
sissippi R.  R.,  extending  from  Cincinnati  to  St. 
Louis.  This  was  built  as  a  broad-gauge  road, 
but  afterward  changed  to  the  standard  gauge. 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  LOCOMOTIVE  No.  638. 


mus  of  Panama  to  San  Francisco,  Cal.  This 
line  was  established  under  the  name  of  the  Pa- 
cific-Mail Steamship  Company.  He  and  his 
associates  also  organized  the  Panama  Railroad 
Company,  and  constructed  its  road.  In  aid  of 
its  construction  they  received  a  liberal  conces- 
sion from  the  government  of  New  Granada. 
Owing  to  the  unhealthy  climate  of  the  country 
through  which  the  line  passed,  the  construction 
proved  an  expensive  work,  but  after  many  diffi- 
culties the  road  was  completed  and  opened  for 
business  February  17,  1855.  In  both  of  these 


Mr.  Aspinwall  traveled  much  in  the  last  twenty 
years  of  his  life,  and  being  a  liberal  patron  of  the 
fine  arts,  made  an  important  collection  of  paint- 
ings. These  were  sold  by  his  family  in  1886. 
Mr.  Aspinwall  was  a  man  of  fine  presence,  a 
courteous  gentleman,  an  earnest  Christian,  and 
justly  ranked  as  one  of  New  York's  great  mer- 
chant-princes ;  he  was  remarkable  for  his  gen- 
erosity and  his  lenience  to  the  debtors  of  his 
house.  He  died  in  his  native  city,  January  18, 
1875,  in  the  sixty-eighth  year  of  his  age. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


89 


kHOMAS  WILLIAM  LUDLOW,  a  son 
of  Thomas  Lucllow  and  Mary  Ludlow, 
was  born  in  his  father's  house,  on  the 
northeast  corner  of  Garden  street  (now 
Exchange  Place)  and  Broadway,  New  York,  on 
June  14,  1795.  He  was  a  great-grand-son  of  the 
founder  of  the  New  York  family  of  Ludlow, 
Gabriel  (arrived  in  New  York,  1694),  who  came 
of  the  old  English  stock  to  which  belonged  the 
republican  general.  Sir  Edmund  Ludlow,  and  the 
great  Puritan  statesman  and  jurist,  Roger  Lud- 
low of  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut.  Thomas 
W.  Ludlow  graduated  with  credit  from  Columbia 
College  in  the  class  of  1811,  and  served  as  a  trus- 
tee of  his  alma  mater  from  1833  to  1836.  After 
graduating  he  read  law  with  Martin  Wilkins. 
In  1825  he  went  to  England  with  his  cousin, 
Frances  Mary  Ludlow,  wife  of  Philip  Thomas 
and  mother  of  Ludlow  Thomas,  in  connection 
with  her  claim  to  the  Harison  succession,  then  in 
the  English  courts,  and  was  successful.  How- 
ever, he  soon  withdrew  from  general  practice  of 
his  profession.  His  brother-in-law,  Gulian  Lud- 
low, recommended  him,  toward  the  close  of  his 
active  life,  to  his  family  connections  of  the  great 
banking-house  of  Crommelin  of  Amsterdam,  and 
to  his  English  correspondents  as  well,  and  for 
many  years  Mr.  T.  W.  Ludlow  had  charge  of 
their  important  commission  business  in  America, 
and  conducted  it  so  much  to  their  satisfaction 
that,  upon  his  retirement,  the  Crommelins  sent 
him  a  large  sum  of  money,  with  which  he  pro- 
cured, as  a  souvenir,  a  splendid  service  of  plate. 
For  the  account  of  the  Dutch  house,  Mr.  Ludlow 
had  much  to  do  with  a  loan  of  the  District 
of  Columbia,  an  affair  of  considerable  importance 
at  that  time.  He  represented  also  the  Holland 
Land  Company,  and  was  at  one  time  instrumental 
in  saving  the  interests  of  his  clients,  which  were  . 
menaced  by  an  adverse  sentiment  in  congress. 

From  early  manhood,  Mr.  Ludlow's  mental 
grasp  of  the  prospects  and  promises  of  the 
country,  which  was  then  almost  wholly  unde- 
veloped, was  remarkably  comprehensive,  and 
with  bis  immediate  associates,  many  of  them  at 
that  time  or  since  distinguished  in  the  fields  of 
public  or  of  private  affairs,  he  took  an  active 


part  in  the  inception  of  a  number  of  business 
enterprises  which  have  continued  to  be  highly 
prosperous,  and  have  several  of  them  contributed 
not  a  little  to  the  national  progress.  Thus  he 
became  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Company,  February  10,  1851, 
and  was  a  director  of  that  company  from  Feb. 
10,  1851,  to  August  25,  1854.  He  was  the  first 
president  of  the  Panama  Railroad  Company ; 
a  director  of  the  New  York  Life  Insurance  Co. ; 
and  one  of  the  founders  of  the  New  York  Life 
Insurance  and  Trust  Company.  Of  the  last 
corporation,  Mr.  Ludlow  served  as  vice-president 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  This  corporation 
has  been  managed  so  well  that  the  shares  ori- 
ginally issued  at  $100  now  sell  for  $700. 

Mr.  Ludlow  married,  in  1828,  Frances 
Wickham  Morris,  a  beautiful  and  accomplished 
daughter  of  Robert  Morris  of  Fordham  (Mor- 
risania),  and  established  a  charming  home  in 
the  then  fashionable  quarter  of  the  Fifth  ward 
of  the  city,  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Varick  and 
Laight  streets,  Hudson  Square,  opposite  St. 
John's  Park,  which  is  now  the  site  of  the  freight 
station  of  the  New  York  Central  Railroad.  Soon 
afterward  he  acquired  a  large  tract  of  property 
south  of  Yonkers,  adjoining  the  new  station  of 
the  Hudson  River  Road  which  bears  his  name, 
Ludlow. 

Mr.  Ludlow  died  at  his  country-seat, 
Cottage  Lawn,  Yonkers,  New  York,  July  17, 
1878,  leaving  behind  him  the  memory  of  a 
thoroughly  just,  upright,  liberal,  and  temperate 
life. 


ENRY  GRINNELL  was  born  in  New 
Bedford,  Massachusetts,  in  1800,  was 
graduated  at  New  Bedford  Academy 
in  1818,  and  during  the  same  year 
became  clerk  in  a  commission  house  in  Pine  St., 
New  York.  In  1825  he  was  made  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Fish  and  Grinnell,  afterward  Grinnell, 
Minturn  and  Company.  He  was  much  interested 
in  geography,  and  especially  in  Arctic  explo- 
ration, and  in  1850  at  his  own  expense,  fitted. out 


90 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


an  expedition  to  search  for  Sir  John  Franklin, 
from  whom  nothing  had  been  heard  in  five  years. 
The  expedition  sailed  from  New  York  in  May 
1850,  under  command  of  Lieut.  E.  J.  DeHaven, 
with  Dr.  Elisha  Kent  Kane  (whose  second 
cousin,  Elias  Kent  Kane,  was  a  senator  from 
Illinois)  as  surgeon  and  naturalist.  It  dis- 
covered land  in  latitude  75°  2^  2ix\  which  was 
named  Grinnell  Land — an  island  north  of  Corn- 


graphical  Society  in  1852-3,  and  a  vice  president 
from  1854-72.  His  daughter,  Sylvia,  married 
Admiral  Ruxton  of  the  British  navy,  and  in  1886, 
presented  to  that  society  a  crayon  portrait  of 
her  father  framed  in  wood  taken  from  the 
Resolute.  Mr.  Grinnell  was  also  one  of  the 
merchant  princes  of  New  York  and  died  in  that 
city,  June  30,  1874,  universally  loved  and  re- 
spected. 


Illinois  Central  bridge  over  the  Missouri  River  between  Council  Bluffs  and  Om,aha.     Double  track — 17  ft.  above 
high  water — 1707  ft.  long — span  520  ft.,  the  longest  in  the  world. 


wallis  Island  which  should  not  be  confounded 
with  the  better  known  Grinnell  Land  bordering 
on  the  frozen  sea.  In  1853,  in  conjunction  with 
George  Peabody,  he  spent  $50,000  in  the  equip- 
ment of  the  second  Franklin  search  expedition, 
.giving  it  also  his  personal  supervision.  This 
expedition  was  placed  in  charge  of  Dr.  Kane, 
and  the  government  bore  part  of  its  expenses. 
Mr.  Grinnell  also  contributed  freely  to  the  Hayes 
expedition  of  1860,  and  to  the  "Polaris"  expe- 
dition of  1871.  He  was  one  of  the  original  in- 
corporators  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Co., 
and  named  in  the  charter;  but,  as  he  was  about 
retiring  from  active  business  at  the  time  the 
company  was  being  organized,  his  connection 
with  it  was  brief.  Throughout  life,  he  was 
an  earnest  advocate  of  the  interests  of  sailors. 
He  was  the  first  president  of  the  American  Geo- 


JOHN  MOORE  was  an  Englishman  by 
birth,  having  been  born  at  Grantham, 
Lincolnshire,  September  8th,  1793.  Up 
to  his  fourteenth  year,  he  attended  the 
common  school  and  all  his  subsequent  education 
was  obtained  without  a  teacher.  He  often 
studied  while  at  his  work  at  his  trade  as  a  wheel- 
wright, to  which  he  was  apprenticed  at  an  early 
age.  In  1817  he  sailed  for  America.  He  settled 
first  in  Virginia  but  remained  there  but  a  short 
time,  when  he  removed  to  Harrison,  Hamilton 
County,  Ohio ;  here  he  worked  at  his  trade ; 
March  9,  1820,  he  married  a  Kentucky  lady,  a 
Mrs.  Misner.  They  had  a  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren. In  October  1830  he  moved  to  McLean 
County,  111.,  and  settled  on  a  farm  at  Randolph 
Grove.  There  he  entered  forty  acres  of  land  and 
afterward  purchased  considerable  more  land,  and 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


91 


did  some  farming.  He  also  worked  at  his  trade ; 
and  here  he  endured  the  privations  to  which  all 
the  early  settlers  were  subjected.  In  1831  he  was 
elected  a  justice  of  the  peace,  this  being  the  first 
office  he  held.  In  1835  he  was  elected  to  the 
legislature,  which  then  held  its.  sessions  at 
Vandalia.  In  1839  he  was  elected  to  the  senate 
of  the  State  and  in  1840  he  was  elected  lieutenant 
governor;  this  office  he  held  up  to  1846.  At  the 
close  of  his  term,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Mexican 
War,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the  4th  Regi- 
ment of  Illinois  Volunteers,  which  he  had  been 
active  in  forming,  and  was  almost  immediately 
chosen  lieutenant  colonel ;  he  bravely  and  honor- 
ably served  during  that  war  and  participated  in 
several  engagements — Cerro  Gordo,  Rio  Grande, 
and  Vera  Cruz.  When  he  returned  from  the 
Mexican  War,  the  State  of  Illinois  presented  him 
with  a  sword  to  show  its  appreciation  of  his 
distinguished  services.  In  1848  he  was  appointed 
state  treasurer  by  Governor  French,  to  fill  the 
vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  Milton  Carpenter. 
At  the  expiration  of  the  term  in  1850,  he  was 
elected  to  hold  the  same  office  and  was  reelected 
in  1852.  In  1854  he  was  again  a  candidate,  but 
was  defeated  on  account  of  an  absurd  prejudice 
which  sprang  up  at  that  time  against  foreigners. 
In  1853  Mr.  Moore  was  appointed  by  Governor 
Matteson  to  settle  the  difficulty  between  the 
State  of  Illinois  and  the  firm  of  Thompson  & 
Foreman,  growing  out  of  a  contract  by  which  that 
firm  was  to  deliver  to  the  State  of  Illinois  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  railroad  iron.  This  difficulty  was 
arranged  by  Mr.  Moore  to  the  entire  satisfaction 
of  all  parties.  He  was  appointed  one  of  the 
trustees  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company 
in  1851,  and  held  that  position  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death  in  1866. 

Mr.  Moore  was  nearly  six  feet  in  height 
and  heavily  built ;  his  shoulders  were  broad,  and 
his  carriage  erect  and  his  complexion  ruddy.  His 
health  was  remarkably  good,  and  this  doubtless 
contributed  to  his  cheerful,  happy  disposition. 
He  was  a  man  of  great  natural  force  of  character 
and  an  honest  man,  and  was  familiarly  known 
throughout  the  State  as  "  Honest  John  Moore." 
The  State  of  Illinois  never  had  a  more  faithful 


guardian  of  her  interests.  His  power  of  memory 
and  of  conversation  was  wonderful.  He  was  a 
fine  presiding  officer  and  the  chair  of  the  senate 
has  never  been  filled  by  a  more  accomplished 
parliamentarian.  His  death,  which  occurred  at 
Boston,  September  23,  1866,  was  the  result' of  a 
surgical  operation  performed  upon  his  eyes  for 
cataract.  His  remains  were  interred  in  the  old 
burying  ground  at  Randolph  Grove.* 


JUDGE  SAMUEL  DRAKE  LOCKWOOD 
was  born  at  Poundridge,  Westchester 
county,  New  York,  August  2,  1789; 
when  quite  young,  his  father  died,  leav- 
ing his  mother  with  three  small  children  and 
with  but  slender  means  of  support;  by  this 
event,  Samuel's  plans  for  a  liberal  education 
were  broken  up  and  he  was  thrown  upon  his  own 
resources.  At  twelve  years  of  age,  he  spent 
a  few  months  at  a  private  school  in  New  Jersey, 
where  he  says  of  himself,  "I  acquired  some 
knowledge  of  arithmetic  and  enough  of  Latin 
to  be  able  to  decline  a  few  nouns  and  conjugate 
a  few  verbs."  Lessons  in  arithmetic  were  given 
orally  and  written  out  by  the  pupils.  In  1803  he 
went  to  live  with  his  mother's  brother,  Francis 
Drake,  a  lawyer  of  Waterford,  New  York,  where 
he  remained  as  a  law  student  until  February 
1811,  when  he  was  licensed  to  practise  law  and 
opened  an  office  in  Batavia,  New  York.  It  may 
be  said  of  Judge  Lockwood  as  was  said  of  John 
Quincy  Adams,  that  he  never  had  a  boyhood. 
In  early  years,  he  met  the  stern  realities  of  life 
which  left  no  time  for  boyish  or  manly  sports 
and,  as  a  consequence,  he  had  no  relish  for  such 
things.  But  he  was  preeminently  a  home  man, 
in  full  sympathy  with  everything  that  would 
increase  the  happiness  of  home,  and  bring  en- 
joyment to  the  family  circle.  The  first  four 
years  of  his  professional  life  was  a  hard  struggle 
with  disease  and  pecuniary  embarrassment.  In 

*  "Good  Old  Times  in  McLean  County,  Illinois," 
by  Dr.  E.  Dnis,  Bloomington,  1874, 


92 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


a  new  country,  he  found  the  legal  profession 
well  filled  and  in  it  some  men  of  reputation  and 
experience  —  able  to  absorb  all  the  business. 

On  March  12,  1813,  however,  he  was  ap- 
pointed master  in  chancery  by  Gov.  Tompkins, 
a  circumstance  which,  as  he  wrote  at  the  time, 
enabled  him,  with  his.  other  practice,  to  support 
himself  decently  and  to  pay  the  debts  he  had  con- 
tracted before  he  got  into  business.  This  period 
included  the  war  time,  when  everything  was 


for  Illinois,  reaching  Shawneetown,  December 
20.  He  made  the  journey  in  company  with 
William  H.  Brown  and  others  on  a  flat-boat  down 
the  Alleghany  and  Ohio  rivers.  From  Shaw- 
neetown, Lockwood  and  Brown  made  the  trip 
to  Kaskaskia,  a  distance  of  120  miles,  on  foot 
and  arrived  December  26 ;  entire  strangers  to  the 
country.  On  their  way,  they  were  met  by  two 
young  men  bound  for  the  same  place.  These 
were  Thomas  Mather  and  Sidney  Breese,  both 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  LOCOMOTIVE  "1156." 


depressed  to  the  lowest  point.  Judge  Lockwood 
naturally  diffident  and  retiring,  feeble  in  physical 
constitution,  with  a  tendency  to  self-depreciation, 
and  far  separated  from  all  family  friends,  must 
have  passed  through  many  trials,  and  his  final 
success  is  an  evidence  of  that  sterling  worth  of 
character  with  which  in  after  life  he  was  univer- 
sally credited.  From  a  letter  to  his  mother, 
written  in  May  1815,  we  learn  that  he  remained 
in  Batavia  about  a  year,  then  removed  to  Auburn 
in  that  year  and  practiced  law  with  George  B. 
Throop  until  the  fall  of  1818,  when  he  started 


from  New  York.  Judge  Lockwood  remained 
in  Kaskaskia  a  year,  and  then  removed  to  Carmi, 
spending  a  year  there.  In  1821,  at  the  second 
session  of  the  legislature  held  at  Vandalia,  he 
was  elected  attorney  general.  This  election  to 
office  necessitated  his  removal  to  Edwardsville. 
In  1822  Governor  Coles  appointed  him  secretary 
of  state,  but  in  the  same  year,  President  Monroe 
appointed  him  receiver  of  public  moneys  at 
Edwardsville  and  he  accepted  the  latter  position. 
In  1823  he  was  appointed  an  agent  of  the  board 
of  canal  commissioners.  In  1824  he  was  elected 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


93 


associate  justice  of  the  supreme  court,  and  in 
1824-5,  assisted  in  a  revision  of  the  criminal  code 
of  the  state  which,  with  a  few  amendments, 
has  continued  in  force  ever  since.  He  remained 
on  the  bench  until  the  adoption  of  the  new  state 
constitution  in  1848.  Judge  Lock  wood  was 
therefore  a  resident  of  Illinois  from  1818  to  1874, 
and  for  over  fifty  years  was  in  public  service, 
holding  during  that  period,  under  state  and 
national  appointment,  the  following  positions 
of  trust  and  responsibility,  attorney  general, 
secretary  of  state,  receiver  of  public  moneys  in 
the  Edwardsville  land-office,  associate  justice  of 
the  supreme  court.  He  was  state  trustee  of  the 
I.  C.  Railroad  from  the  organization  of  that 
company  until  his  death  in  1874,  and  was  charter 
trustee  in  each  of  the  state  institutions  estab- 
lished for  the  benefit  of  the  insane,  deaf  and 
dumb,  and  blind. 

This  brief  outline  indicates  something  of 
Judge  Lockwood's  standing  in  the  state,  some- 
thing of  the  esteem  with  which  he  was  regarded 
by  his  fellow-citizens,  and  something  of  the  in- 
fluence he  must  have  exerted  in  that  period  of 
our  State  history,  when  a  few  of  our  good  and 
wise  men  were  laying  the  foundations  of  those 
civil,  social,  and  educational  institutions,  which 
have  secured  for  us  our  present  prosperity  and 
are  a  standing  proof  of  the  wisdom  and  fidelity 
of  the  great  men  into  whose  labor  we  have 
entered. 


,OSWELL  B.  MASON,  chief  engineer 
of  the  Illinois  Central  from  1851  to 
to  1856,  was  born  in  New  Hartford, 
Oneida  county,  New  York,  Septem- 
ber 19,  1805,  and  died  in  Chicago,  January  i, 
1892.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  attended 
the  district  schools  until  the  age  of  sixteen.  In 
the  summer  of  1821  our  subject's  father  took  a 
contract  to  furnish  stone  for  a  section  of  the 


Erie  Canal,  and  the  boy  was  set  to  work  hauling 
stone.  It  was  here  he  met  Edward  F.  Gay, 
assistant  engineer  of  the  canal,  who  offered  him 
ii  position  of  rodman  for  the  engineering  party, 
and  he  remained  with  Gay  until  the  completion 
of  the  Erie  Canal.  In  the  spring  of  1824  he 
joined  the  engineering  party  that  was  engaged 
in  the  construction  of  the  Schuylkill  Canal,  but 
on  account  of  sickness  was  compelled  to  return 
home  in  August  of  that  year.  In  the  spring  of 
1825  he  joined  his  old  employers  on  the  Morris 
Canal  in  New  Jersey.  Here  Mr.  Gay  resigned 
his  position  as  assistant  chief  engineer,  and  our 
subject  was  given  his  place.  He  was  engaged 
on  this  work  for  six  years,  the  latter  part  of  the 
time  as  chief  engineer  and  superintendent  of  the 
canal.  He  was  engaged  on  various  canals  in 
New  Jersey  and  the  east  until  the  spring  of 
1837,  when  he  became  interested  in  the  surveys 
of  the  Housatonic  railroad,  one  of  the  largest 
of  the  early  railroads.  During  the  follow- 
ing fourteen  years  he  served  as  engineer  and 
superintendent  of  the  railroad,  making  his  head- 
quarters at  Bridgeport,  Conn. 

In  the  spring  of  1851  he  came  west  and  took 
charge  of  the  construction  of  the  Illinois  Central 
railroad,  which  he  completed  in  October  1856. 
He  then  resigned  his  position  as  chief  engineer 
and  was  engaged  in  the  construction  of  other 
roads  in  Iowa,  Illinois  and  Minnesota  until  the 
spring  of  1861,  when  he  was  appointed  comptrol- 
ler of  the  land  department  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  and  retained  this  position  until  August 
1867.  He  then  took  charge  of  the  Dubuque 
bridge  which  was  completed  in  December  1868. 
In  November  1869,  he  was  elected  mayor  of 
Chicago  and  it  was  during  his  administration 
that  the  great  Chicago  fire  occurred.  In  1873 
he  was  appointed  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  Illi- 
nois Industrial  University  and  held  that  position 
ten  years.  He  was  an  important  factor  in  the 
early  growth  and  development  of  our  present 
svstem  of  railroads. 


CHAPTER  III. 


PRESIDENTS  OF  THE 
ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY. 


PRESIDENTS  OF  THE 
ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY. 


Robert  Schuyler  ...................................................  March  19,  1851  to  July  11,  18S3. 

William  P.  Burrall,  ................................................  July  28,  1853  to  Nov.  23,  1854. 

John  N.  A.  Griswold  ...............................................  Jan.  10,  1855  to  Dec.  1,  1855. 

Wm.  Henry  Osborn  ...............................................  Dec.  1,  1855  to  July  11,  1865. 

John  M.  Douglas  ..................................................  July  11,  1865  to  March  14,  1871. 

John  Newell,  .....................................................  April  14,  1871  to  Sept.  11,  1874. 

Wilson  G.  Hunt  ...................................................  Sept.  11,  1874  to  Jan.  28,  1875. 

John  M.  Douglas,  .  .  .  ..............................................  Jan.  28,  1875  to  July  17,  1876. 

Wm.  K.  Ackerman,  ...............................................  Oct.  17,  1877  to  Aug.  18,  1883. 

James  C.  Clarke,  .................................................  Aug.  18,  1883  to  May  18,  1887. 

Stuyvesant  Fish,  ..................................................  May  18,  1887. 


(OBERT  SCHUYLER,  first  president  of 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company, 
was  a  grandson  of  General  Philip 
Schuyler  of  revolutionary  fame;  he 
served  from  March  19,  1851,  to  July  3,  1854.  He 
became  interested  in  Illinois  railways  through 
the  purchase  of  the  finished  portion,  24  miles,  of 
the  Northern  Cross  Railroad  from  Jacksonville 
to  Meredosia,  the  first  railroad  constructed  in 
the  State.  It  was  sold  at  public  sale,  April  26, 
1847,  ar>d  purchased  by  Nicholas  H.  Ridgely  of 
Springfield,  who  soon  after,  through  the  nego- 
tiations of  Thomas  Mather  of  the  same  city,  sold 
it  to  a  construction  company  organized  in  New 
York  in  which  Schuyler  was  interested.  Its 
name  was  changed  to  the  "Sangamon  &  Morgan 
Railroad"  and  it  was  rebuilt,  work  being  com- 
pleted July  22,  1849. 

The  record  of  Robert  Schuyler  in  his  con- 
nection with  American  railways  is  an  interesting, 
but  a  sad  one,  to  dwell  upon.  He  was  a  pioneer 
in  American  railway  construction  and  justly 
deserved  the  title  of  the  first  railroad  king.  He 
was  at  one  time  the  president  of  five  railways, 
viz.  the  New  York  &  New  Haven,  the  Harlem, 


the  Illinois  Central,  the  Rensalaer  &  Saratoga, 
and  the  Sangamon  &  Morgan,  and  these  various 
positions  he  held  up  to  a  certain  period  with  great 
credit  to  himself.  He  was  a  man  of  unusual 
business  ability,  aided  by  a  sound  judgment  and 
a  liberal  education.  In  his  devotion  to  duty,  he 
was  no  less  remarkable ;  though  broken  in  health, 
he  was  frequently  found  laboring  in  his  private 
rooms  until  an  early  hour  in  the  morning  in  a 
conscientious  effort  to  serve  the  best  interests 
of  his  share-holders.  His  versatility  of  mind 
enabled  him  to  accomplish  great  results  in  a 
short  space  of  time.  He  was  a  man  of  keen 
perceptions,  clear  and  comprehensive  views,  and 
these  constituted  him  a  wise  counsellor.  His 
unaffected  dignity,  courteous  bearing,  and  refined 
manner,  commanded  the  respect  of  all  who  knew 
him,  and  these  included  many  eminent  persons 
of  his  day.  Such  qualities  lent  a  peculiar  charm 
to  his  office  and  station,  and  gave  him  the 
presence  of  an  American  gentleman.  There  was 
a  provision  in  the  charter  of  one  of  the  railroad 
companies  with  which  he  was  connected  that 
required  its  completion  within  a  certain  time 
under  a  penalty  of  forfiture.  In  an  effort  to 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


complete  it  within  the  specified  time,  as  was 
supposed,  he  in  an  evil  moment  of  his  mistaken 
ztal,  resorted  to  very  questionable  measures, 
which  in  the  end  proved  his  down-fall.  In  addi- 
tion to  holding  the  office  of  president  of  the  New 
York  &  New  Haven  Railroad  Company,  he  was 
the  transfer  agent  of  that  company.  At  that 
time,  the  share  certificates  of  railways  were  not 
countet signed  as  they  now  are;  consequently 
there  was  nothing  to  prevent  irregularities. 
Transfer  agents  had  it  in  their  power  at  that  time 


ture  of  the  State  of  New  York,  familiarly  known 
as  the  "Schuyler  Act,"  making  the  over-issue 
of  capital  stock  in  that  state  a  felony ;  for  up 
to  this  time  there  was  no  statute  covering  such 
a  breach  of  trust.  A  final  examination  of  the 
books  of  the  New  Haven  company  and  a  return 
of  all  certificates  showed  that  there  had  been  an 
over-issue  of  the  stock  of  that  company  amount- 
ing to  about  $2,000,000.  The  discovery  was 
made  by  mere  accident.  Schuyler  was  taken  ill 
on  June  29,  1854,  and  remained  away  from  his 


COURTESY  A.  H.  RALPH,  VICKSBURG,  MISS. 


"The  Freight  Conductor  En  Route." 


to  over-issue  the  shares  of  a  railway,  and  it 
was  done  in  this  instance.  The  first  irregular 
issue  was  made  in  Oct.  1853,  and  others  followed 
until  the  irregularity  was  discovered,  July  3,  1854. 
This  occurrence  resulted  in  the  action  that  was 
afterward  taken  by  the  New  York  stock  ex- 
change, requiring  that  all  certificates  be  signed 
by  two  officers  of  a  company,  and  registered 
and  countersigned  by  a  third  disinterested  par- 
ty, which  must  be  a  banking  or  trust  company. 
This  has  proved  a  wholesome  check  upon  similar 
dishonest  transactions.  It  also  resulted  in  the 
passage  of  a  special  law,  in  1855,  by  the  legisla- 


office  until  July  3rd;  the  vice-president,  Mr. 
Worthen,  being  called  in  to  act  as  transfer  agent, 
the  fraud  was  discovered  by  the  presentation  of 
some  of  the  spurious  certificates  issued  by  Schuy- 
ler. The  case,  which  was  brought  by  the  holders 
of  these  irregular  certificates,  many  of  whom 
claimed  to  be  innocent  holders,  was  continued  in 
the  courts  for  ten  years,  but  finally  resulted  in  a 
decision  in  the  New  York  court  of  appeals,  in 
1864,  against  the  railroad  company,  which  com- 
pelled it  to  reimburse  every  holder  the  value  of 
his  shares. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


Schuyler,  in  his  pride  and  ambition  to  suc- 
ceed, and  lacking  the  moral  courage  to  acknowl- 
edge his  needs  and  mistakes,  fell  into  the  fatal 
blunder  which  brought  ruin  to  his  reputation, 
sorrow  to  his  friends,  disgrace  to  his  family- 
name,  and  disaster  for  the  time  being  to  the 
financial  world.  Flattered  by  apparent  success 
•  deficient  in  caution  —  failing  properly  to 
measure  his  resources  —  and  withal,  lacking  the 
principle  with  which  he  had  been  credited,  he 
dissipated  large  sums  of  money  in  an  attempt 
to  resuscitate  failing  properties.  In  an  effort 
to  retrieve  himself,  he  committed  this  terrible 
wrong.  However  questionable  his  procedure, 
or  reprehensible  his  conduct  may  appear  to  the 
minds  of  those  unfamiliar  with  all  the  circum- 
stances of  the  case,  a  careful  investigation  into 
his  conduct  shows  that  he  was  at  least  in  part 
actuated  by  unselfish  motives.  It  does  not  appear 
that  he  took  advantage  of  his  position  merely 
to  enrich  himself.  The  trust  imposed  in  him  was 
unlimited,  and  the  burden  laid  upon  him  very 
great ;  but  there  is  a  limit  to  human  accomplish- 
ment, and  there  ought  to  be  a  limit  to  the 
responsibility  laid  upon  human  intellect.  If 
there  is  not,  those  who  impose  excessive  burdens 
in  hopes  of  obtaining  impossible  results,  should 
at  least  be  willing  to  share  in  the  responsibility, 
and  to  accept  the  outcome  with  resignation.  In 
this  instance,  the  zeal  to  promote  the  interest 
of  one  corporation  tempted  him  to  draw — tem- 
porarily, as  he  no  doubt  regarded  it — upon  the 
resources  of  another.  The  redeeming  feature 
of  the  case  laid  in  the  fact  that,  when  the  trans- 
action was  laid  open,  he  did  not  attempt  to 
palliate  his  offence  and  meet  his  accusers  with 
brazen  effrontery.  His  sense  of  personal  honor 
was  so  shocked,  and  his  mortification  so  great, 
that  he  could  not  face  his  friends,  and  hence 
his  flight  to  a  strange  land,  to  find  relief  in  death. 
He  fled  the  country  from  Quebec  in  a  stray 
vessel :  had  he  been  a  polished  villain  instead  of 
a  blunderer,  he  might  have  covered  his  tracks. 
But  he  had  not  studied  the  art  of  fraud,  and  so 
he  put  a  very  honest  construction  upon  his  own 
dishonesty.  He  attempted  too  much  for  his  day, 
and  failed.  Many  have  gone  further  since  and 


succeeded,  as  the  world  counts  success.  But 
his  was  not  a  day  of  "trusts,"  when  transactions 
quite  as  dishonest,  and  involving  many  more 
millions,  can  be  so  deftly  hidden  as  to  defy  dis- 
covery. The  world  might  indeed  say  that 
his  sin  partially  lay  in  the  fact  of  his  being  found 
out.  The  subtleties  of  finance  had  defeated  him, 
because  in  his  blindness  he  could  not  see  his  peril 
ir  time  to  be  warned ;  and  so,  in  the  meridian 
of  an  otherwise  bright  and  extraordinary  career, 
his  light  went  out.  A  life  was  extinguished 
that  could  not  well  be  spared  at  that  juncture 
from  the  railway  world.  He  died  in  a  foreign 
land,  poor  and  friendless ;  the  concealed  worm 
had  fed  upon  him,  until  he  was  wrecked  mentally 
and  physically,  and  he  became  the  mere  shadow 
of  his  former  self. 


ILLIAM  PORTER  BURRALL  was 
the  second  president  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Company,  having 
succeeded  Mr.  Schuyler  under  whom 
he  had  acted  as  vice-president.  He  was  born 
in  Canaan,  Conn.,  September  18,  1806;  died  at 
Hartford,  Conn.,  March  3,  1874.  His  father, 
William  Morgan  Burrall,  was  a  lawyer  by  pro- 
fession, a  graduate  of  Yale,  a  prominent  member 
of  the  bar  of  Litchfield  county,  Conn.,  an  associate 
judge  of  the  county  court  from  1829-36,  and 
after  that,  chief  judge  for  ten  years.  His  an- 
cestors were  among  the  original  settlers  of  the 
town  of  Canaan,  and  his  mother,  Elizabeth 
Morgan,  was  a  member  of  the  well  known 
Hartford  family  of  that  name.  William  P. 
I'.urrall's  mother  was  Abigail  Porter  Stoddard, 
a  descendant  of  the  Porter  and  Stoddard  families 
of  Salisbury,  Conn.,  both  of  them  prominent 
in  the  early  history  of  the  town  and  state. 

Mr.  Burrall  was  graduated  at  Yale  College 
in  1826,  among  his  classmates  being  President 
Sturtevant  and  Elizur  Wright;  he  studied  law 
at  the  Litchfield  law-school ;  also  in  the  office  of 
the  late  Chief  Justice  Church,  where  he  was 
associated  as  a  law  student  with  O.  S.  Seymour, 


loo 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


late  chief  Justice,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
of  Litchfield  county  in  1829.  He  practiced  law 
in  his  native  town  until  October  1839,  when  he 
removed  to  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  to  accept  the 
presidency  of  the  Housatonic  Railroad,  which 
position  he  held  for  fifteen  years.  This  railroad 
had  just  become  an  accomplished  fact  by  the 
exertions  of  Alfred  Bishop,  a  gentleman  of  great 
energy  and  personal  power,  father  of  Hon.  W. 
D.  Bishop.  Mr.  Burrall  was  called  from  its 


views  were  broad  and  generous.  He  favored  no 
mean  or  stingy  policies.  He  held  in  just  esti- 
mate the  rights  and  responsibilities  of  railroad 
companies,  believing  that  the  true  secret  of  suc- 
cess in  railroad  management  is  found  in  fair  and 
courteous  treatment  of  the  traveling  and  trading 
public.  He  desired  the  best,  safest,  and  quickest 
accommodation  for  all  patrons  of  his  roads.  He 
withheld  no  proper  information  from  his  stock- 
holders. He  kept  his  promises  and  asked  of 


FHOTO  LOANED  BY  MRS.  C.  K    DIXON,  CHEROKEE,  IOWA. 


CENTRIFUGAL  SNOW  PLOW  OWNED  BY  THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  R'Y  Co. 


management  to  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
Company  as  treasurer,  and  became  president. 
He  was  afterward  connected  with  the  New  York 
&  New  Haven  Company  as  vice-president,  then 
with  the  Hartford  &  New  Haven  as  vice-president 
and  president,  and  finally  was  made  vice-pres- 
ident of  the  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford 
at  the  consolidation  of  the  companies.  He  was 
several  times  a  member  of  the  house  of  repre- 
sentatives and  also  filled  the  position  of  state 
senator. 

In  his  business  relations,  Mr.  Burrall  was 
a  man  of  singular  honesty  and  accuracy.     His 


those  with  whom  he  came  in  contact  that  they 
should  keep  theirs.  He  was  faithful  to  every 
trust  reposed  in  him.  As  a  draughtsman  of 
railroad  contracts,  he  had  no  superior  in  the 
country.  There  was  no  ambiguity  in  the  lan- 
guage he  employed ;  every  sentence  was  so  clearly- 
expressed  as  to  leave  no  room  for  doubt  as  to 
its  meaning. 

As  a  citizen,  he  favored  honesty  and  truth 
in  all  public  matters.  The  stain  of  corruption 
never  was  upon  his  hands  in  his  extensive  deal- 
ings with  legislatures,  courts,  and  commissions. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


101 


In  the  sphere  of  private  life,  Mr.  Burrall's 
course  was  usually  charming.  Courteous,  un- 
obtrusive, pure,  gentle,  tender-hearted  as  a  child, 
he  kept  a  "peaceful  tenor"  in  all  his  dealings 
with  his  associates.  He  was  benevolent,  but 
his  benevolence  was  unostentatious.  He  was 
courageous,  but  his  courage  was  always  tempered 
with  consideration  for  others.  His  word  was 
as  sacred  as  if  sealed  as  a  covenant. 

Into  the  privacy  of  domestic  grief  we  may 
not  enter,  but  we  may  say  that  Mr.  Burrall's 
large  family  found  in  his  affectionate  heart  a 
faithful  response  in  all  the  tenderest  relations 
of  life,  and  that  his  sudden  death  sundered  many 
sacred  cords.  Such  a  life  as  his  was  an  honor 
and  a  blessing  to  our  common  nature,  and  the 
cpmmunity  in  which  he  lived  mourned  his  loss 
with  no  common  grief.  One  of  his  daughters 
is  the  wife  of  Henry  H.  Anderson,  a  prominent 
lawyer  in  the  city  of  New  York. 

The  revelation  of  the  Schuyler  incident 
shocked  the  confidence  of  the  financial  world 
and  placed  under  suspicion  every  enterprise  with 
which  he  had  been  connected.  The  unfortunate 
affair  happened  at  a  critical  time  in  the  history 
of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company.  On 
the  day  following  the  disaster,  Mr.  W.  H.  Osborn 
was  called  to  the  council  of  the  board  of  directors 
and  he  was  afterward  (Aug.  n,  1854),  elected 
a  member.  On  Dec.  i,  1855,  he  was  elected 
president  of  the  company.  He  entered  with 
remarkable  energy  upon  the  work  of  restoring 
confidence  to  this  great  enterprise.  A  resume 
of  his  services  to  the  company  and  incidentally 
to  the  State,  is  given  below. 


JOHN  N.  A.  GRISWOLD,  third  president 
of   the    Illinois    Central    Railroad    Com- 
pany, served  the  corporation  in  that  ca- 
pacity from  January  10,  1855  to  Decem- 
ber i,  1855. 


ILLIAM  HENRY  OSBORN,  was 
born  in  Salem,  Mass.,  Dec.  21,  1820, 
and  received  a  high  school  educa- 
tion in  that  venerable  New  England 
town.  Shortly  after  leaving  school,  he  entered 
the  counting  room  of  the  old  East  India  house 
of  Peele,  Hubbe1!  and  Company,  founded  by 
J.  Willard  Peele,  engaged  in  the  East  India 
trade.  After  remaining  there  a  while,  he  was 
sent  to  Manilla,  (under  the  auspices  of  Stephen 
C.  Phillips  who  was  a  member  of  the  house), 
to  represent  the  business  at  that  place.  He  re- 
sided there  several  years,  and  afterward  became 
the  head  of  the  firm  and  engaged  in  business 
on  his  own  account.  He  traveled  extensively 
in  Europe  and  on  his  return  to  the  United  States 
in  1853,  took  up  his  residence  in  the  city  of 
New  York,  where  he  shortly  after  married  the 
daughter  of  that  most  estimable  man  and  up- 
right merchant,  Jonathan  Sturges,  the  senior 
member  of  the  firm  of  Sturges,  Bennett  and  Co., 
at  that  time  one  of  the  largest  mercantile  houses 
in  the  city  of  New  York.  Mr.  Sturges  was  one 
of  the  incorporators  of  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road Company,  and  had  unbounded  faith  in  the 
future  development  of  the  State  of  Illinois.  He, 
in  company  with  other  men  of  large  means  and 
reputation,  had  entered  with  great  energy  upon 
the  work  of  constructing  the  Illinois  Central 
Road  upon  a  sound  financial  basis.  The  high 
character  of  the  men  engaged  in  the  work  of 
reviving  a  scheme  that  was  destined  to  prove 
of  such  great  advantage  to  the  State,  inspired 
confidence  both  at  home  and  abroad.  But  the 
undertaking  proved  to  be  a  more  formidable  one 
than  even  the  minds  of  those  sagacious  men 
had  calculated  upon. 

In  1854  while  the  work  of  construction  was 
well  under  way,  it  became  apparent  that  much 
larger  expenditures  would  be  required  than  had 
been  estimated,  and  to  carry  it  through  to  a 
successful  completion  more  vigorous  measures 
must  be  adopted.  Up  to  the  end  of  1854,  only 
300  miles  of  the  whole  704  miles  to  be  built  were 
completed  and  these  in  detached  portions,  so 
that  they  were  operated  at  great  disadvantage 
and  cost,  and  the  entire  amount  of  net  earnings 


102 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


derived  from  their  operation  for  the  last  half 
of  the  year  was,  as  appears  by  one  of  the  early 
reports  of  the  company,  only  $149,744.16.  While 
the  road  was  earning  so  little,  the  interest  ac- 
count on  the  bonded  debt,  already  incurred,  was 
rolling  up  so  heavily  as  to  threaten  to  engulf  the 
whole  enterprise.  To  add  to  the  "paucity  of 
events,"  the  crops  of  Illinois  in  this  year,  1854, 
were  almost  a  total  failure,  checking  the  sale  of 
lands  which  had  been  donated  to  the  company, 


earnestly  demanded.  It  was  therefore  necessary 
at  this  critical  juncture,  to  find  immediately  some 
one  who  could  go  to  the  scene  of  active  operations 
in  Illinois  and  personally  superintend  the  closing 
up  of  the  gaps  between  the  unfinished  portions  of 
the  line,  as  economically  and  as  expeditiouslv 
as  possible,  so  that  it  could  be  placed  in  a  tho- 
roughly equipped  condition  to  earn  money  for 
the  shareholders.  At  that  time,  the  demand  for 
men  of  such  capacity  was  beginning  to  be  felt 


COURTESY  JOHN  H.  WILSON. 

ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  DEPOT  AT  FREEPORT,  ILL. 


as  well  as  diminishing  the  amount  of  collections 
for  those  already  sold.  To  add  to  the  compli- 
cation of  affairs,  the  "Schuyler  fraud"  over- 
issue of  the  stock  of  the  New  York  &  New 
Haven  Railroad  Company  was  made  public  July 
3.  1854,  and  completely  unsettled  business  affairs, 
making  it  almost  impossible  to  negotiate  railway 
securities,  however  good.  The  directory,  though 
composed  of  men  of  such  high  standing  in  the 
community,  were  all  residents  -of  the  Eastern 
States,  and  they  could  not  give  that  close  per- 
sonal attention  to  the  affairs  of  the  company 
which  its  peculiar  condition  at  that  time  so 


all  over  the  country,  but  in  no  instance  was  it 
more  urgent  than  in  the  case  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Company.  In  this  dark  hour 
for  those  who  had  ventured  so  largely  and  with 
such  sanguine  expectations  upon  this  first  land- 
grant  project,  (and  which  threatened  for  a 
while  to  prove  even  more  disastrous  than  had 
other  successive  attempts  that  had  been  made 
to  construct  a  road  through  the  center  of  the 
State),  Mr.  Osborn  was  called  to  the  command, 
and  took  up  for  a  time  his  residence  in  Chicago. 
It  was  a  herculean  task  imposed  upon  him  and 
one  which  would  have  daunted  almost  any  other 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


103 


man.  The  people  of  the  State  of  Illinois  have 
never  known  what  a  debt  of  gratitude  they  owe 
to  Mr.  Osborn  for  his  successful  effort  in  sav- 
ing the  road  to  the  State.  It  is  perhaps  no 
exaggeration  to  say,  that  if  it  had  not  been  for 
the  extraordinary  exertions  made  by  him  at  that 
time,  the  road  would  not  have  been  brought  to 
a  successful  completion,  certainly  not  within  the 
time  it  was,  for,  if  foreclosure  proceedings  had 
been  instituted  then,  it  is  extremely  doubtful 
whether  any  new  corporation  which  might  have 
been  formed  would  have  been  willing  to  accept 
the  onerous  conditions  imposed  by  the  original 
charter;  and  so  in  this  way  the  essential  ad- 
vantage in  the  matter  of  tax  on  gross  earnings 
would  have  been  lost  to  the  State. 

Even  after  the  ordeal  of  1854  had  been  safe- 
ly passed  and  the  company's  financial  condition 
greatly  improved  by  the  successful  negotiation 
by  Mr.  Osborn  of  a  temporary  loan  of  three  mil- 
lions of  dollars,  new  and  unlooked  for  difficulties 
arose.  The  income  of  the  road  had  scarcely  be- 
come sufficient  to  pay  its  running  expenses,  for 
the  country  along  its  line  had  not  sufficiently 
developed  to  yield  an  adequate  traffic  for  its  sup- 
port when  the  panic  of  October  1857,  with  all 
its  disastrous  accompaniments,  swept  over  the 
country.  Mr.  Osborn  had  sailed  for  Europe,  a 
month  previous.  The  financial  skies  were  com- 
paratively clear  when  he  left,  but  on  Oct.  9th,  all 
the  banks  in  New  York,  with  the  exception  of 
the  Chemical  Bank,  and  most  of  those  through- 
out the  country,  suspended  specie  payment.  The 
wheels  of  commerce  became  clogged,  and  dis- 
trust everywhere  so  prevailed  that  it  was  impos- 
sible to  negotiate  a  sterling  bill  at  any  rate  of  ex- 
change. At  this  time,  Mr.  Osborn  was  in  Lon- 
don in  conference  with  English  bankers  with  a 
view  of  placing  the  finances  of  the  company  on  a 
more  substantial  footing.  This  he  would  have 
undoubtedly  succeeded  in  accomplishing  at  once, 
but  for  the  circumstances  referred  to.  The  sud- 
denly changed  condition  of  affairs  compelled  his 
immediate  return  to  this  country.  The  Atlantic 
cable  was  not  in  operation  at  that  time,  and  on 
his  arrival  at  Sandy  Hook,  he  was  startled  to 


read  in  the  New  York  papers  an  announcement 
by  the  treasurer  of  the  company  in  these  words : 

"OFFICE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  Co., 
NEW  YORK,  October  9th,  1857. 

"The  Directors  of  THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAIL- 
ROAD COMPANY  are  under  the  painful  necessity  of 
announcing  that,  notwithstanding  the  most  strenuous 
exertions  to  avert  such  a  result,  the  company  is  forced 
to  suspend  payment. 

"The  existing  derangement  in  the  financial  affairs 
of  the  country  surprised  the  company  with  a  large 
floating  debt  incurred  for  the  completion  and  equip- 
ment of  the  road.  To  provide  for  its  payment  when 
the  usual  credits  became  unavailable,  an  assessment  of 
ten  dollars  per  share  was  promptly  made,  and  upon 
this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  largely  paid  in  advance, 
enabling  the  company  to  meet  its  engagements  in 
September.  The  installments  upon  the  stock  held 
abroad,  have  been  in  rapid  progress  of  payment,  but 
the  negotiation  of  the  bills  of  exchange  drawn  against 
them,  difficult  at  first,  has  at  length  become  impos- 
sible. 

"All  other  and  usual  modes  of  raising  money  are 
'well  known  to  be  entirely  unavailable.  It  would  be  in 
*:  vain  at  this  time  to  call  in  another  installment  on  the 
stock;  "fcs  the  same  difficulties  which  prevent  the  realiz- 
ing of  the  proceeds  of  the  one  already  called,  in  season 
to  meet  the  accruing  obligations  of  the  company, 
would  attach  to  any  other  immediate  assessment. 

"The  directors  have  therefore  yielded  to  the  stern 
necessity  of  the  case  reluctantly,  but  with  a  clear  con- 
viction that  the  true  interests  of  both  creditors  and 
stockholders  would  be  promoted  by  the  legal  steps 
which,  under  the  advice  of  able  counsel,  have  been 
taken  to  secure  their  respective  rights. 

"The  coupons  due  on  the  construction  bonds, 
October  1,  have  been  paid  to  a  large  extent,  and  a 
provision  has  been  made  to  receive  the  balance  out- 
standing in  payment  of  unpaid  installments,  if  desired 
by  the  holder.  No  serious  inconvenience  will  probably 
result  therefrom. 

"All  possible  exertions  will  be  used  to  pay  off 
every  liability  without  unnecessary  delay;  and  to  re- 
lieve the  company  from  its  present  embarrassment. 

"As  this  has  not  risen  from  any  difficulties  intrinsic 
in  the  enterprise,  but  from  the  extraordinary  condition 
of  the  money  market,  the  directors  see  therein  no  cause 
to  abate  the  confidence  they  have  heretofore  felt  and 
expressed  in  the  value  of  the  road  and  the  lands  of  the 

company. 

By  order  of  the  Board, 

J.  N.  PERKINS,  Treasurer." 


104 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


The  coupons  falling  due  on  the  large  bonded 
debt  then  outstanding,  were  being  presented  by 
anxious  holders,  and,  to  satisfy  these  and  to 
prevent  further  complication,  Mr.  Osborn  upon 
his  personal  responsibility  —  for  the  credit  of  the 
company  was  entirely  exhausted  —  negotiated 
loans  to  a  large  extent  from  banks  and  indi- 
viduals, and  with  the  proceeds  paid  the  coupons 
and  held  them  until  the  company  was  able  to 
redeem  them.  He  then  provided  a  plan  for  the 
re-establishment  of  the  company's  credit  by  the 
issue  of  a  new  loan  of  about  $5,000,000.  From 


came  connected  with  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road Company  in  1854,  it  had  a  bonded  debt  of 
nearly  $20,000,000,  and  a  floating  debt  in  addi- 
tion of  $2,500,000,  as  shown  by  the  annual  re- 
port of  that  year,  and  the  future  of  the  enter- 
prise was  an  unsolved  problem.  When  he  retired 
from  active  participation  in  its  affairs  in  1877, 
its  bonded  debt  was  $10,508,000,  the  road  was 
and  had  long  been  paying  regular  dividends,  and 
it  had  a  large  amount  of  assets  on  hand  available 
for  any  contingency.  During  the  frequent  visits 
of  Mr.  Osborn  on  the  other  side,  he  had  occasion 


PHOTOGRAPH  BY  A.  W.  ADAM6.  WATERLOO,  IOWA. 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  LOCOMOTIVE  No.  223. 


the  proceeds  all  the  outstanding,  floating  in- 
debtedness of  the  company  was  paid  in  full,  prin- 
cipal and  interest,  the  assignees  discharged,  and 
the  business  of  the  company  placed  once  more 
in  the  hands  of  its  officers. 

The  restoration  of  the  company  to  full  credit 
had  a  very  favorable  effect  upon  all  American 
securities  abroad,  and  made  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  the  most  prominent  American  corpora- 
tion in  the  eyes  of  English  capitalists,  and, 
increasing  public  confidence  in  it,  materially 
strengthened  other  companies  of  a  similar  kind. 
It  was  the  turning  point  in  the  affairs  of  the  com- 
pany, and  from  that  time  on,. it  enjoyed  an  un- 
broken era  of  prosperity.  When  Mr.  Osborn  be- 


to  consult  with  the  large  shareholders  of  the  com- 
pany, and  in  this  way,  he  formed  the  acquaintance 
of  many  prominent  English  bankers  and  states- 
men. Among  these  was  Richard  Cobden,  who 
had  first  visited  Illinois  in  1855,  and  passed  over 
a  portion  of  the  proposed  line  and  who,  when 
he  saw  the  beautiful  prairie  and  examined  its 
fertile  soil,  became  an  enthusiast  as  to  the  pro- 
spective value  of  the  property ;  so  much  so,  that 
he  invested  nearly  all  his  money  in  it.  Morley, 
in  his  life  of  Cobden,  refers  to  a  visit  made  by 
Mr.  Osborn  to  the  great  premier  in  1858,  whom 
he  found  in  a  perturbed  state  of  mind  regarding 
his  holding  of  Illinois  Central  shares,  and  whom 
he  aided  with  his  friendly  counsel. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


105 


In  1858,  the  troubles  of  the  previous  year 
were  aggravated  by  another  failure  of  the  crops. 
This  bore  heavily  upon  the  new  settlers  on  the 
company's  lands,  most  of  whom  had  made  only 
their  first  payment.  The  result  was  that  many 
of  them  became  so  impoverished  in  their  re- 
sources that  they  were  almost  objects  of  charity. 
Not  a  few  were  entirely  destitute  of  the  neces- 
saries of  life.  Private  contributions  of  tea, 
coffee,  sugar  and  provisions  were  made  by  the 
directors  of  the  company  and  sent  to  various 
points  on  the  line  to  relieve  cases  of  actual  suffer- 
ing. From  1861  on,  owing  to  the  great  develop- 
ment of  the  resources  of  the  country  and  the 
consequent  rapid  settlement  of  the  company's 
lands,  regular  dividends  were  paid  on  its  shares. 
Mr.  Osborn  occupied  the  position  of  president 
of  the  company  from  December  i,  1855  to  July 
u,  1865,  and  was  a  director  from  August 
n,  1854  to  May  30,  1877,  so  that  he  practically 
continued  in  the  management  of  the  company's 
affairs  for  twenty-two  years,  a  management  that 
was  characterized  by  prudence  and  conservatism 
remarkable  skill  and  executive  ability,  firm  and 
unceasing  devotion  to  the  interests  of  the  com- 
pany, indomitable  will  and  courage,  and,  above 
all,  strict  integrity  of  purpose. 


JOHN  M.  DOUGLAS  served  as  the  fifth 
president  and  again  as  the  eighth  presi- 
dent of  the  Illinois  Central.     Mr.  Doug- 
las was  born  at  Plattsburg,  Clinton  coun- 
ty. New  York,  August  22,  1819.     His  maternal 
grandfather,  Elijah  Weaver,  was  a  second  lieu- 
tenant in  the  revoluntionary  war,  and  his  father, 
Congdon   Douglas,   served   in   the  war  of    1812 
and  fought  at  the  battle  of  Plattsburg.     At  the 
age  of  seventeen,  John  M.  Douglas  entered  the 
law-office  of  Sweatland  and  Beckwith,  at  Platts- 
burg, and  read  law  for  three  years.     He  then 
came  west  and  settled  in  Galena,  Illinois.     He 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1841  and  opened  a 
law-office  in  that  city.     His  first  employment  by 


the  company  was  to  secure  right  of  way  through 
Galena,  where  he  was  in  practice  with  R.  H. 
McClellan.  In  1856,  he  came  to  Chicago,  and, 
in  1857,  was  appointed  one  of  the  solicitors  of  the 
Illinois  Central  road,  David  Stuart  being  the 
other.  It  never  had  a  more  faithful  servant 
than  he.  Cautious  and  conservative  in  tempera- 
ment, many  were  the  breakers  avoided  by  his 
wise  counsel.  Litigation  pregnant  with  danger, 
he  made  it  a  rule  to  settle ;  but  where  he  believed 
the  law  and  the  evidence  to  be  on  his  client's 
side,  or  where  he  believed  there  was  a  principle 
worth  contending  for,  he  would  contest,  general- 
ly with  success,  a  case  to  the  end.  Knotty  prob- 
lems, such  as  frequently  encompass  the  opera- 
tions of  a  railway,  he  studied  out  with  untiring 
zeal. 

Mr.  Douglas  was  a  director  of  the  company 
from  May  29,  1861,  to  May  22,  1872,  and  from 
January  15,  1875,  to  July  17,  1876.  On  July 
n,  1865,  he  was  elected  president  of  the  com- 
pany and  served  until  March  14,  1871.  He  con- 
tinued in  the  service  as  general-solicitor  and,  on 
January  28,  1875,  was  again  elected  president, 
serving  until  July  17,  1876,  when  he  retired  per- 
manently from  the  service.  His  presidential 
terms  covered  important  periods  in  the  history 
of  the  road,  and,  in  the  course  of  his  manage- 
ment, he  encountered  many  difficult  problems  in 
dealing  with  which  he  displayed  sterling  quali- 
ties of  mind,  and  in  the  solution  of  which  he 
was  eminently  successful. 

In  1881,  he  was  appointed  by  Judge  Thomas 
Drummond,  receiver  of  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi 
Railway  Company,  the  affairs  of  which  he 
managed  with  scrupulous  fidelity  to  the  owners 
of  the  property.  Mr.  Douglas  died  March  26, 
1891.  He  married  Amanda  Marshall,  of  Platts- 
burg, New  York,  and  left  three  children,  Helen. 
Anna  and  John  Marshall.  He  was  a  democrat 
in  politics  but  never  took  a  very  active  part  in 
political  life.  He  made  it  a  rule  of  his  official 
life  never  to  write  a  letter  concerning  any  im- 
portant matter  of  business,  which  he  could  bet- 
ter explain  in  person,  apparently  following  the 
advice  of  Sidney  Smith,  "that  it  was  better  to 
walk  six  miles  than  to  write  six  lines."  Diffi- 


106 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


dent  and  retiring  in  disposition  and  exceeding- 
ly reticent  in  manner,  he  was  often  misunder- 
stood. The  labors  of  the  best  part  of  his  life 
were  with  singular  devotion  given  to  the  interests 
of  the  Illinois  Central  Railway  Company  and  it 
is  pleasant  to  know  that  they  were  appreciated.- 


that  the  supreme  court  of  the  state  declared  it 
unconstitutional.  But,  in  the  mean  time,  it  in- 
flicted untold  hardships  upon  the  railways  of  the 
state,  and,  owing  to  its  peculiar  geographical 
position,  none  suffered  worse  than  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad.  On  more  than  one  occasion, 


COURTESY  MRS.  C,  K.  DIXON,  CHEROKEE,  IOWA. 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  STATION  FT.  DODGE,  IOWA. 


'OHN  NEWELL,  sixth  president  of  the 
Illinois  Central  was  elected  April  14, 
1871.  As  far  back  as  1855,  Mr.  Newell 
was  division  engineer  on  the  main  line. 
His  knowledge  of  engineering  and  his  experience 
in  that  profession  served  him  well  when  he  re- 
turned to  the  service  of  the  company.  During 
his  presidency,  he  encountered  a  larger  propor- 
tion of  trials  than  ordinarily  fall  to  the  lot  of  the 
railway  manager.  They  might  be  summed  up 
chiefly  in  three  words  —  grangerism,  fire  and 
panic. 

In    1871,    the   legislature    enacted    the    first 
granger  law,  which  proved  so  odious  in  its  terms 


lawless  mobs  undertook  to  dictate  how  the  trains 
should  be  run  on  the  road.  If  there  is  any  one 
thing  that  the  average  railway  manager  especial- 
ly rebels  against,  it  is  to  have  outsiders  interfere 
with  the  running  of  his  trains.  The  good  sense 
of  the  people  soon  prevailed,  and  another  law, 
not  so  objectional  in  its  provisions,  was  passed 
two  years  after. 

The  great  Chicago  fire,  of  October  8th  and 
Qth,  1871,-  destroyed  a  very  large  amount  of  the 
company's  property,  including  its  freight  houses 
with  all  the  valuable  goods  stored  in  them ;  also, 
one  of  the  large  grain-elevators  with  its  con- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


107 


tents,*  and  the  commodious  passenger  depot. 
These  severe  losses  almost  paralyzed  for  the  time 
being  the  business  of  the  road.  As  entrance  to 
the  company's  grounds  in  Chicago  was  complete- 
ly obstructed,  it  was  impossible  to  receive  or 
forward  freight.  The  company's  money  loss  by 
the  fire  was  about  $300,000.  This,  fortunately, 
was  largely  covered  by  insurance  in  a  reliable 
company  —  the  Liverpool  and  London  and  Globe 
of  London  —  which  promptly  paid  its  obligation 
in  full. 

In  1873  a  financial  panic  swept  over  the 
country  with  all  its  concomitant  evils,  rendering 
successful  administration  of  railroad  affairs  a 
matter  of  no  ordinary  difficulty.  The  business 
of  the  country  was  greatly  unsettled  and  prices 
of  produce  fell  to  a  very  low  point.  Corn  sold 
on  the  board  of  trade,  Chicago,  in  June  of  that 
year,  as  low  as  27  cents,  and,  owing  to  the  diver- 
sion of  grain  carrying  vessels  to  the  ore  trade  — 
then  quite  active,  it  was  difficult  to  make  charters. 
The  consequence  was  that  the  company's  eleva- 
tors were  soon  filled  and  the  movement  of  this 
class  of  traffic  in  the  direction  of  Chicago  was  al- 
most suspended.  The  company  was  compelled 
to  pay  exorbitant  lake  and  canal  rates  in  order 
to  relieve  their  elevators ;  and,  in  some  instances, 
as  high  as  33  cents  per  bushel  was  paid  on  wheat 
to  New  York  —  vessel  owners  naturally  taking 
advantage  of  the  situation. 

Mr.  Newell,  during  all  these  and  other  vari- 
ous trials,  proved  himself  equal  to  every  emer- 
gency ;  and  the  affairs  of  the  company  during 
his  connection  with  its  management,  April  14, 
1871  to  September  n,  1874,  were  administered 
with  fidelity  and  on  his  part  with  an  unflinching 
adherence  to  what  he  believed  to  be  for  the  best 

*  The  other  elevator  was  saved  through  a  fortunate 
circumstance.  There  happened  to  be  loaded  on  a  flat- 
car  in  the  freight  yard  a  steam  fire-engine,  which  had 
been  ordered  from  an  eastern  manufacturer  for  Beloit, 
Wisconsin.  The  man  in  charge  of  it  volunteered  to 
assist  in  unloading  it  and  putting  it  in  position  for 
service,  and,  by  taking  suction  from  the  lake,  a  well 
directed  stream  was  applied  to  the  huge  building  just 
as  the  flames  began  to  lick  up  the  belting  inside  the 
door.  The  engine,  which  had  done  such  valuable  ser- 
vice, was  purchased  by  Messrs.  J.  and  E.  Buckingham, 
the  lessees  of  the  elevators. 


interests  of  the  shareholders.  In  1883  Mr. 
Newell  was  elected  president  of  the  Lake  Shore 
&  Michigan  Southern  Railway  and  continued 
as  such  until  his  death  in  1894. 


ILSON  G.  HUNT  served  as  the 
seventh  president  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railway  from  September 
11,  1874,  to  January  28,  1875. 


M.  K.  ACKERMAN  ninth  presi- 
dent of  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
way. (See  biography  and  portrait 
in  part  two.) 


JAMES  C.  CLARKE  tenth  president  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Railway  was  born  in 
Montgomery  county,  Maryland,  March 
4,  1824.  Like  several  other  Illinois  Cen- 
tral workers  —  among  whom  may  be  mentioned 
John  H.  Done,  Samuel  J.  Hayes,  John  C.  Jacobs 
and  Charles  C.  Berry  —  he  commenced  his  rail- 
way life  on  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad ;  he 
entered  its  service  in  1844,  and  was  first  engaged 
in  the  road  department  and  then  entered  the  ma- 
chinery department  as  a  fireman ;  after  the  usual 
term  of  service  as  such,  he  was  appointed  a  loco- 
motive engineer.  During  this  term  of  ser- 
vice, he  ran  the  old  engine  "Arabian,"  which 
was  on  exhibition  in  Chicago  in  1883  and  which 
i;;  now  used  as  a  switch  engine  in  the  yard  of 
Mt.  Clare  shops,  Baltimore.  In  1855  —  at  the 
instance  of  Mr.  John  H.  Done,  who  had  been 
master  of  transportation  on  the  Baltimore  & 


108 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Ohio  Railroad  and  was  called  to  a  similar  posi- 
tion on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  —  Mr. 
Clarke  accepted  the  position  08  division  super- 
intendent of  the  main  line  with  headquarters  at 
Amboy,  Illinois. 

Matters  were  then  in  a  demoralized  condi- 
tion on  that  division  and  insubordination  existed 
among  the  men.  Mr.  Clarke,  coming  among 
them  a  stranger,  did  not  meet  with  a  very  hos- 


ment  of  his  future  course.  It  did  not  take  them 
long  to  find  out  who  "that  fellow  Clarke"  was, 
for,  on  the  succeeding  day,  on  the  occasion  of  the 
first  revolt,  every  man  in  the  .shops  was  dis- 
charged and  the  shops  were  closed  to  await  the 
arrival  of  fresh  men. 

One  year  afterward,  he  was  appointed 
general  superintendent,  and,  upon  the  death  of 
Mr.  Done  —  which  sad  event  occurred  through 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  STATION  AT  CHEROKEE,  IOWA. 


pitable  reception.  He  tells  an  amusing  story  of 
conversation  had  in  his  hearing  between  some 
of  the  men,  around  the  big  stove  in  the  depot  hotel 
on  the  night  of  his  arrival,  about  "that  fellow 
Clarke"  who,  they  had  heard,  was  coming  over  to 
Amboy  to  straighten  things  out.  As  he  had  not 
registered  his  correct  name  on  the  hotel  book,  he 
enjoyed  not  only  the  conversation  with  its  boasts 
and  threats,  but,  by  joining  in  it,  he  was  enabled 
to  obtain  some  valuable  points  for  the  govern- 


an  accident  at  Hyde  Park  —  he  was  elected  to 
succeed  the  latter  as  master  of  transportation. 
He  remained  in  the  service  at  that  time  for  three 
years  —  1856-1859,  and  then  resigned  to  accept 
a  position  as  general  superintendent  on  the 
Northern  Central  Railroad,  where  he  remained 
three  years  —  1859-1862. 

While  in  charge  of  the  road  in  the  early 
part  of  the  war,  the  task  of  conducting  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  in  safety  from  Harrisburg  to  Wash- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


109 


ington,  prior  to  his  first  inauguration,  devolved 
upon  him.  A  few  years  before,  Mr.  Lincoln  had 
been  one  of  the  attorneys  of  the  Illinois  Central 
company.  This  was  during  Mr.  Clarke's  early 
connection  with  the  road ;  and,  upon  this  memor- 
able trip,  their  former  pleasant  acquaintance  was 
renewed.  Shortly  afterward,  Mr.  Clarke  retired 
to  his  farm  near  Frederick,  Maryland,  where  he 
was  alternately  visited  by  portions  of  the  federal 
and  confederate  armies,  and  was  occasionally 
asked  to  drink  to  the  success  of  each  side,  a  con- 
dition of  things  that  rendered  farming  in  that 
locality  a  somewhat  dubious  occupation. 

After  the  close  of  the  war,  he  engaged  in  the 
iron  business  at  the  Ashland  furnaces  in  1862- 
1870.  He  was  then  elected  president  of  the 
Chesapeake  &  Ohio  Canal  Company,  and,  for 
the  first  time  in  sixteen  years,  he  made  this  canal 
self-sustaining  and  paid  off  in  two  years  more 
than  $600,000  of  its  preference  debts  from  its 
net  earnings.  He  remained  in  charge  .of  this 
property  for  two  years  —  1870  to  1872.  Mr. 
Clarke  was  then  elected  vice-president  and 
general  manager  of  the  Erie  Railway  Company, 
while  that  road  was  still  suffering  from  the  evil 
effects  of  the  Fisk  management.  Here  he  proved 
himself  faithful  among  the  faithless ;  his  savings 
at  the  spigots  were  numerous  and  effective  but 
were  sadly  offset  by  waste  at  the  bungs. 

Mr.  Clarke  was  familiar  with  the  use  and 
purposes  of  the  locomotive  engine  and  all  ligiti- 
mate  railroad  machinery,  but  the  operations  of 
a  small  printing  press  quite  baffled  him.  One 
day,  there  was  submitted  to  him  a  mysterious 
voucher  for  $50,000  for  his  approval.  All  the 
explanation  vouchsafed  for  the  proposed  pay- 
ment was  that  it  was  "for  legal  services;"  Mr. 
Clarke  shortly  after  signed  his  name,  not  to  the 
aforesaid  voucher,  but  to  a  letter  pf  resignation, 
after  a  service  of  two  years  —  1872  to  1874. 

In  1874  he  returned  to  the  Illinois  Central 
service  as  general  manager — 1874  to  1877  — 


and  took  a  very  active  part  in  the  reorganization 
and  reconstruction  of  the  roads  which  had  been 
acquired  south  of  Cairo  and  which  have  been 
hereinbefore  referred  to  in  detail.  He  became 
vice-president  and  general  manager  —  1877  to 

1883  —  and  president  —  1883  to  1888 of  these 

dependent  lines  successively.  He  was  also 
vice-president  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
Company,  and  in  August  1883,  became  presi- 
dent. This  position  he  held  until  May  i8th, 
1887.  He  resigned  as  director,  December  21, 
1887. 

Mr.  Clarke's  record  as  a  railroad  manager 
would  fill  a  respectable  sized  volume  of  itself. 
He  is  a  man  of  indomitable  energy,  unswerving 
integrity,  and  is  possessed  of  great  versatility. 
His  power  of  adaptation  to  adverse  circumstances 
and  conditions  is  something  remarkable.  He  has 
a  wonderful  capacity  for  dealing  with  men,  and 
his  tact  and  discretion  in  this  particular  have 
saved  many  thousands  of  dollars  to  the  com- 
panies he  has  served. 

It  has  been  said  that  on  the  occasion  of  a 
strike  on  one  of  his  roads,  a  "grievance  commit- 
tee" of  locomotive  engineers,  who  visited  him, 
were  put  in  such  good  humor  that  they  forgot 
what  they  came  for.  Having  been  a  Knight 
of  the  Footboard  himself,  he  knew  how  to  sym- 
pathize with  this  class,  and  he  could  enter  into 
their  feelings  and  grant  all  reasonable  requests; 
but,  at  the  same  time,  he  could,  in  his  clever  way, 
point  a  lesson  when  he  believed  they  were  wrong. 


TUYVESANT  FISH,  the  eleventh  and 
present  president  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral   Railroad    Company    was    elected 
May   1 8,   1887.     (For  biography  and 
portrait  see  part  two.) 


110 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


DIRECTORS  OF  THE 
ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY, 

WITH  DATE  OF  THEIR  ELECTION. 
1851-1890. 


Jonathan    Sturges, 

February  10,  1851. 

George  Griswold,    - 

February  10,  1851. 

Gouverneur  Morris,       -     - 

February  10,  1851. 

David    A.    Neal, 

February  10,  1851. 

John  F.  A.   San  ford,    -    - 

February  10,  1851. 

Franklin    Haven,     -     -     - 

February  10,  1851. 

Leroy    M.    Wiley,     -     -     - 

February  10,  1851. 

Robert   Rantoul,  Jr.    - 

February  10,  1851. 

Henry  Grinnell,    -     -     -     - 

February  10,  1851. 

Thomas  W.  Ludlow,   - 

February  10,  1851. 

Joseph   W.   Alsop,    - 

February  10,  1851. 

Gov.   Augustus   C.   French, 

February  10,  1851. 

Robert    Schuyler, 

February  10,  1851. 

The  foregoing,  with  the  governor  of  Illi- 
nois, constituted  the  first  board  of  directors;  the 
following  named  were  afterward  elected : 


Morris  Ketchum, 
William  P.  Bun-all,    - 
Gov.  Joel  A.  Matteson,    - 
J.  Newton  Perkins,     -     - 
Wiliam   H.   Osborn, 
Frederick  C.  Gebhard,     - 
J.  N.  A.  Griswold, 
James  F.  Joy,     -     -     -     - 
Thomas  E.  Walker,    -     - 
Ebenezer  Lane,     -     -     - 
Gov.  William  H.  Bissell, 
Abram  S.  Hewitt,     • 
Pierre  Chouteau.  Jr., 
Gustavus  W.  Smith,     • 
William  Tracy,     -     -     - 
Gov.  Richard  Yates,    • 
Nathaniel  P.  Banks,     -     - 
John   M.   Douglas,     -     - 
James    C.    Fargo,      -     -     • 
William  R.  Arthur,      - 
H.    H.    Hunnewell,     -     - 
Edwin  H.  Sheldon, 
James  Caird,     -     -     -     - 


April  15,  1851. 

-  March  16,  1853. 

-  January  I,  1852. 
August  II,   1854. 
August   11,    1854. 
October  24,  1854. 

December  5,   1854. 

March  21,   1854. 

-    November  7,  1855. 

December  6,   1855. 

January  I,  1856. 

March  19,  1856. 

March  18,  1857. 

December  12,  1857. 

-  April   12,   1859. 

-  January  I,  1860. 
September  6,   1860. 

May  29,  1861. 
May  28,  1862. 

May  28,  1862. 
May  28,  1862. 

May  28,  1862. 
May  27,  1863. 


Cunningham   Borthwick, 
Gov.  Richard  J.   Oglesby, 
Henry    Chauncey,      -     - 
Wilson   G.   Hunt, 
Ambrose  E.  Burnside, 
R.   Daniel  Wolterbeek, 
Gov.  John  M.  Palmer,  - 
George   Bliss,     -     -     -     . 
J.   Pierpont   Morgan, 
Louis  A.  Von  Hoffman, 
John    Newell,        -     -     - 
Lucien    Tilton, 
William    H.   Gebhard, 
William  K.  Ackerman,     • 
Gov.  John  L.  Beveridge, 
L.  V.  F.  Randolph, 
Abram  R.  Van  Nest,    - 
Frederick   Sturges,     - 
Constantine  Menelas,     - 
Gov.  Shelby  M.  Cullom, 
A.  G.  Dulman, 
Stuyvesant   Fish,     -     -     • 
Benjamin  F.  Ayer,     -     - 
James  C.  Clarke, 
John    Elliott, 
W.  Bayard  Cutting,    -     - 
Sidney    Webster, 
Gov.  John  M.  Hamilton, 
Edward  H.  Harriman,     - 
Gov.  Richard  J.  Oglesby, 
Walther    Luttgen, 
Robert   Goelet, 
S.  Van  Rensalaer  Cruger 
William  Waldorf  Astor, 
Oliver    Harriman, 
Levi    P.   Morton.     -     -     - 
John  W.  Auchincloss, 
Gov.  Joseph  W.  Fifer, 
J.    C.    Welling, 
Charles   M.   Da  Costa, 
George    Bliss, 


May  27,  1863. 

January   I,  1864. 

May   25,  1864. 

June   14,  1864. 

-     May  31,  1865. 

December  13,  1865. 

-  January  I,  1868. 

May  27,  1868. 

May  31,  1871. 

May  31,  1871. 

May  31,  1871. 

May  31,  1871. 

May  31,  1871. 

May  29,  1872. 

-  January  I,  1873. 
January  28,  1873. 

-  January  26,  1875. 
October  26,  1875. 

•  December  15,  1875. 

-  January  I,  1876. 

•  -     March  16,  1877. 

-  March   16,  1877. 

April  25,  1877. 

May  30,  1877. 

-  -     May  30,  1877. 

-  -      May  28,  1879. 

April    19,  1882. 

February  6,  1883. 

-  -     May  30,  1883. 
2d  term,  Jan.  I,  1884. 

March     12,  1884. 

March    12,  1884. 

,     •      March  12,  1884. 

•  -    March  n,  1885. 

March    10,  1886. 

March   10,  1886. 

May  3,  1888. 

January  I,  1889. 

-  March  9,  1889. 
March  13,  1889. 
March  13,  1889. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


Ill 


In  1889  the  fiscal  year  was  changed  to  corre- 
spond with  that  of  the  national  government.  A 
report  of  six  months  business  was  reported  and 
the  election  changed  from  March  to  September. 
Since  that  time  the  following  have  been  elected, 
their  term  of  office  expiring  as  given  below : 

Expiring  1890.  Oliver  Harriman,  George 
Bliss,  John  Elliott 

Expiring  1891.  Stuyvesant  Fish,  Edward 
H.  Harriman,  William  Waldorf  Astor. 

Expiring  1892.  S.  Van  Rensalaer  Cruger, 
Charles  A.  Peabody,  Jr.,  Norman  Ream,  Gov. 
Joseph  W.  Fifer. 

Expiring  1893.  Benjamin  F.  Ayer,  Wal- 
ther  Luttgen,  John  W.  Auchincloss. 

Expiring  1894.  Oliver  Harriman,  John  W. 
Doane,  Charles  M.  Beach. 

Expiring  1895.  Stuyvesant  Fish,  Edward 
H.  Harriman,  John  Jacob  Astor. 


Expiring  1896.  S.  Van  Rensalaer  Cruger, 
Charles  A.  Peabody,  John  C.  Welling,  Gov.  John 
P.  Altgeld. 

Expiring  1897.  Benjamin  F.  Ayer,  Wal- 
ther  Luttgen,  John  W.  Auchincloss. 

Expiring  1898.  Oliver  Harriman,  John  W, 
Doane,  Charles  M.  Beach. 

Expiring  1899.  Stuyvesant  Fish,  Edward 
H.  Harriman,  John  Jacob  Astor. 

Expiring  1900.  Charles  A.  Peabody,  Jr., 
John  C.  Welling,  W.  Morton  Grinnell,  Gov.  John 
R.  Tanner. 

Expiring  1901.  Benjamin  F.  Ayer,  Wal- 
ther  Luttgen,  John  W.  Auchincloss. 

Expiring  1902.  John  W.  Doane,  Charles 
M.  Beach,  James  D.  W.  Cutting. 

Expiring  1903.  Stuyvesant  Fish,  Edward 
II.  Harriman,  John  Jacob  Astor. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


MILEAGE  AND  EQUIPMENT  OF  THE  ILLINOIS 
CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY. 


MILEAGE  AND  EQUIPMENT  OF  THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL 

RAILROAD  COMPANY. 

From  the  original  Road  of  705.50  Miles  it  has  Grown  to  its  Present  Magnificent  Proportions  of 

5,454.53  Miles. 


NORTHERN  LINES. 

MILES. 

East  Dubuque  to  Main  Line  Junction.. 340. 77 
Chicago  to  Cairo,  Illinois 364.73 

South  Chicago  Branch. 

Parkside  to  South  Chicago 4.63 

Blue  Island  Railroad. 
Kensington  to  Blue  Island 3.96 

Mound  City  Railroad. 
Mound  City  Junction  to  Mound  City. . .     2.87 

Kankakee  &  Southwestern. 

Otto  to  Normal  Junction 79.43 

Kempton  Junction  to  Kankakee  June. .  41.80 
Buckingham  to  Tracy 10.00 

Gilman,  Clinton  &  Springfield  Railroad. 
Oilman  to  Springfield 111.47 

Rantoul  Railroad. 

West  Lebanon,  Ind.,  to  LeRoy,  111 74.40 

Chicago,  Havana  &  Western  Railroad. 

Havana  to  Champaign 100.58 

White  Heath  to  Decatur 31.04 

Chicago,  Madison  &  Northern  Railroad. 

Freeport,  111.,  to  Madison,  Wis 61.59 

Cedarville  June.,  111.,  toDodgeville.Wis.  57.36 
Freeport  to  Clark  Street,  Chicago 112.14 

Chicago  &  Texas  Railroad. 
Johnston  City  to  East  Cape  Girardeau.  73.00 
Mobile  Junction  to  Garrison  Shaft 2.00 

St.  Louis,  Indianapolis  &  Eastern  R.  R. 
Switz  City,  Ind.,  to  Effingham,  111 88.51 

St.  Louis  A.  &  T.  H.  Railroad. 

East  St.  Louis  to  Eldorado 121.00 

Belleville  to  East  Carondelet 17.30 

Pinckneyville  to  Brooklyn 98.43 

Harrison  to  Murphysboro 2.31 

Belleville  to  East  St.  Louis 14.40 

St.  Louis,  Peoria  &  Northern  Railway. 
Springfield  to  East  St.  Louis 97.59 

Total  Northern  Lines.  .  1911.31 


WESTERN  LINES. 

Dubuque  &  Sioux  City  Railroad. 

Dubuque  to  Sioux  City 326.58 

Onawa,  la., 'to  Sioux  Falls,  S.  D 153.23 

Cedar  Rapids  to  Manchester 41.74 

Cedar  Falls  June,   to  Minnesota  State 
Line 75.58 

Stacy ville  Railroad. 

Lyle,  Minn.,  to  Stacyville 7.66 

Omaha  Division. 

Tara  to  Council  Bluffs. . .  . .  131.02 


Total  Western  Lines. 


735.81 


SOUTHERN  LINES. 

Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans  R.  R. 

Cairo,  111.,  to  Canton,  Miss 341.03 

Canton  to  New  Orleans 206.76 

Memphis  Division. 

Grenada,  Miss  ,  to  Memphis,  Tenn 100.00 

Durant,  Miss.,  to  Kosciusco,  Miss 17.20 

Louisville  Division. 

Memphis,  Tenn.,  to  Louisville,  Ky.  ...398.12 
Owensboro,  Ky.,  to  Horse  Branch,  Ky.  42.16 
Evansville,  Ind.,  to  Hopkinsville,  Ky.. 129.12 
Morganfield,  Ky.,  to  Uniontown,  Ky..  7.59 
DeKoven,  Ky. ,  to  Ohio  River 2.00 

Hodgenville  &  Elizabethtown  Railroad..   11.10 

Troy  &  Tiptonville  Railroad. 
Moffat  to  Troy,  Tenn 4.60 

Canton,  Aberdeen  &  Nashville  Railroad. 
Aberdeen  to  Kosciusco,  Miss 89.06 


Total  Southern  Lines. 


Total  of  all  lines . 


1,348.74 
3,995.86 


116 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


SUMMARY. 

MILES. 

On  June  30,  1900,  there  were  in  operation, 

Of  first  main  track 3,995.86 

Of  second  and  additional  main  tracks 248.17 


Total  of  main  tracks 4,244.03 

Of  passing  and  side  tracks,  including  yard 
tracks 1,209.50 


Total  tracks  of  all  kinds 5,453.53 

This  mileage  is  exclusive  of  the  railroad 
owned  and  operated  by  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi 
Valley  Railroad  Company. 

YAZOO  &  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY  RAILROAD  COM- 
PANY. 

The  following  extract  from  the  report  of  the 
President  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Y.  & 
M.  V.  Railroad  Company,  for  the  year  ending 
June  30,  1900,  shows  the  mileage  operated  by 
that  company: 

"The  number  of  miles  of  railroad  operated 
by  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  Railroad 
Company  throughout  the  past  year  has  been 
1,000.68." 

Statement  of  the  number  of  miles  of  railroad 
operated  by  the  I.  C.  Railroad  Company 
and  also  the  number  of  miles  of  railroad 
operated  by  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  Railroad  Com- 
pany, respectively,  in  various  states  on 
June  30,  1900. 


STATES. 

MILKS  OF  1 

LAILROAD  IN 
JUNK  30,  190( 

OPERATION 

. 

I.  C.  R.  R. 
CO. 

Y.  &M.  V. 
R.  R.  CO. 

BOTH 
COMPANIES. 

Illinois  

1  769  47 

1  769  47 

South  Dakota  . 
Minnesota  
Iowa  

14.95 
11.40 
712  19 

14.95 
11.40 
712  19 

Wisconsin  
Indiana  .  .  . 

91.31 
45  17 

91.31 
45  17 

Kentucky.  .  .  . 

506  28 

506  28 

Tennessee  
Mississippi  .... 
Louisiana  
Alabama  

252.38 
497.13 
87.74 
7  84 

13.11 

817.37 
170.20 

265.49 
1,314.50 

257.94 
7  84 

Total  

3  995  86 

1  000  68 

4  996  54 

On  September  20,  1850,  Congress  made  the 
first  grant  of  public  lands  to  aid  in  the  construc- 
tion of  a  line  of  railroad.  This  grant  to  Illinois 
was  subsequently  transferred  to  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, which  was  chartered  February  10,  1851, 
to  run  from  LaSalle,  the  terminus  of  the  Illinois 
and  Michigan  Canal,  north  to  the  Mississppi 
river,  opposite  Dubuque,  la.,  and  south  to  Cairo, 
with  a  branch  to  Chicago.  There  were  2,594,- 
1 1 5  acres  included  in  this  grant. 

The  first  engineering  party  was  organized 
at  Chicago,  May  21,  1851,  and  began  the  survey 
of  the  Chicago  division. '  The  whole  line  was 
surveyed  and  located  before  the  end  of  the  year. 

The  first  contract  for  grading  was  made 
March  15,  1852,  for  that  part  of  the  line  between 
Chicago  and  .  Calumet,  a  distance  of  fourteen 
miles.  It  was  completed  May  24,  1852,  to  let 
the  Michigan  Central  into  the  city,  making  con- 
nection between  Chicago  and  Detroit.  The  con- 
tracts for  grading  divisions  i,  2,  6,  8,  9,  10  were 
let  in  June  1852,  while  those  for  grading  divi- 
sions 3,  4,  5,  7,  n,  12  were  let  October  14,  1852. 

The  following  lines  were  opened  for  traffic 
at  the  times  specified  below : 


Chicago  to  Kensington 14      miles. 

Bloomington  to  Tonica 50  "  . 

Kensington  to  Kankakee....  42  "  .  . 

Tonica  to  Mendota 25  "  . 

Freeport  to  Nora 20.75  "  . 

Clinton  to  Bloomington 22  "  . 

Kankakee  to  Ludlow 52  "  . 

Ludlow  to  Champaign 21  "  . 

Nora  to  Apple  River 10  "  . 

Decatur  to  Clinton 21.50  "  . 

Apple  River  to  Council  Hill.  13  "  . 

Cairo  to  Sandoval 118.50  "  . 

Mendota  to  Amboy 16  "  . 

Sandoval  to  Decatur 86.25  "  . 

Freeport  to  Amboy 47.50  "  . 

Council  Hill  to  E.  Dubuque.  25.22  "  . 

Champaign  to  Mattoon 43.50  "  . 

Mattoon  to  Main  Line  June.  77.28  "  . 


May 

May 

July 

Nov. 

Jan. 

Mar. 

May 

July 

Sept. 

Oct. 

Oct. 

Nov. 

Nov. 

Jan. 

Jan. 

June 

June 

Sept. 


24,  1852 
16,  1853 
11,  1853 
14,  1853 
6,  1854 

14,  1854 
13,  1854 

24,  1854 
11,  1854 
18,  1854 
28,  1854 
22,  1854 
27,  1854 

6,  1855 

15,  1855 
11,  1855 

25,  1855 
27,  1856 


The  conservatism,  which  marked  the  early 
operations  of  the  company,  later  gave  way  to 
very  active  progress.  Large  expenditures  have 
been  made  in  the  construction  and  acquisition  of 
lines,  as  well  as  for  additional  equipment  and  for 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


117 


other  property.  Among  the  more  important 
works  carried  out  we  mention  the  following : 

The  South  Chicago  Railroad  (4.76  miles) 
was  completed,  affording  a  double  track  connec- 
tion with  this  important  manufacturing  town. 

The  Chicago,  Madison  &  Northern  railroad 
was  begun  in  1886  and  the  first  trains  began 
running  in  August  1888.  It  was  turned  over  to 
the  Illinois  Central  January  i,  1889. 


to  acquire  the  line  in  Illinois.  The  Illinois  Cen- 
tral railroad  secured  a  clear  title  to  this  road  in 
January  1887,  and  increased  it  from  a  narrow 
gauge  to  a  standard  gauge  in  1888. 

In  1877  the  Oilman,  Clinton  &  Springfield 
railroad  was  organized  under  the  name  of  the 
Chicago  &  Springfield  railroad  and  leased  to  the 
Illinois  Central  for  fifty  years,  operations  be- 
ginning January  i,  1878. 


PHOTO  LOANED  BY  A.  DILLON,  CHEROKEE,  |OW». 


A  partial  view  of  the  Coon  River  trestle  on  the  Omaha  division,.  1500  ft.  long  and  65  ft.  high, 

one  of  the  largest  in  the  world. 


The  Chicago,  Havana  &  Western  railroad, 
130  miles  in  length,  was  acquired  in  1887,  under 
foreclosure  proceedings. 

The  Havana,  Rantoul  &  Eastern  railroad, 
West  Lebanon,  Indiana,  to  LeRoy,  111.,  (74.40 
miles  long)  was  chartered  October  10,  1873,  and 
opened  in  1881,  being  purchased  in  May  of  that 
year  by  the  Wabash.  Went  into  the  hands  of  a 
receiver  with  the  Wabash  in  May  29,  1884;  de- 
faulted on  interest  June  I,  1885,  and  sold  under 
foreclosure  in  October  1886,  being  purchased 
by  the  Illinois  Central  and  two  new  companies 
organized,  the  Lebanon  &  Western  to  acquire 
the  road  in  Indiana  and  the  Leroy  and  Eastern 


Between  the  years  1878  and  1883  the  Kanka- 
kee  &  Southwestern  railroad,  131.26  miles,  was 
constructed  and  added. 

The  Indiana  &  Illinois  Southern  railroad, 
extending  from  Switz  City,  Ind.,  to  Effingham, 
Illinois,  a  distance  of  88.51  miles,  was  acquired 
by  the  Illinois  Central  in  1899,  under  foreclosure 
sale  and  since  January  i,  190x3,  has  been  operated 
by  the  Illinois  Central  as  the  Effingham  district. 

April  i,  1896,  the  Illinois  Central  leased 
the  St.  Louis,  Alton  &  Terre  Haute  Railroad 
for  99  years  from  October  i,  1895,  and  the 
Belleville  &  Southern  Illinois  Railroad,  carrying 
leases  of  six  small  roads. 


118 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


The  13  miles  of  track  constructed  in  1885. 
by  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Northern  Railroad, 
on  the  company's  right  of  way  between  East 
Dubuque  and  Portage  curve  under  condem- 
nation proceedings,  was  purchased  in  1888,  and 
an  arrangement  made  permitting  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Northern  Railroad  to  use  it  at  a 
fixed  rental. 

Control  of  the  Dunleith  an  Dubuque  bridge, 
the  construction  of  which  was  begun  in  1867 
and  opened  for  business  January  i,  1869,  was 
secured  in  1888  by  the  purchase  of  all  the  stock 
of  that  company,  and  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul 
&  Kansas  City  Railroad  and  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Northern  Railroad  became  par- 
ticipants in  its  use  as  joint  tenants. 

The  control  of  the  Dubuque  &  Sioux  City 
Railroad — 143  miles — and  the  Iowa  Falls  & 
Sioux  City  Railroad — 183  miles — was  obtained 
through  the  purchase  of  the  securities  of  those 
companies  in  1887. 

Between  the  years  1881  and  1888,  the  Illi- 
nois Central  built,  or  had  built  in  its  interests, 
in  Iowa,  the  Cherokee  &  Dakota  Railroad,  ex- 
tending from  Cherokee,  Iowa,  northwesterly  to 
Sioux  Falls,  South  Dakota,  and  from  Cherokee, 
southwesterly  to  Onawa,  a  distance  of  155.58 
miles. 

Also  the  Cedar  Rapids  &  Chicago  Railroad, 
extending  from  Manchester  to  Cedar  Rapids, 
Iowa,  a  distance  of  41.85  miles. 

In  1899  the  Omaha  division,  extending 
from  Tara,  Iowa,  to  Council  Bluffs,  la.,  (131.02 
miles)  was  completed. 

The  Cedar  Falls  &  Minnesota  Railroad  was 
purchased  at  foreclosure  sale  June  i,  1896. 

The  Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans 
Railroad  was  formed  November  8,  1877,  by  the 
consolidation  of  the  New  Orleans,  Jackson  & 
Northern  and  Central  Mississippi  Railroads. 
The  former  road  was  chartered  as  the  New 
Orleans,  Jackson  &  Great  Northern  Railroad, 
April  22,  1852,  and  opened  from  New  Orleans 
to  Canton,  Miss.,  (206  miles)  in  1859.  It  was 
sold  under  foreclosure  March  17,  1877,  and  re- 
organized as  the  New  Orleans,  Jackson  & 
Northern,  May  12,  1877.  The  Mississippi 


Central  Railroad  was  chartered  by  the  states  of 
Mississippi  and  Tennessee  in  1852,  and  was 
opened  from  Canton,  Miss.,  to  Jackson,  Tenn., 
in  1860,  and  extended  to  the  Ohio  river  opposite 
Cairo  in  1873,  making  a  line  343  miles  long.  It 
was  sold  under  foreclosure  August  23,  1877, 
and  reorganized  as  the  Central  Mississippi 
River  Railroad,  November  5,  1877.  June  13, 
1882,  the  Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans  • 
Railroad  was  leased  by  the  Illinois  Central  for 
400  years,  and  assumed  control  of  the  same  Jan. 
i,  1883- 

On  September  15,  1897,  the  owners  of  the 
Chesapeake,  Ohio  &  Southwestern,  Owensboro, 
Falls  of  Rough  &  Green  River  and  the  Short 
Route  Terminal  of  Louisville,  deeded  the  same 
to  the  Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans  Rail- 
road. Later  they  were  simultaneously  mort- 
gaged to  the  Illinois  Central  and  leased  for  99 
years  from  July  I,  1897. 

The  Ohio  Valley  Railroad  was  sold  under 
foreclosure  July  13,  1897,  and  bid  in  for  the 
stockholders.  On  August  i,  1897,  the  Illinois 
Central  began  to  operate  the  road  as  "agents  for 
the  owners." 

The  Chicago  &  Texas  Railroad  was  secured 
and  is  operated  under  a  25  year  lease  from  Octo- 
ber I,  1897.  The  extension  from  East  Cape 
Girardeau  to  Gale,  a  distance  of  five  miles,  was 
completed  June  30,  1898. 

The  bridge  across  the  Ohio  river  at  Cairo 
was  built  to  obviate  the  delays  incident  to  the 
ferry  transfer. 

In  1892  the  Illinois  Central  secured  control 
of  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  Railroad  by 
purchasing  all  the  securities  for  $5,000,000  cash 
and  $20,000,000  in  bonds.  In  October  1892  the 
Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Texas  Railroad  and 
the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  Railroad  were 
consolidated  and  since  November  i,  1892,  have 
been  operated  by  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi 
Valley  Railroad. 

The  Litchfield  division,  97.59  miles  in  length, 
formerly  owned  by  the  St.  Louis,  Peoria  & 
Northern  Railway  Co.,  was  leased  by  the  Illinois 
Central  from  December  i,  1899. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


119 


On  August  I,  1900,  the  Illinois  Central  as- 
sumed control,  by  purchase,  of  the  Peoria, 
Decatur  &  Evansville  Railway,  (254  miles). 


Statement  showing  the  number  of  engines 
owned  by  the  I.  C.  Railroad  Company  for 
the  year  ending  June  30,  1900,  and  the 
years  in  which  they  were  built: 

WHEN   BUILT.  NO. 

During  years  ending  Dec.  31,  1854  to  1856  inclusive.  2 

"  31,  1867  to  1871         "  6 

"  31,  1872  to  1876        "  16 

"  31,  1877  to  1881         "  44 

year   ended      "       31,1882 24 

"      31,  1883 26 

"      31,  1884 26 

"      31,  1885 14 

"      31,  1886 42 

"      31,  1887 54 

"      31,  1888 63 

6  mos.  ended  June  30,  1889 8 

"      year    ended       "      30,1890 43 

"      30,  1891 99 

"      30,  1892 52 

"      30,  1893 55 

"      30,  1894 52 

' 30,  1895 23 

"      30,  1896 45 

30,  1897 25 

30,  1898 21 

,   "        "            "          "      30,  1899 26 

!          "      30,  1900 47 


Total 813 


Number  and  classification  of  cars  for  year  end- 
ing June  30,  1900. 

PASSENGER  CARS. 

Passenger  and  Chair  Cars 388 

Smoking  Cars 64 

Cafe  Dining  Cars 10 

Buffet  Library  Cars 8 

Baggage  and  Smoking  Cars 21 

Mail  and  Express  Cars 7 

Baggage  and  Express  Cars 92 

Baggage,  Mail  and  Express  Cars 34 


Postal  Cars 
Postal  Cars  (Joint) 

Pay  Cars 

Business  Cars 

Instruction  Cars. . . 

Old  Cars 

Test  Car 


35 
3 
2 

10 
1 

20 
1 


FREIGHT  CARS. 

Box  Cars 16,873 

Coal  Cars 10,671 

Stock  Cars 1,179 

Fruit  Cars 822 

Refrigerator  Cars 1,078 

Flat  Cars 1,816 

Caboose  Cars 530 


Total. 


32,969 


WORK  CARS. 

Pile  Drivers 

Steam  Shovels 

Derrick  Cars 

Tool  Cars 

Ballast  and  Construction  Cars 

Hart  Ditcher 

Scale  Cars 

Snow  Excavator 

Water  Cars 

Dirt  Levelers 

Shop  Cars 


11 

9 

19 

33 

359 

1 

2 

1 

2 

2 

2 


Total. 


441 


Total  of  all  Cars 34,106 


Statement  of  revenue  freight  cars,  and  their  ca- 
pacity in  tons,  June  30,  1900. 


CLASS  OF  CARS.  NUMBER. 

Box 16,873 

Stock 1,179 

Fruit 822 

Refrigerator 1,078 

Coal 10,671 

Flat 1,816 


CAPACITY 

460,611 
28,038 
17,019 
28,390 

309,382 
55,305 


Total 32,439  898,745 

Average  per  Car 27.7 


Statement  of  number,  classification  and  tractive 
power  of  engines. 


Total. 


696 


CLASS  OF  ENGINES. 

Year  ending  June  30,  1900. 

NUMBER. 

TRACTIVE  POWER 
IN  TONS. 

119 
33 

180 
271 
170 
39 
1 

361,136 
73,535 
651,423 
919,018 
423,027 
178,161 
8,472 

10-wheel         

8-wheel  

12-wheel  

Total  

813 

2,614,772 
3,216 

Average  per  Engine.  .  . 

120 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


REVENUE  PER  MILE  OPERATED. 

Statement,  showing  the  receipts  per  mile  operated,   the  Illinois   Central    system   in  comparison 
with  that  of  all  other  railroads  in  the  United  States. 


YEARS  ENDED 
JUNE  30. 

ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD. 

ALL  THE  RAILROADS  IN  THE 
UNITED  STATES. 

AVERAGE  NO. 
OF  MILES 
OPERATED. 

GROSS  RECEIPTS 
FROM  OPERATION. 

GROSS  RECEIPTS 
PER  MILE 
OPERATED. 

NUMBER  OF 
MILES 
OPERATED. 

GROSS  RECEIPTS 
PER  MILE 
OPERATED. 

1890        

2,875 
2,875 
2,883 
2,888 
2,888 
2,888 
3,067 
3,130 
3,775 
3,671 
3,845 

$16,452,022 
17,881,555 
19,291,760 
20,095,191 
20,657,464 
19,056,994 
22,002,842 
22,110,937 
27,317,820 
28,114,690 
32,611,967 

$5,722 

6,220 
6,692 
6,958 
7,153 
6,599 
7,174 
7,064 
7,237 
7,659 
8,482 

156,404 
161,275 
162,397 
169,780 
175,691 
177,746 
181,983 
183,284 
184,648 
187,535 

$6,725 

6,800 
7,213 
7,190 
6,109 
6,050 
6,320 
6,122 
6,755 
7,005 

1891     

1892  

1893  

1894 

1895     

1896  

1897  

1898  

1899 

*1900  

*  The  figures  for  all  the  roads  for  the  year  ended  June  30,   1900,  are  not  as  yet  obtainable,  but  in  that  year 
the  gross  receipts  per  mile  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  showed  a  further  increase  of  $823. 


CHARACTER  AND  WEIGHT  OF  RAILS  USED  BY 
THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL. 

All  the  main  tracks  and  all  of  the  side  tracks, 
excepting  31.66  miles,  are  laid  with  steel  rails 

The  average  weight  of  rails  in  the  main 
tracks  is  69.41  pounds  per  yard,  or  109.08  tons 
to  the  mile  of  single  track. 

Exclusive  of  the  rails  in  1,209,50  miles  of 
side  tracks,  the  total  weight  of  all  the  rails  in  the 
main  tracks  on  June  30,  1900,  was  462,960  tons, 
an  increase  over  the  previous  year  of  46,839  tons. 

Of  the  new  mileage  taken  over  during  the 
past  year,  the  Omaha  division,  131.02  miles,  and 
the  second  track  from  Oilman  to  Otto,  21  miles, 
are  laid  with  new  85  pound  rails. 


The  lightest  rails  in  the  main  tracks  weigh 
50  pounds  to  the  yard,  and  the  heaviest  weigh 
100  pounds. 

There  are  laid  with  rails  weigh- 
ing less  than  60  pounds 355-61  miles 

With  60  pound  rails 1,223.79  miles 

With  rails  weighing  from  60  to 

70  pounds 593-°°  miles 

With  75  pound  rails 1,578.42  miles 

With  85  pound  rails 489.13  miles 

With  100  pound  rails 4.08  miles 


Total  of  main  tracks 4,244.03 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


121 


THE  "LINCOLN  CAR.' 


COURTESY  "RAILWAY  AGE"  AND  UNION  PACIFIC  R.  R. 

This  car  was  in  the  Union  Pacific  exhibit,  Transportation  Building, 
at  the  Trans-Mississippi  and  International  Exposition,  held  at  Omaha, 
Neb.,  in  1898.  It  was  built  to  meet  President  Lincoln's  ideas,  at  the 
Military  Car  Shops,  Alexandria,  Va.,  in  1864. 

It  is  iron-clad,  armor  plate  being  set  between  the  inner  and  outer 
walls  to  make  it  bullet  proof. 

The  largest  of  the  compartments  was  the  President's  study.  In  it 
was  the  long  sofa,  which  at  night,  was  adjusted  into  a  bed  for  Mr.  Lincoln. 

The  President  generally  used  this  car,  and  in  it  his  remains  were 
taken  to  Springfield  for  interment. 

The  car  was  purchased  by  the  Union  Pacific  in  1866,  and  is  still  the 
property  of  that  company. 


CHAPTER  V. 


PERSONNEL  OF  THE  MANAGEMENT  OF 

THE  ROAD, 


PERSONNEL  OF  THE  MANAGEMENT  OF  THE  ROAD. 


Directors : 

His  Excellency  JOHN  R.  TANNER,  Governor  of  Illi- 
nois, Ex  OfKcio. 
B.  F.  AYER, 

JOHN  W.  AUCHINCLOSS, 
JOHN  JACOB  ASTOR, 
CHARLES  M.  BEACH, 
W.  MORTON  GRINNELL, 
J.  W.  DOANE, 
STUYVESANT  FISH, 
EDWARD  H.  HARRIMAN, 
WALTHER  LUTTGEN, 
CHARLES  A.  PEABODY,  JR., 
JOHN  C.  WELLING, 
J.  D.  W.  CUTTING. 


STUYVESANT  FISH,  President New  York 

JOHN   C.  WELLING,   Vice-President Chicago 

J.  T.  HARAHAN,  Second  Vice-President. ..  .Chicago 

A.  G.  HACKSTAFF,  Secretary New  York 

WM.  G.  BRUEN,  Assist.  Secretary Chicago 


LAW   DEPARTMENT. 

B.  F.  AYER,  General  Counsel Chicago 

JAMES   FENTRESS,  General  Attorney Chicago 

J.  M.   DICKINSON,   General   Solictor Chicago 

SIDNEY  F.  ANDREWS,  Asst.  General  Solici- 
tor  Chicago 

ACCOUNTING  DEPARTMENT. 

F.  FAIRMAN,  Auditor  of  Freight  Receipts.  ..Chicago 
M.  D.  ROYER,  Assistant  Auditor  of  Freight 

Receipts Chicago 

A.  D.  JOSLIN,  Auditor  of  Passenger  Receipts. Chicago 
CON.  F.  KREBS,  Auditor  of  Disbursements.  .Chicago 
W.  S.  PINNEY,  Chief  Traveling  Auditor Chicago 

C.  C.  WHITNEY,  Traveling  Auditor Chicago 

WALTER  NEWELL,  Traveling  Auditor Chicago 

W.  R.  COMSTOCK,  Traveling  Auditor Chicago 

D.  E.  WOODS,  Traveling  Auditor Chicago 


W.  D.  BRENT,  Traveling  Auditor,  Water  Valley,  Miss. 

C.  B.  WEST,  Traveling  Auditor Paducah,  Ky. 

MAURICE  REIS,  Traveling  Auditor  of  Expen- 
ditures   Chicago 

TREASURY  DEPARTMENT. 

E.  T.  H.  GIBSON,  Treasurer New  York 

J.  F.  TITUS,  Local  Treasurer Chicago 

R.  S.  CHARLES,  Local  Treasurer New  Orleans 

H.  D.  WARNER,  Paymaster Chicago 

L.  B.   BUTTS,  Assistant  Paymaster Chicago 

R.  S.  CHARLES,  JR.,  Assist.  Paymaster.  .New  Orleans 


E.  P.  SKENE,  Land  Commissioner Chicago 

W.  L.  TARBET,  Tax  Commissioner Chicago 

L.  P.  MOREHOUSE,  Custodian  of  Deeds. ..  .Chicago 

OPERATING  DEPARTMENT. 

J.  F.  WALLACE,  Assistant  Second  Vice-Presi- 
dent  Chicago 

A.  W.  SULLIVAN,  General  Superintendent. .  .Chicago 

DAVID  SLOAN,  Chief  Engineer '..Chicago 

L   T.  MOORE,  Consulting  Engineer Chicago 

WM.   RENSHAW,  Superintendent  of  Machin- 
ery  Chicago 

JOSEPH  BUKER,  Assistant  Superintendent  of 

Machinery Chicago 

W.  H.  V.  ROSING,  Assistant  Superintendent  of 

Machinery Chicago 

J.  W.  HIGGINS,  Superintendent  of  Transpor- 
tation  Chicago 

J.  G.  HARTIGAN,  Asst.  Gen.  Supt.  Northern 

and  Western  Lines Chicago 

M.   GILLEAS,   Assistant  General   Superinten- 
dent Southern  Lines Memphis 

W.  J.  GILLINGHAM,  JR.,  Signal  Engineer. .  .Chicago 
H.  W.  PARKHURST,  Engineer  of  Bridges.  .Chicago 

F.  T.  BACON,  Architect Chicago 

O.  J.  TRAVIS,   Superintendent  of  Bridges. .  .Chicago 

T.   S.  LEAKE,  Master  Carpenter Chicago 

M.  MILLER,  Gen'l  Foreman  of  Water  Works. Chicago 
M.  D.  NELON,  Supt.  of  Floating  Equipment. ..  .Cairo 

G.  M.  DUGAN,  Superintendent  of  Telegraph .  Chicago 


126 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


C.  F.  ANNETT,  Asst.  Supt.  of  Telegraph ....  Chicago 

L.  L.  LOSEY,  Chief  Claim  Agent Chicago 

C.  A.  BECK,  General  Purchasing  Agent Chicago 

A.   J.    SIMPSON,    Stationer Chicago 

GEO.  P.  MURRAY,  Chief  Special  Agent Chicago 

G.  W.  HATTER,  Fuel  Agent Chicago 

FRED.  SCHLINKERT,  Supervisor  of  Scales. Central* 
JOHN  MONOHAN,  Supervisor  Fire  Ex- 
tinguishers  Burnside,   111. 


HUNTER  C.  LEAKE,  General  Agent.  ..  .New  Orleans 
C.  F.  PARKER,  General  Agent St.  Louis 

TRAFFIC  DEPARTMENT. 

T.  J.   HUDSON,   Traffic  Manager Chicago 

M.  C.  MARKHAM,  Assistant  Traffic  Manager. Chicago 
A.  H.  HANSON,  General  Passenger  Agent. .  .Chicago 
C.  A.  KNISKERN,  Assistant  General  Passenger 

Agent Chicago 

S.  G.  HATCH,  Assist.  Gen'l  Passenger  Agent.  .Chicago 
J  F.  MERRY,  Assist.  Gen'l  Passenger 

Agent Dubuque,  Iowa 

WM.  ALFRED  KELLOND,  Assistant 

General  Passenger  Agent .'  .Louisville,  Ky. 

JOHN  A.  SCOTT,  Division  Passenger 

Agent Memphis,  Tenn. 

C.  C.  McCARTY,  Division  Passenger  Agent.. St.  Louis 
F.  W.  HARLOW,  Division  Passenger  Ag't.  .Cincinnati 
WM.  MURRAY,  Div.  Passenger  Agent.. New  Orleans 

W.  H.  BRILL,  District  Passenger  Agent Omaha 

W.     E.     KEEPERS,    General     Freight    Agent, 

Northern  and  Western  Lines Chicago 

W.  R.  BASCOM,  First  Assistant  Gen'l  Freight 

Agent,  Northern  and  Western  Lines Chicago 

J.  R.  PEACHY,  Assistant  General  Freight  Ag't, 

Northern  and  Western  Lines Chicago 

ROBT.    KIRKLAND,    Assistant   Gen'l    Freight 

Agent,  Northern  and  Western  Lines Chicago 

GEO.  W.  BECKER,  Assistant  General  Freight 

Agent St.  Louis 

J.    S.    WEITZELL,    Assistant   General    Freight 

Agent Omaha 

F.     W.    BOWES,    General    Freight    Agent, 

Southern  Lines Louisville 

W.  M.  RHETT,  General  Freight  Agent..  .New  Orleans 
C.  C.  CAMERON,  Asst.  Gen'l  Freight  Agent, 

Southern  Lines Louisville 


W.  L.  SMITH,  Assist.  General  Freight  Agent, 

Southern  Lines Memphis 

F.  H.  HARWOOD,  Assistant  General  Freight 

Agent Evansville 

R  F.  REYNOLDS,  Division  Freight  Agent, 

Southern  Lines New  Orleans 

HENRY  BALDWIN,  Foreign  Freight  Ag't 

New  Orleans 

SLATER  &  REID,  European  Agents, 

No.  44  Chapel  street Liverpool,  Eng. 

W.  D.  HURLBUT,  General  Coal  Agent Chicago 

J.  A.  OSBORN,  General  Baggage  Agent Chicago 

W.  A.  ELDREDGE,  Freight  Claim  Agent Chicago 

A.  P.  FARRINGTON,  Assistant  Freight  Claim 

Agent Chicago 

GEO.  C.  POWER,  Industrial  Commissioner.  .  .Chicago 
W.  D.  MURRAY,  Supt.  Hotel  Service Chicago 

LIST  OF  DIVISION  SUPERINTENDENTS. 

H.  McCOURT,  Chicago  Division Chicago,  111. 

J.  C.  DAILEY,  St.  Louis  Division Carbondale,  111. 

H.  BAKER,  Amboy  Division Clinton,  111. 

D.  S.  BAILEY,  Springfield  Division Clinton,  111. 

H.  U.  WALLACE,  Freeport  Division. ..  .Freeport,  111. 
F   B.  HARRIMAN,  Dubuque  Division.  ..  .Dubuque,  la. 

C.  K.  DIXON,  Cherokee  Division Cherokee,  la. 

G    A.  CLARK,  Omaha  Division Council  Bluffs,  la. 

W.  S.  KING,  Mississippi  Division Jackson,  Tenn. 

J.   B.  KEMP,  Aberdeen  Division Durant,  Miss. 

O.  M.  DUNN,  Louisiana  Division.  ..  .New  Orleans,  La. 

A.  PHILBRICK,  Memphis  Division Memphis,  Tenn. 

W.  J.  HARAHAN,  Louisville  Division. Louisville,  Ky. 

Y.  &  M.  V.  R.  R.  CO. 

A.  A.  SHARP,  Vicksburg  Division.  ..  .Memphis,  Tenn. 
A.  J.  GREIF,  New  Orleans  Division.  .Vicksburg,  Miss. 

LIST   OF  MASTER  MECHANICS. 

J    W.  LUTTRELL Burnside,  111. 

J    H.    POLLARD Centralia,   111. 

J.  G.  NEUDORFER Water  Valley.  Miss. 

L.    L.    DAWSON, McComb,    Miss. 

M.    S.    CURLEY, Memphis,    Tenn. 

T    F.    BARTON, Paducah,   Ky. 

G.  J.  HATZ East  St.  Louis,  111. 

J.  H.  BANNERMAN, Clinton,  111. 

E.  O.    DANA Freeport,    111. 

T.  W.   PLACE Waterloo,  la. 

C.  LINSTROM,  (Y.  &  M.  V.  R.  R.)  .Vicksburg,  Miss. 


PART  II. 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 


STUVVESANT  FISH. 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 


TUYVESANT  FISH,  president  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company 
was  born  in  New  York  City,  June  24, 
1851,  and  was  educated  at  Coumbia 
College.  He  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Company,  October  i,  1871,  as 
clerk  in  the  financial  office  in  New  York,  where  he 
remained  until  June  20,  1872,  when  he  was  ap- 
pointed secretary  to  President  Newell,  in  Chica- 
go, and  served  in  that  capacity  until  October 
30,  1872.  On  November  i,  1872,  he  left  the  ser- 
vice of  the  company  to  accept  a  position  with  the 
banking  house  of  Morton,  Bliss  &  Co.,  of  New 
York,  and  later  became  identified  with  their  Lon- 
don house,  Morton,  Rose  &  Co.,  remaining  there 
until  December  31,  1874,  when  he  returned  to 
New  York  to  become  the  managing  clerk  of  the 
house,  holding  their  power  of  attorney,  and  re- 
mained with  them  until  March  15,  1877.  From 
December  14,  1876,  to  March  6,  1879,  he  was  a 
member  of  the  New  York  stock  exchange.  On 
the  1 6th  of  March,  1877,  he  was  elected  a  direc- 
tor of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company, 
and  was  appointed  treasurer  and  agent  for  the 
purchasing  committee  of  the  New  Orleans,  Jack- 
son &  Great  Northern  railroad,  and  served  as 
such  until  November  8,  1877,  when  he  was  elect- 
ed secretary  of  the  Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New 
Orleans  Railroad  Company,  and  was  thus  em- 
ployed until  he  was  elevated  to  the  vice-presi- 
dency in  March  1882.  On  January  7,  1883,  he 
was  elected  second  vice-president  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Company,  serving  as  such  until 


April  2,  1884,  when  he  was  elected  vice-president, 
in  which  position  he  was  retained  until  May  14, 
1887,  at  which  date  he  succeeded  James  C. 
Clarke  as  president  of  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road Company. 

Up  to  a  decade  ago  the  Illinois  Central  had 
the  unpleasant  reputation  of  being  perhaps  the 
worst  regulated  and  slovenly  of  the  large  Amer- 
can  railway  companies.  The  ruling  spirit  in  all 
that  has  been  done  since  that  time  toward  placing 
it  in  its  present  enviable  position  has  been  Stuy- 
vesant  Fish,  of  whom  a  portrait  is  given  here- 
with. In  addition  to  his  position  in  the  railroad 
world,  he  is  also  prominent  in  social  and  public 
affairs,  especially  in  New  York. 


EORGE    NIMAN,    conductor    on    the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad,  Amboy  divi- 
sion, is  the  son  of  George  and  Anna 
Niman.     The  father,  who  was  a  car- 
penter by  occupation,  died  in   1896.     One  son, 
Louis,  is  a  railroad  employe,   residing  in   Wil- 
mette,  111. 

Our  subject  was  born  November  26,  1868, 
at  Polo,  111.,  and  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  town.  In  1889  he  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  on  the  Amboy 
division,  as  brakeman,  where  he  served  four 
months,  and  was  transferred  to  the  Freeport  div- 


132 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ision,  serving  on  that  branch  for  two  years  in 
the  same  capacity,  then  returned  to  the  Amboy 
division  where  he  has  since  remained,  having 
been  promoted  to  the  position  of  conductor,  Aug- 
ust 31,  1899.  April  23,  1899,  Mr.  Niman  was 
married  to  Miss  Bertha  L.  Palmer,  a  native  of 
Amboy,  and  daughter  of  Walter  M.  Palmer,  an 
engineer  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  now  residing  in  Free- 
port.  Mr.  Niman  is  a  Protestant  in  his  religious 
belief.  He  is  a  member  of  the  B.  of  R.  T.,  and 
a  Democrat  in  politics. 


JOHN.R.  GORMAN,  passenger  conductor 
between  Dubuque  and  Fort  Dodge,  be^ 
gan  work  for  the  Illinois  Central  company 
in  November,  1878.  Prior  to  this,  how- 
ever, he  served  as  a  brakeman  on  the  Oil  Creek  & 
Allegheny  River  Railroad  for  about  two  years. 
He  entered  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central 
at  Fort  Dodge  as  a  brakeman,  with  a  run  between 
that  city  and  Sioux  City.  In  1880  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  position  of  freight  conductor  on  the 
same  division,  and  in  1884  was  promoted  to  the 
passenger  service  and  transferred  to  the  Lyle 
branch  where  he  had  charge  of  a  mixed  train  for 
six  or  seven  years.  He  was  then  transferred  to 
Dubuque  and  for  a  time  worked  between  that  city 
and  Fort  Dodge.  Later  he  worked  on  the  Cedar 
Rapids  branch  for  four  years,  and  May  n,  1899, 
he  was  again  located  at  Dubuque  and  has  since 
had  charge  of  a  passenger  train  between  that  city 
and  Fort  Dodge. 

Mr.  Gorman  was  born  July  24,  1855,  in 
Salamanca,  New  York,  a  son  of  John  Gorman, 
of  Medina,  New  York,  who  helped  to  lay  the 
Oil  Creek  &  Allegheny  River  Railroad,  and 
was  superintendent  of  construction  of  that 
line  for  some  time.  Our  subject  was  married  at 
Orchard,  Iowa,  to  Miss  M.  E.  Wright,  of  that 
city,  and  two  children,  Avilla  and  John  C.,  have 
been  born  to  them.  Socially  Mr.  Gorman  is  a 
member  of  Division  93,  O.  R.  C.,  of  Fort  Dodge, 
Howland  Lodge  No.  274,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  of  Water- 


loo ;  Knights  of  Pythias,  at  Fort  Dodge,  and  the 
Elks  at  Waterloo.  He  has  been  very  successful 
since  being  on  the  road,  has  never  met  with  ser- 
ious accident,  and  is  very  popular  among  his  fel- 
low workmen. 


L.  WARD,  conductor  at  Waterloo, 
began  his  railroad  career  as  a  brake- 
man  on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
at  Fort  Dodge,  in  October,  1883, 
running  both  ways  out  of  that  city  for  six  months. 
Following  this  short  service,  came  a  lay-off  of 
about  three  months,  after  which  he  was  at  work 
again  for  about  two  months.  Mr.  Ward  then  se- 
cured a  position  with  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  & 
St.  Paul  company  as  brakeman  between  Oxford 
and  Jackson  Junction  until  September  1885, 
when  he  returned  to  Waterloo,  where  he  has 
since  made  his  home  and  found  work  with  the 
Illinois  Central  company.  For  twenty-three 
months  he  served  as  a  brakeman,  running  out  of 
Waterloo,  and  in  August,  1887,  he  received  his 
promotion  to  the  office  of  conductor.  As  a 
brakeman,  Mr.  Ward  served  under  the  follow- 
ing conductors :  Harry  McCort,  Tim  Sullivan, 
John  Gorman,  F.  Welker,  and  W.  Laird ;  and 
while  running  out  from  Waterloo,  he  worked 
under  William  Barr,  E.  W.  Sornborger,  D.  Cot- 
ter and  G.  R.  Turner.  Mr.  Ward's  first  work  in 
the  capacity  of  conductor  was  between  Waterloo 
and  Dubuque,  where  he  spent  six  years.  He 
then  spent  several  years  running  both  ways  out 
of  Waterloo,  but  for  the  past  two  years  and  a  half 
he  has  had  charge  of  a  way  freight  train  between 
Waterloo  and  Dubuque. 

Mr.  Ward  was  born  at  Strawberry  Point, 
Clayton  county,  Iowa,  a  son  of  Giles  and  Caroline 
(Godfrey)  Ward,  the  former  a  native  of  New 
York,  and  the  latter  of  Bigfoot  Prairie,  Wis. 
The  father  migrated  to  Iowa  in  1849,  when  there 
was  not  a  railroad  in  the  state,  and  for  a  portion 
of  the  journey,  at  least,  the  "  foot  route  "  was  the 
best  accommodation  that  the  traveling  public  en- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


133 


joyed.  He  bought  a  tract  of  land  for  which  he 
paid  gold,  and  then  for  a  time  was  engaged  in 
rafting  from  the  pineries.  He  then  returned  to 
his  farm  where  he  was  engaged  in  agriculture 
for  a  period  of  forty  years.  He  is  now  spending 
his  declining  years  in  retirement  at  Strawberry 
Point.  The  mother  died  in  March  1877.  In 
1887,  Mr.  G.  L.  Ward,  the  subject  of  this  history, 
returned  to  his  boyhood  home  for  a  life  com- 
panion whom  he  found  in  the  person  of  Miss 
Elsie  Noble  and  they  are  the  parents  of  two  sons, 
E.  Wayne  and  Giles  L.  Socially  he  affiliates 
with  Division  No.  67,  O.  R.  C.  of  Waterloo,  and 
also  Howland  Lodge  No.  274,  A.  O.  U.  W.  Mr. 
Ward  is  now  serving  the  first  named  lodge  in 
the  capacity  of  assistant  chief. 


-.**-,'*•.**-.**•.**-,** 


PRED  B.  TAYLOR,  engineer  on  the  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad,    Freeport  divi- 
sion,was  born  in  Gibson,  Steuben  Co., 
N.  Y.,  October  26,  1869.     His  father, 
William  L.  Taylor,  deceased,  was  a  carpenter  and 
shipbuilder,  and  served  for  many  years  as  justice 
of  the  peace  and  constable.     He  married  Frances 
E.  Lyon,  who  is  now  living  in  Freeport.     One 
son,  Burt  H.,  is  in  the  employ  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R. 
as  fireman. 

Our  subject,  Fred  B.  Taylor,  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  Freeport.  At  the  age  of 
fifteen  he  entered  the  shops  of  the  Henney  Buggy 
Co.  and  learned  the  trade  of  coachsmith,  remain- 
ing in  the  employ  of  the  company  for  six  years. 
He  then  went  to  Oklahoma  as  one  of  the  "Boom- 
ers" and  took  up  a  claim  which  he  held  two  years, 
then  sold  and  returned  to  Freeport  and  worked 
for  the  Woodmanse  Co.  for  one  year.  On  the 
1 4th  of  August,  1892,  he  entered  the  service  of  the 
I.  C.  R.  R.  as  fireman  on  the  Freeport  division, 
and  served  in  that  capacity  until  December  1 1 , 
1897,  when  he  was  promoted  to  the  right  side. 
On  the  25th  of  January,  1893,  Mr.  Taylor  mar- 


ried Miss  Clara  C.  Seifertt,  of  Freeport,  who  was 
born  February  22,  1870.  To  them  two  children 
have  been  born:  Clarice  C.,  born  June  I,  1894, 
and  Charles  F.,  born  September  28,  1896.  Mr. 
Taylor  is  a  member  of  Union  Lodge  No.  138,  B. 
of  L.  F.,  Racine  Division  27,  B.  of  L.  E.,  and 
Rinaldo  Lodge  No.  97,  K.  of  P.  In  his  political 
views  he  is  independent. 


JW.  MULLAN,  freight  engineer  on  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad,  Omaha  divi- 
Q  sion,  first  began  his  railroad  service  as 
brakeman  at  Waterloo,  August  1880, 
and  served  for  about  fifteen  months  under  Con- 
ductor McCabe  and  others  between  Waterloo  and 
Dubuque.  He  then  worked  for  the  American 
Express  Co.  for  a  time,  first  in  the  office  at  Water- 
loo, and  later  as  expressman  on  the  train  between 
Waterloo  and  Lyle.  He  began  firing  for  the  I. 
C.  R.  R.  in  November  1883,  working  between 
Waterloo  and  Sioux  City,  and  was  promoted  to 
engineer  in  September  1887,  running  first  in  the 
Waterloo  yards  for  three  months,  and  later  ran 
as  extra  over  all  the  branches  of  the  Iowa  divi- 
sion. In  1894  he  was  given  a  regular  run  be- 
tween Ft.  Dodge  and  Waterloo,  was  then  in  the 
construction  service  on  the  Omaha  division,  and 
now  has  a  passenger  run  between  Ft.  Dodge  and 
Omaha. 

Mr.  Mullan  is  a  native  of  Waterloo,  Iowa, 
and  a  son  of  Charles  Mullan,  a  surveyor  and  far- 
mer, who  died  at  his  home  near  Waterloo  in  1874. 
His  widow,  America  (Virden)  Mullan,  now  lives 
in  Waterloo.  Our  subject  has  one  brother,  H. 
C.,  who  is  a  passenger  conductor  on  the  I.  C.  R. 
R.  between  Ft.  Dodge  and  Sioux  City.  Mr.  Mul- 
lan was  married  in  1882  to  Miss  Emma  Thomas, 
of  Waterloo,  and  has  two  sons,  Fred  and  Alva. 
He  is  a  member  of  B.  of  L.  E.,  Waterloo  Divi- 
sion 114,  K.  of  P.  No.  89,  and  the  Royal  Arca- 
num, of  Waterloo.  He  is  a  popular  railroad  man 
and  has  never  met  with  anv  serious  accidents. 


134 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ENRY    LUSCOMBE,    engineer  on  the 
Frecport  division  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,    is   a   native   of    Devonshire, 
England,  where  he  was  born  November 
26,   1852.     His  parents,  Henry  and  Susan  Lus- 
combe,  still  reside  in  England  where  his  father  is 
engaged  in  farming. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  had  the  advantages 
of  a  liberal  education  in  the  public  and  private 
schools  of  Devonshire,  finishing  later  at  Dart- 
mouth College.  In  1872  he  came  to  the  United 
States,  locating  in  Amboy  where  he  was  em- 
ployed in  various  ways  until  in  1873,  when  he  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  helper  in  a  boiler  shop  of 
the  I.  C.  R.  R.  at  Amboy.  After  a  few  months, 
in  the  autumn  of  1873,  he  began  firing  on  the  road 
and  remained  in  that  position  until  1880,  when  he 
left  the  road  and  went  to  farming,  which  occupa- 
tion he  followed  fo'r  three  years.  The  next  three 
years  were  spent  at  his  old  home  in  Devonshire, 
when  he  returned  to  Amboy,  re-entered  the  em-1 
ploy  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  and  in  1888  was  promoted 
to  the  right  side  where  he  is  now  engaged,  hav- 
ing a  passenger  run  on  the  Freeport  division.  On 
the  Qth  of  October,  1879,  Mr  Luscombe  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Netta  New,  who  was  born  in  Galena, 
Illinois,  January  30,  1859.  They  have  one  son, 
Thomas  N.,  born  July  26,  1886,  who  is  attending 
the  public  school  at  Freeport.  The  family  are 
communicants  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church. 
Mr.  Luscombe  is  a  member  of  the  B.  of  L.  E. 
and  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  is  a  Republican 
in  politics. 


C.    NORMAN,    station    agent    at 
r<\      Winthrop,   Iowa,  began  work   for  the 
\\  Illinois  Central  company  in  the  summer 

of  1 88 1,  in  the  capacity  of  clerk  for  C. 
H.  Dodd,  then  agent  at  the  same  station  in  which 
our  subject  is  now  located.  He  was  there  em- 
ployed about  eight  months  and  then  went  to 
Cherokee  to  perform  the  duties  of  operator  at 
that  station  one  winter.  From  there  he  went  to 


Independence  and  there  served  two  years  as 
operator  and  two  months  as  agent,  ancl  Septem- 
ber 20,  1884,  lie  was  transferred  to  his  present 
position  at  Winthrop.  Mr.  Norman  was  born  in 
Ohio,  July  I4th,  1860,  a  son  of  N.  V.  and  Mary 
(Taylor)  Norman,  both  of  whom  are  of  English 
birth.  They  came  to  America  and  settled  in 
Ohio  in  1850,  and  moved  from  there  with  their 
family  to  Winthrop,  Iowa,  and  are  still  making 
that  their  home.  In  1886,  our  subject  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Gelia  Adams,  of  Indepen- 
dence, Iowa,  and  two  children,  Milton  B.  and 
Winfred  B.,  have  been  born  to  them.  Socially 
Mr.  Norman  affiliates  with  the  Blue  Lodge,  No. 
542  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  He  has  been 
quite  successful  in  his  railroad  career,  having 
risen  to  an  enviable  position  by  his  faithfulness 
and  enterprise  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  was 
reared  a  farmer. 


M.  HOLLAND,  station  agent  at  Jesup, 
Iowa,  began  working  for  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  company  April  I3th, 
1892,  as  station  agent  at  Peosta  in  Du- 
buque  county,  and  from  there  went  to  Mason- 
ville,  and  on  December  I2th,  1899,  was  trans- 
ferred to  his  present  position  at  Jesup.  He 
learned  the  duties  that  pertain  to  a  station  agent 
at  Floyd,  Iowa,  in  the  fall  of  1891,  under  Mrs. 
Martin,  who  was  then  agent  at  that  place. 

During  the  earlier  years  of  his  life,  Mr. 
Holland  worked  on  a  farm  in  the  vicinity  of 
Floyd,  the  place  of  his  birth.  He  is  a  son  of 
Cain  and  Mary  (Sullivan)  Holland,  both  of 
whom  are  natives  of  Ireland.  The  parents  came 
to  America  in  1865  and  located  at  Floyd,  Iowa. 
For  twenty-five  years  he  served  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral company  in  the  capacity  of  a  section  fore- 
man but  is  now  living  in  retirement  in  the  village 
of  Floyd.  They  have  ten  children  besides  the 
one  whose  name  heads  this  article,  namely : 
Timothy,  a  milk  dealer  in  Chicago;  Dennis,  a 
farmer  near  Floyd,  Iowa;  Edward,  at  home; 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


135 


Nellie,  wife  of  Thomas  Silver,  of  Dearfield.Ia. ; 
May,  wife  of  M.  McParland;  Kate,  a  school 
teacher,  but  is  still  making  her  home  with  her 
parents ;  and  Sarah,  Annie,  Hannah  and  Lizzie, 
all  of  whom  are  still  under  the  parental  roof.  Mr. 
Holland  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church  at 
Masonville.  He  is  very  popular  among  the 
young  men  of  the  Illinois  Central  employes  and 
enjoys  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all. 


Charles,  a  florist  at  Cedar  Falls,  Iowa;  Ray,  an 
operator  for  the  Illinois  Central  company  at  Earl- 
ville, Iowa,  and  Winnie,  Richard  and  Ruth  who 
who  are  still  making  their  home  with  their  pa- 
rents. Mr.  Simons  has  an  excellent  record  with 
the  railroad  company,  a  good  name  among  his 
fellow  workmen,  and  commands  the  respect  of  all 
who  know  him.  Besides  his  position  with  the 
railroad  company,  Mr.  Simons  has  a  valuable 
farm  of  forty-five  acres  of  highly  improved  land 
near  Delaware. 


J.  SIMONS,  station  agent  at  Dela- 
ware, Iowa,  began  work  for  the  Illi- 
n°is  Central  company  at  Earlville, 
Iowa,  October,  1871,  where  he  learned 
the  duties  pertaining  to  the  care  of  a  station 
while  working  under  the  direction  of  C.  J. 
Steever,  who  had  charge  of  the  station  six 
months  after  our  subject  began  working  there 
and  was  then  succeeded  by  F.  E.  Monger  who 
held  the  position  eighteen  months.  From  Octo- 
ber, 1873,  until  December,  1876,  Mr.  Simons 
had  charge  of  the  station  at  Delaware,  Iowa,  and 
was  then  transferred  to  Webster  City,  remaining 
there  two  years.  On  account  of  failing  health, 
Mr.  Simons  was  then  obliged  to  leave  the  road 
for  six  years,  and  when  he  again  returned  to  the 
company  for  employment  he  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  station  at  Delaware.  Six  months  later  he 
was  transferred  to  Hammond,  La.,  and  was  agent 
there  for  two  years.  In  January,  1887,  Mr. 
Simons  was  transferred  to  his  present  position 
and  for  the  third  time  assumed  the  control  of  the 
Delaware  station. 

Mr.  Simons  was  born  in  North  Royalton,  O., 
a  son  of  George  and  Sarah  (Short)  Simons,  both 
of  whom  were  natives  of  England.  When  he 
was  but  ten  years  of  age,  he  moved  with  his  pa- 
rents to  Iowa  and  settled  on  a  farm  near  Delaware 
and  subsequently  the  mother  died  in  their  western 
home.  The  father  died  in  England.  In  1875 
our  subject  was  married  to  Miss  Lucretia  Boone, 
of  Delaware,  and  of  the  five  children  that  have 
been  born  to  them  we  have  the  following  record : 


ENRY  ROONEY,  yard  master  at  Du- 
buque,  began  railroading  in  this  city 
in  1871,  in  the  capacity  of  freight 
trucker  in  the  freight  house.  During 
the  following  year,  however,  he  began  as  switch- 
man and  pursued  this  vocation  until  1876  when  he 
was  promoted  to  the  position  of  night  yardmaster. 
Four  years  later  he  became  general  yardmaster, 
and  in  1883  resigned  his  position  and  went  to 
Marshalltown  and  served  the  Iowa  Central  com- 
pany in  the  capacity  of  switchman  for  half  a 
year.  From  there  Mr.  Rooney  went  to  St.  Cloud, 
Minn.,  entered  the  employ  of  the  Great  Northern 
Railroad,  and  during  the  month  that  he  was  con- 
nected with  the  company  made  one  trip  to  Fergus 
Falls  as  brakeman.  Mr.  Rooney  then  returned  to 
Iowa,  and  during  the  following  eight  months  was 
switchman  at  Cedar  Rapids  for  the  Burlington, 
Cedar  Rapids  &  Northern  Railroad.  From 
there  he  went  to  Waterloo  and  took  charge  of 
the  Illinois  Central  yards  one  year,  after  which 
he  spent  six  months  as  brakeman,  running  out 
from  Dubuque  in  a  chain  gang.  Since  then  Mr. 
Rooney  has  been  yardmaster  in  Dubuque,  chang- 
ing only  in  1896  from  the  night  service  to  the 
office  of  general  yardmaster. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  appears  at  the 
head  of  this  article,  is  a  native  of  the  city  in 
which  he  now  makes  his  home,  and  first  opened 
his  eyes  to  the  light  of  day  December  5,  1855. 
He  is  a  son  of  Charles  Rooney,  a  volunteer  of  the 


136 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Civil  war,  who,  after  the  close  of  hostilities  in 
the  South,  enlisted  in  the  regular  service  and 
spent  many  years  with  the  government  troops 
on  the  plains.  He  died  at  the  Soldiers'  Home 
in  Wisconsin,  May  29,  1878.  The  subject  of 
our  sketch  was  married  in  Dubuque  to  Miss  Rose 
O'Hare,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  two  children, 
Arthur  and  Mary.  Mr.  Rooney  is  a  member  of 
the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  and  also 
of  the  Foresters,  of  Dubuque.  During  his  rail- 
road career,  Mr.  Rooney  has  received  but  one 
slight  injury  by  falline  from  a  moving  train  in 
the  yards. 


D.  BURHYTE,  an  engineer,   Illinois 
Central   Railroad,   Freeport   division, 
residing  in  East  Dubuque,   111.,   was 
born  in  Jamestown,  Wisconsin,  April 
14,  1863. 

His  parents  were  C.  T.  and  Adelaide  (Col- 
lins) Burhyte.  His  father,  a  horse  dealer  by 
occupation,  died  February  1899;  his  mother  hav- 
ing died  in  1871.  Their  family  of  four  children 
were  named  as  follows :  Elizabeth  R.,  married 
L.  P.  Boynton  and  lives  in  Pasadena,  California; 
A.  D.,  subject  of  this  sketch ;  John  P.,  residing 
in  Iowa;  Jacob  G.,  an  electrician,  resides  in  Chi- 
cago. 

Our  subject  received  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  East  Dubuque,  where  he  after- 
ward learned  the  trade  of  moulder  and  remained 
in  that  business  for  three  years.  He  then  followed 
the  occupation  of  teaming  four  or  five  years, 
working  at  railroad  construction.  October  4, 
1887,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as 
a  fireman,  running  between  Dubuque  and  Amboy, 
and  on  the  I5th  of  January,  1891,  was  promoted 
to  the  position  of  engineer,  and  is  now  running  in 
that  capacity  between  Dubuque  and  Chicago. 

Mr.  Burhyte  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
church.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the  Ma- 
sonic order,  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  the 
Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers.  He  is 
a  Republican  in  politics. 


'ILLIAM  KURTH,  a  machinist  in 
the  Waterloo  round  house,  is  a 
native  of  the  city  of  Cologne,  Ger- 
many, born  December  6th,  1859. 
He  began  life  on  his  own  responsibility  as  a  rail- 
road employe  in  the  town  of  Essen,  in  his  native 
country,  and  later  spent  six  months  in  the  Krupp 
gun  works.  His  first  experience  as  a  machinist 
was  in  government  roads,  and  later  worked  in 
the  shops  of  the  Haskell  locomotive  works  at 
Essen.  In  1882  Mr.  Kurth  came  to  America, 
sailing  from  Antwerp  in  the  "Big  John,"  and 
upon  landing  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  came 
directly  to  Waterloo  and  worked  four  weeks  on 
a  farm  before  he  could  secure  a  position  in 
which  he  could  ply  his  trade.  He  then  worked 
four  months  in  Robinson's  factory,  and  February 
4,  1883,  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral company  as  a  machinist  and  worked  in  the 
shops  eight  years.  Subsequently  he  served  as  a 
laborer  in  the  round  house  a  year  and  a  half,  and 
in  1893  was  promoted  to  gang  boss  of  the  round 
house. 

August  n,  1883,  Mr.  Kurth  was  married  at 
Eagle  Center,  Iowa,  to  Miss  'Lizzie  Braum,  and 
their  wedded  life  has  been  blessed  by  the  pres- 
ence of  a  family  of  eight  children,  whose  names 
in  the  order  of  their  birth  are  as  follows :  Min- 
nie, Pauline,  Harry,  Fred,  Louis,  Gertrude,  Clara 
and  Walter.  Socially  Mr.  Kurth  is  identified 
with  Rowland  Lodge  No.  274,  A.  O.  U.  W. 


FRANK  G.  WAGNER,   foreman  of  the 
blacksmith  shop  at  Waterloo,  was  born 
in  Dubuque,  Iowa,  his  natal  day  being 
July  7,   1857.     He  began  learning  his 
trade  at  Belle vue,  Iowa,  in  1871,  and  served  an 
apprenticeship  of  three  years.     He  then  opened 
a    shop    at    Dubuque    and    conducted    the    same 
about   six   months,   after   which   he   spent  three 
months  in  the  employ  of  the  Novelty  Iron  Works. 
Mr.  Wagner  then  worked   for  a  short  time  in 
the  shops  at  Earlville,  Iowa,  and  from  there  came 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


137 


to  Waterloo,  September  13,  1886,  and  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  company,  and  since 
August  i,  1894,  has  served  in  the  capacity  of 
foreman  of  the  blacksmith  shop. 

The  estimable  lady  who  presides  over  the 
household  affairs  of  Mr.  Wagner,  bore  the  maid- 
en name  of  Miss  Annie  Evans.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  Springbrook,  Iowa,  and  their  wedded  life 
has  been  blessed  by  the  advent  of  a  family  of 
eight  children,  whose  names  in  the  order  of  their 
birth  are  as  follows :  Maggie,  Sophie,  Frances, 
Henry,  Minnie,  Cecelia,  Lauretta  and  Louise. 
Mr.  Wagner  is  a  member  of  Rowland  Lodge  No. 
274,  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen. 


HARLES  H.  MCCARTHY,  conductor 
on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  who 
has  been  in  the  employ  of  the  company 
since  twelve  years  of  age,  began  in  Ep- 
worth,  Iowa,  as  water-boy,  and  was  thus  em- 
ployed three  years.  He  then  began  working  on 
the  section  at  Epworth,  and  at  the  end  of  four 
years  was  made  section  foreman,  retaining  that 
position  for  two  years.  He  then  engaged  in  the 
grocery  business  in  Epworth  for  one  year,  and 
then  took  charge  of  the  Cherokee  gravel  pit  as 
foreman  for  the  Illinois  Central,  remaining  in 
charge  about  five  months.  He  then  became 
a  brakeman  on  the  Illinois  Central  for  one  year 
and  nine  months,  and  then  began  as  conductor. 
Since  1889  he  has  been  in  the  freight  service  on 
the  Cherokee  division,  running  between  Sioux 
City  and  Fort  Dodge. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Epworth,  Iowa, 
November  20,  1866,  son  of  Florence,  better 
known  as  "Flerry,"  McCarthy,  who  was  section 
foreman  of  the  Illinois  Central  for  thirty-five 
years,  but  is  now  retired  and  resides  in  Epworth. 
Our  subject  had  two  brothers  in  the  service. 
Thomas  O.  is  a  conductor  on  Waterloo  division 
of  the  Illinois  Central,  and  John  M.  was  a  brake- 
man  on  the  Illinois  Central  at  the  time  he  was 
killed  at  Manchester,  Iowa,  in  1883. 


Mr.  McCarthy  married  Mary  A.  Lennon,  of 
Farley,  la.,  and  they  nave  two  children,  Charles 
Eugene,  and  John  Morris.  Our  subject  is  a 
member  of  the  B.  of  R.  T.,  and  is  master  of  the 
lodge.  He  also  holds  membership  in  the  A.  O. 
U.  W.,  also  Catholic  Order  of  Foresters,  all  of 
Fort  Dodge.  He  is  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Sacred  Heart  Catholic  church  of  Ft.  Dodge.  His 
residence  is  at  No.  1210  Sixth  avenue,  south. 


UGENE  DAILEY,  train  master  at 
Waterloo,  Iowa,  is  another  of  those 
men  who,  though  they  had  none  of 
this  world's  goods  for  a  capital  with 
which  to  start  in  life,  are  endowed  with  suffi- 
cient enterprise  and  tact  to  soon  place  themselves 
among  the  leading  business  men  of  the  communi- 
ty no  matter  how  lowly  their  first  position.  Mr. 
Dailey  began  his  railroad  career  as  a  messenger 
boy  at  Ackley,  Iowa,  in  August,  1878,  and  while 
in  that  capacity,  learned  telegraphy.  In  Febru- 
ary, 1880,  he  succeeded  in  securing  a  position  as 
operator  at  Webster  City,  Iowa,  and  about  two 
months  later  became  the  day  operator  at  Iowa 
Falls.  Subsequently  Mr.  Dailey,  at  different 
times  filled  various  positions  for  the  Illinois 
Central  company,  being  transferred  from  one 
place  to  another  and  steadily  promoted  until  he 
reached  his  present  position.  In  August,  1880, 
he  was  made  day  operator  at  Cherokee ;  in  March 
of  the  following  year  was  sent  to  Ackley ;  and  in 
August,  1882,  was  sent  to  Waterloo  to  accept  a 
position  in  the  office  of  the  train  despatcher.  In 
February,  1883,  he  was  made  train  despatcher  at 
Fort  Dodge;  in  March,  1885,  chief  train  de- 
spatcher of  the  Waterloo  and  Mona  district  with 
his  headquarters  at  Waterloo;  in  October,  1889, 
when  the  offices  of  train  master  and  train  de- 
spatcher were  moved  to  Dubuque,  Mr.  Dailey 
was  sent  to  the  last  named  city  in  the  capacity  of 
chief  train  despatcher.  In  November,  1894,  the 
offices  were  returned  to  Waterloo,  and  at  this 
time,  Mr.  Dailey  was  appointed  the  first  "  trick  " 


138 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


dcspatcher  of  the  Dubuque  division,  and  April 
1 5th,  1898,  he  became  train  master  of  the  Dubu- 
que division,  the  position  which  he  still  holds. 

February  4th,  1891,  Mr.  Dailey  was  married 
at  Dubuque,  to  Miss  Jennie  Phelan,  and  to  this 
congenial  union  has  been  born  a  bright,  interest- 
ing little  family  of  three  children  upon  whom 
they  have  seen  fit  to  bestow  the  following  names : 
Joseph  Raphael,  Eugene  Louis  and  Lois  Mer- 
riam.  Mr.  Dailey  is  identified  with  Lodge  No. 
290,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks, 
of  Waterloo,  and  Knights  of  Pythias,  No.  89, 
of  Waterloo. 


.HARLES  H.  DJNSMOOR  is  noted  as 
one  of  the  steadiest  men  in  the  employ 
of  the  Illinois  Central.  He  is  an  en- 
gineer in  the  freight  service  on  the 
Cherokee  division.  For  sixteen  years  Mr.  Duns- 
moor  has  been  in  the  employ  of  the  I.  C.,  and  dur- 
ing the  past  six  years  has  not  been  absent  from 
duty  for  a  single  day,  an  enviable  record.  He 
entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  as  a  fireman,  at 
Waterloo,  Iowa,  serving  three  years  under  En- 
gineers O.  D.  Gray,  W.  F.  Hall  and  Al.  Girard. 
His  ability  was  recognized  by  the  company,  and 
on  September  13,  1887,  he  was  promoted  to  en- 
gineer on  the  Waterloo  division,  where  he  served 
two  years.  Coming  to  the  Cherokee  division  in 
1889,  he  has  since  remained  there  in  the  freight 
service  between  Cherokee  and  Sioux  City.  He  is 
one  of  the  most  careful  employes  on  the  road,  and 
has,  during  his  entire  service  with  the  company, 
never  been  in  the  slightest  wreck. 

Mr.  Dunsmoor  was  born  in  Boston,  Mass., 
in  September,  1851,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas 
Dunsmoor,  now  a  prosperous  farmer  in  Clayton 
Co.,  Iowa.  Our  subject  was  married  to  Miss 
Phoebe  L.  Sargent,  and  they  have  a  fine  family  of 
six  children,  four  sons  and  two  daughters,  viz : 
Lulu,  Nellor,  Theo,  Dennis,  Charles  and  Earl. 
He  is  connected  socially  with  No.  226  B.  of  L.  E., 
of  Fort  Dodge,  and  resides  at  Cherokee,  where 
he  has  a  pretty  cottage  near  his  work. 


JOHN    H.    FOX    is  a  well  and  favorably 
known  engineer  in  the  freight  service  of 
the  Illinois  Central,  his  run  being  on  the 
Cherokee  division.       He  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  I.  C.  for  twenty  years,  commenc- 
ing at  Waterloo,  Iowa,  in  1880,  as  fireman.     Af- 
ter working  there  for  nearly  two  years  he  went  to 
Dubuque,    and   was   promoted   to   engineer   and 
given  charge  of  Engine  No.  78  on  the  Dubuque 
division  of  the  I.  C.     He  held  this  position  for 
four  years,  when  he  was  sent  to  Cherokee,  and 
has  since  been  identified  with  that  division.     He 
has  never  been  in  a  wreck,  and  sustained  only  one 
slight  injury  during  his  career  on  the  road. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Canada  on  June 
17,  1852,  and  acquired  his  first  knowledge  of 
railroad  work  there,  on  the  Great  Western  R.  R. 
John  Fox,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  a  mer- 
chant, and  resided  in  Canada,  but  made  his  home 
with  his  son,  John  H.,  for  two  years  prior  to 
his  death,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years.  His 
mother  survives,  being  seventy-three,  years  of 
age,  and  makes  her  home  with  her  daughter. 
Mr.  Fox  was  married  to  Miss  Annie  McDonald, 
and  they  have  had  four  children,  of  whom  two 
survive,  vtz :  Wilbur  B.,  a  fireman  in  the  service 
of  the  I.  C.,  and  John  Jr.,  who  is  in  the  drug  bus- 
iness, both  residing  in  Cherokee.  Socially  he 
is  connected  with  No.  226,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Fort 
Dodge. 


W.  FAIRBURN,  engineer  at  Water- 
loo, Iowa,  began  his  railroad  career 
with  the  Illinois  Central  company 
March  I7th,  1882,  filing  his  ap- 
plication at  Waterloo,  but  did  his  first  work 
in  the  yards  at  Dubuque,  where  he  was  engaged 
until  June  I3th,  of  the  same  year.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Waterloo,  where  he  was  employed  un- 
der James  McCullen  for  a  short  time  on  the  main 
line.  Later  he  got  a  regular  engine,  No  143, 
which  he  had  for  about  a  year  with  Engineer  J. 
Battell,  and  later,  was  on  with  different  men, 
among  them,  Charles  Baldwin,  with  whom  he 


JjM 


WILLIAM   K.  ACKKRMAN. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


141 


ran  between  Waterloo  and  Sioux  City.  Mr.  Fair- 
burn  then  spent  one  year  on  a  passenger  engine 
between  Waterloo  and  Sioux  City,  and  subse- 
quently between  Waterloo  and  Lyle.  He  then 
spent  seven  years  on  a  freight  run,  after  which  he 
was  again  put  on  the  passenger  service  and  spent 
eight  months  with  G.  Martin  on  the  "  Clipper  " 
run.  July  7th,  1892,  Mr.  Fairburn  was  set  up 
to  engineer,  took  charge  of  a  switch  engine  in 
the  Waterloo  yards  for  a  short  time,  and  then 
went  on  to  the  road  in  charge  of  engine  No. 
1301,  on  the  Lyle  branch.  After  spending  one 
winter  on  that  branch,  he  ran  extra  out  of  Water- 
loo for  some  time,  but  finally  went  back  to  his 
old  run  on  the  Lyle  branch. 

Mr.  Fairburn  was  born  in  Janesville,  Iowa, 
and  made  his  home  under  the  parental  roof  un- 
til he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Illlinois  Central 
Railroad  company,  but  moved  to  Waterloo  with 
his  family  in  1882.  He  was  married  in  1879  *o 
Miss  Mary  Pound,  also  of  Janesville,  Iowa,  and 
their  home  has  been  blessed  by  the  presence  of  a 
family  of  three  children,  whose  names  in  the 
order  of  their  birth  are  Mabel  L.,  Blanche  L. 
and  Lula  May.  In  the  social  circles  of  Water- 
loo, our  subject  is  identified  with  Division  114, 
B.  of  L.  E.  and  Howland  Lodge  No  274,  A.  O. 
U.  W.  He  has  been  very  successful  as  a  railroad 
man,  having  spent  about  eighteen  years  on  the 
road  without  experiencing  an  accident  and  in- 
cidentally laying  aside  portions  of  his  earnings 
until  in  1887,  he  secured  for  himself  and  his 
family  a  beautiful  residence  at  216  Logan  Ave., 
where  he  is  now  making  his  home. 


'ILLIAM  K.  ACKERMAN,  who 
served  as  president  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  from  October  17, 
1877,  to  August  18,  1883,  was  born 
in  New  York  City,  January  20,  1832.  His  pa- 
ternal ancestor,  David  Ackerman,  who  arrived 
in  New  York,  September  2,  1662,  from  Amster- 
dam, was  the  first  of  that  name  to  settle  in  this 
country. 


W.  K.  Ackerman  was  educated  in  the  Me- 
chanics Society  school,  in  -New  York,  afterwards 
attending  the  high  school.  He  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company 
May  28,  1852,  as  an  office  clerk  in  the  financial 
department  in  New  York,  from  which  position 
he  was  gradually  piomoted  to  secretary  and 
treasurer  respectively.  On  September  30,  1860, 
he  was  transferred  to  Chicago,  occupying  va- 
rious positions,  among  them  being  the  general 
auditorship.  July  17,  1876,  he  was  elected  vice- 
president,  and  October  17,  1877,  was  elevated  to 
the  presidency  of  the  company,  succeeding  John 
M.  Douglas.  This  position  he  held  until  Au- 
gust 18,  1883,  when  he  resigned  in  favor  of 
James  C.  Clarke. 

In  the  annual  report  of  1877,  his  election 
was  referred  to  in  the  following  manner : 

"Your  directors  have  had  the  pleasure  to 
elect  Mr.  William  K.  Ackerman  to  the  presi- 
dency of  this  company,  a  position  which  he  has 
earned  by  twenty-five  years  of  faithful  service." 
Upon  his  retiring  from  the  presidency,  the  board 
passed  the  following  resolution : 

"Resolved,  that  this  board  having  assented 
to  the  suggestions  contained  in  the  letter  of  Pres- 
ident Ackerman  to  the  directors,  dated  July  18, 
1883,  desires  to  place  on  record  its  unqualified 
approbation  of  the  integrity,  ability,  fidelity,  zeal 
and  success  with  which  he  has  throughout  his 
entire  time  of  office,  discharged  the  responsible 
duties  thereof ;  and  the  secretary  is  hereby  di- 
rected to  transmit  to  Mr.  Ackerman  a  copy  of 
this  resolution."  This  was  on  August  18,  1883, 
at  which  time  he  was  again  elected  vice-presi- 
dent, holding  the  position  until  December  31, 
1883,  when  he  finally  resigned  from  the  com- 
pany. 

Mr.  Ackerman  was  also  a  director  of  the 
company  from  1874  to  1884,  and  a  trustee  of 
their  construction  mortgage  bonds  for  many 
years.  On  the  5th  of  August,  1883,  the  New 
York  Times  published  the  following  article : 

"One  event  of  the  week  deserving  notice, 
is  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Ackerman  from  the 
presidency  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Com- 
pany after  thirty-one  years  service.  This  com- 


142 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


pany  and  its  excellent  management  have  been 
spoken  of  before.  To  President  Ackerman  is 
largely  due  the  credit.  He  leaves  the  company 
after  having  placed  it  foremost  among  the  rail- 
road properties  of  the  United  States,  its  securi- 
ties considered  second  only  to  government  "bonds, 
its  reputation  such  that  it  is  referred  to  as  one 
of  the  model  corporations  of  the  country.  The 
history  of  President  Ackerman's  management 
shows  that  \ye  have  men,  who  with  great  oppor- 
tunities and  abundant  excuse  to  enrich  themselves 
at  the  expense  of  their  trust,  yet  administer  that 
trust  with  soundest  sagacity  and  the  highest  in- 
tegrity, making  one  of  the  bright  spots  in  a  record 
of  corporate  abuses  for  which  the  country  is  now 
paying  some  of  the  penalities." 


EORGE  P.  TURNER,  foreman  of  the 
paint  shops  at  Waterloo,  was  born  at 
Concord,  N.  H.,  February  13,  1833. 
He  learned  his  trade  in  the  railroad 
shops  of  the  town  of  his  nativity,  beginning  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  years.  There  he  spent  five 
years  and  then  went  to  the  Connecticut  &  Pas- 
sumpsic  Rivers  Railroad  shops  at  St.  Johnsbury, 
Vt,  where  he  spent  seven  years  as  foreman. 
December  26,  1864,  he  began  work  for  the  Du- 
buque  &  Sioux  City  Railroad  in  the  shops  at  Du- 
buque  as  foreman  of  the  painting  department. 
When  the  Illinois  Central  company  leased  the 
line  in  1867,  he  continued  in  service  as  the  fore- 
man in  the  same  department,  and  in  1870,  when 
the  shops  were  moved  to  Waterloo,  he  was  con- 
tinued in  the  same  position. 

Mr.  Turner  was  married  at  Manchester,  N. 
H.,  in  February,  1853,  to  Miss  Susan  F.  Sweet 
and  they  have  reared  a  family  of  five  daughters, 
whose  names  in  the  order  of  their  birth  are  as 
follows:  Ella  F.,  Hattie  H.,  Mary  R.,  Ida  E. 
and  Carrie  A.  Mr.  Turner  is  a  member  of  the 
Waterloo  Lodge  No.  105,  F.  &  A.  M.  Tabernacle 
Chapter  No.  52. 


T.  MORAN,  road  supervisor  at  Water- 
loo, is  one  of  the  Illinois  Central  com- 
Q  pany's  pioneer  employes.  He  began 
his  railroad  career  in  New  York  state 
on  the  New  York  &  New  Haven  Railroad  as  a 
track  laborer,  and  assisted  in  the  construction  of 
that  road.  Later,  from  1848  to  1854,  he  worked 
in  the  same  capacity  for  the  New  York  &  Har- 
lem R.  R.,  being  located  at  -Towner  Station  and 
Paterson,  New  York.  The  man  who  was  per- 
forming the  duties  of  roadmaster  at  Freeport, 
111.,  for  the  Illinois  Central  company  at  that  time, 
Mr.  J.  S.  Rogers,  was  a  friend  of  Mr.  Moran  and 
it  was  through  his  influence  that  our  subject 
came  west  and  entered  the  employ  of  the  Illinois 
Central  company  at  Freeport  in  1854.  There  he 
was  employed  as  extra  foreman  for  six  months, 
after  which  he  had  charge  of  a  section  at  Apple 
River  for  fourteen  years,  doing  section  work  and 
helping  to  build  side  tracks.  October  I3th, 
1867,  Mr.  Moran  was  transferred  to  Waterloo 
to  accept  the  position  of  road  supervisor,  had 
charge  of  the  track  from  Waterloo  to  Dyersville 
for  a  time  and  then  was  transferred  to  that  por- 
tion between  Waterloo  and  Iowa  Falls.  In  1877, 
C.  F.  &  M.  branch  was  given  to  his  supervision, 
and  this  he  still  retains,  also  having  charge  of 
the  track  between  Independence  and  Waterloo. 

Mr.  Moran  was  born  in  Bally mahon,  Long- 
ford county,  Ireland,  in  1830,  a  son  of  Edward 
and  Margaret  Moran.  Our  subject  was  married 
the  I4th  of  June,  1852,  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y., 
to  Miss  Hannah  Hayes,  a  native  of  Limerick, 
Ireland,  and  of  the  six  children  that  have  been 
born  to  them  we  have  the  following  record  :  Ella, 
wife  of  P.  F'.  Doherty,  of  Dubuque,  Iowa ;  Char- 
lie, at  Kansas  City,  Mo. ;  Hannah,  wife  of  Joseph 
F.  Gunn  of  Denver,  Colo. ;  Fred,  at  home ;  Mar- 
tha, a  Sister  of  Charity  at  Davenport,  Iowa ;  and 
Christopher,  a  telegraph  operator  at  the  Chicago 
Board  of  Trade.  Our  subject  has  never  given 
attention  to  any  other  line  of  work  except  rail- 
road track  work ;  this  he  has  thoroughly  learned. 
For  more  than  fifty  years  he  has  devoted  his  en- 
tire attention  to  railroad  track  work  and  the  Illi- 
nois Central  company  is  to  be  congratulated  on 
securing  and  retaining  so  competent  a  man  for 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


143 


the  position  of  railroad  supervisor.  He  is  very 
popular  among  the  railroad  employes  in  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  lives  and  is  held  in  high  es- 
teem by  all  who  know  him. 


LEWIS  P.  NELSON,  better  known  as 
"  Lew,"  is  an  engineer  on  the  extra  list 
of  the  Illinois  Central.  He  has  been 
in  the  employ  of  the  I.  C.  for  nine  years 
beginning  on  the  Cherokee  division,  as  a  fireman, 
with  the  well-known  engineer,  Sam  Chapman. 
He  held  this  position  for  seven  years  with  credit, 
and  was  then  transferred  to  the  Clinton  division 
of  the  I.  C.,  working  there  only  a  few  months. 
Returning  to  Cherokee,  he  was  promoted  Sep- 
tember 17,  1897,  to  engineer,  and  since  that  time 
has  been  running  extra  on  that  division.  He 
has  been  in  one  or  two  small  wrecks,  but  was 
never  injured.  Our  subject  is  a  Canadian  by 
birth,  and  is  now  thirty  years  of  age.  He  has 
one  brother,  W.  C.  Nelson,  who  is  a  fireman  on 
the  North-Western  R.  R.  His  father,  a  mill- 
wright by  trade,  resides  in  Cherokee.  Mr.  Nel- 
son was  married  to  Miss  F.  F.  King,  of  Chicago, 
January  i,  1896,  and  their  union  has  been  blessed 
by  a  bright  little  daughter,  Marie.  He  is  con- 
nected with  B.  of  L.  F.  No.  79,  of  Cherokee,  and 
also  with  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  of  Cherokee. 


EORGE  M.  CROWNOVER,  general 
foreman  at  the  shops  at  Waterloo, 
was  born  at  McVeytown,  Pa.,  Septem- 
ber 26th,  1863,  and  spent  his  early 
boyhood  in  the  place  of  his  nativity.  In  1877  he 
came  west  with  his  parents,  and  at  the  age  of 
seventeen  years  began  learning  the  machinist's 
trade  at  the  Waterloo  shops  under  Mr.  Place, 
serving  an  apprenticeship  of  four  years  or  from 
April  4th,  1881,  until  April  4th,  1885.  In  1887, 


he  was  appointed  foreman  of  the  round  house  at 
Clinton,  111.,  but  after  spending  five  years  there, 
returned  to  Waterloo  and  assumed  charge  of 
the  air  brake  department  which  occupied  his  at- 
tention thirteen  months.  May  1st,  1893,  our 
subject  was  appointed  foreman  of  the  machine 
shops  and  held  this  position  until  October  1895, 
when  he  was  appointed  to  the  office  of  general 
foreman  at  Waterloo. 

Mr.  Crownover  has  been  twice  married.  His 
first  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Miss  Catherine 
F.  Deady  and  became  his  wife  September  8th, 
1887,  at  Waterloo.  One  daughter,  Ethel,  was 
born  to  this  union.  His  present  wife  formerly 
Miss  Martha  M.  Magee,  was  wedded  to  him 
October  loth,  1893,  at  Mitchell,  Ontario.  This 
union,  also,  has  been  blessed  by  the  advent  of 
one  daughter,  Edna.  Mr.  Crownover  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Waterloo  Lodge  No.  105,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  is  Junior  Warden  at  the  present  time.  He 
is  also  Venerable  Counsel  of  Waterloo  Lodge 
No.  2059,  M.  W.  of  A.  Mr.  Crownover  is  a 
member  of  the  Tribe  of  Ben  Hur.  His  father, 
Benson  Crownover,  taught  school  in  Iowa  un- 
til his  superannuation,  and  is  now  living  in  re- 
tirement at  Hudson,  Iowa. 


PRANK    EVANS,    engineer,    has    been 
with  the  Illinois  Central  company  for 
twelve   years,   beginning  at   Waterloo, 
Iowa,  as  fireman  with  Engineer  A.  M. 
Place.     He  was  thus  employed  about  seven  years 
and  then  promoted  to  engineer,  running  a  switch 
engine  in  the  yards  at  Fort  Dodge.     Since  then 
has  had  charge  of  freight  engine  No.  808  on  the 
run  between  Fort  Dodge  and  Sioux  City,  Iowa. 
For  three  months  in  1898  he  ran  an  engine  on  the 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  division  out  of  New 
Orleans. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Claremont,  Iowa, 
October  I7th,  1866,  a  son  of  Robert  Evans,  who 
is  a  tailor  by  trade,  now  residing  in  West  Union, 
Iowa.  Our  subject  has  one  brother  (Lewis)  who 


144 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


is  train-man  for  the  Great  Northern  Railroad 
company.  Mr.  Evans  married  Miss  Bertha 
Willey,  of  Mount  Ayer,  Iowa,  and  they  have  one 
child,  Rowena.  He  is  a  member  of  the  B.  of 
L.  F.  No.  222,  B.  of  L.  E.  No.  226,  and  I.  O.  O. 
F.  No.  85,  of  Fort  Dodge.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  are  members  of  the  M.  E.  church. 


JF.  MULKERN,  engineer  at  Waterloo, 
Iowa,  began  his  railroad  career  in  the 
Q  winter  of  1880,  at  Waterloo,  working 
first  under  Engineer  Wood.  He  was 
next  with  F.  A.  Hill  between  Waterloo  and  Sioux 
City  and  also  between  Waterloo  and  Fort  Dodge. 
He  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  lever  and  throttle 
in  October  1883,  and  began  work  in  that  capacity 
in  the  yards  at  Dubuque,  where  he  was  engaged 
about  a  year  and  then  went  to  Fort  Dodge  until 
1885.  At  the  last  named  date,  he  went  to  Water 
Valley  and  Jackson,  Tenn.,  remained  there  two 
months,  returned  to  the  Dubuque  yards  for  about 
three  months,  then  back  to  Water  Valley  for  two 
months,  and  then  returned  to  his  home  in  Water- 
loo and  entered  the  employ  of  the  Chicago 
Great  Western  Railroad  company.  Four  weeks 
later,  he  severed  his  connection  with  the  last 
named  company  and  again  began  work  for  the 
Illinois  Central  in  1887,  running  between  Water- 
loo and  Sioux  City  and  also  between  Waterloo 
and  Dubuque. 

Mr.  Mul.kern  was  born  in  Dubuque,  Decem- 
ber 27,  1862,  a  son  of  Hon.  M.  B.  Mulkern,  a 
native  of  Ireland.  The  father  migrated  to 
America  in  1848,  and  located  in  Dubuque  where 
he  was  known  for  many  years  as  one  of  the  lead- 
ing attorneys  of  that  city.  He  was  state  senator 
in  1870  and  '71.  His  wife  was  a  daughter  of 
John  C.  Regan,  and  is  now  making  her  home  in 
Dubuque.  They  were  the  parents  of  a  family 
of  five  children,  of  whom  we  have  the  following 
record  :  Rachael,  J.  F.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
James  A.,  Daniel  and  M.  B.  Jr.  J.  F.  Mulkern, 
whose  name  appears  at  the  head  of  this  article, 
was  married  October  12,  1887,  to  Miss  Josephene 


Murry,  of  Independence,  la.,  and  the  following 
children  have  been  born  to  them :  J.  Frank, 
Raphiel  V.,  John  H.  and  M.  Alice.  Mrs.  Mul- 
kern's  father,  Simon  Murry,  was  a  constructor 
for  the  Illinois  Central  company  and  built  a  great 
deal  of  their  road.  He  fell  from  a  bridge  at 
Cedar  Falls,  Iowa,  and  was  injured  while  at  work 
in  that  place.  He  died  in  1888. 

Socially  our  subject  affiliates  with  Division 
No.  1 14,  B.  of  L.  E. ;  with  Howland  Lodge  No. 
274,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  also  the  Royal  Arcanum, 
all  of  Waterloo.  He  has  been  a  very  successful 
railroad  man,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  above  record 
and  also  by  the  fact  that  he  has  performed  his 
duty  with  such  care  and  system  that  he  has 
avoided  the  accidents  that  so  many  run  into,  and 
has  never  received  the  slightest  injury  since  he 
has  been  on  the  road. 


M.  FLICKINGER  is  an  engineer  in 
the  freight  service  on  the  Ft.  Dodge 
and  Omaha  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central.  He  first  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  I.  C.  in  1886,  at  Waterloo,  Iowa,  as 
fireman,  running  on  different  divisions  of  the 
road  until  1892,  when  he  was  promoted  to  en- 
gineer after  passing  a  creditable  examination. 
He  was  then  placed  in  charge  of  Engine  No. 
1376,  running  between  Cherokee,  la.,  and  Sioux 
Falls,  South  Dakota.  Our  subject  first  worked 
with  the  B.  &  M.  R.  R.  as  brakeman  and  served 
also  on  the  Union  Pacific  with  the  civil  engineer- 
ing corps,  for  nearly  three  years.  He  was  for 
a  time  connected  with  the  O.  &  B.  R.  R.  and  with 
the  Vicksburg  &  New  Orleans  division  of  the  I. 
C.  In  February  1899,  he  returned  to  Cherokee, 
and  was  assigned  to  the  Ft.  Dodge  &  Omaha 
division. 

Mr.  Flickinger  was  married  to  Miss  Jessie 
Lawless,  and  they  have  four  bright  children,  viz : 
Geneva,  Glenn,  Wayne  and  Claude.  He  is  a 
member  of  B.  of  L.  E.  No.  226,  of  Fort  Dodge, 
Iowa. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


145 


A.  TAYLOR,  engineer,  has  been  with 
the  Illinois  Central  company  ten 
years.  He  began  as  fireman  in  1889 
on  Engine  No.  196,  and  was  engaged 
in  that  capacity  for  about  seven  years.  On 
November  19,  1896,  he  was  promoted  to  engineer 
and  took  charge  of  engine  No.  1398,  and  ran 
same  in  the  switch  yards  at  Fort  Dodge  until 
December  i,  1897,  when  he  began  running  on 
the  road,  and  has  since  pulled  both  freight  and 
passenger  trains. 

He  is  a  native  of  Dane  county,  Wisconsin, 
born  December  19,  1861,  a  son  of  Thomas  G. 
Taylor,  who  is  a  farmer,  and  now  resides  on  a 
farm  in  Dane  county.  Our  subject  married 
Miss  Catherine  P>owen,  of  Sioux  City.  He  is 
very  systematic  and  keeps  a  record  of  every  trip 
he  makes  on  the  road.  Mr.  Taylor  is  a  member 
of  I.  O.  O.  F.  Lodge  No.  85,  of  Fort  Dodge, 
also  of  the  B.  of  L.  F.  No.  222,  of  Fort  Dodge. 
He  resides  at  No.  526  Fourth  avenue,  south. 


=x^DWARD  P.  LISCHER,  engineer  on 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  Amboy 
division,  was  born  in  Chicago,  March 
29,  1867,  whilst  his  parents  were  on 
their  way  to  Iowa.  His  father,  Andrew  Lischer, 
is  a  farmer  living  in  Griswold,  Iowa,  and  his 
mother,  Catherine  (Leffler)  Lischer,  died  in  1886. 
Edward  P.  Lischer  was  educated  in  Colum- 
bus City,  Iowa.  He  learned  the  shoe  maker's 
trade  at  which  he  worked  eight  years,  and  in 
November  1891  entered  the  service  of  the  St. 
Joseph  Terminal  Railway  association  as  a  wiper, 
remaining  in  that  position  one  year,  and  then  be- 
came a  fireman,  in  which  capacity  he  served  until 
January  19,  1895.  Mr.  Lischer  then  removed 
to  Clinton,  111.,  where  he  engaged  as  fireman  on 
the  Amboy  division  of  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road, serving  in  that  position  until  November 
8,  1896,  when  he  was  licensed  to  run  as  engineer 
and  is  still  handling  the  throttle  for  the  same 
company. 


Mr.  Lischer  was  married  on  the  first  day  of 
August,  1880,  to  Miss  Rose  Atchison,  of  Colum- 
bus City,  Iowa.  Mrs.  Lischer  died  in  March 
1895,  leaving  two  children,  Florence  M.  and 
Nancy  B.  Mr.  Lischer  is  socially  connected 
with  the  B.  of  L.  F.  and  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  in  his 
political  views  is  independent. 

jtjtjtjtjjt 

|HARLES  E.  JONES,  engineer  on  the 
Freeport  division,  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road, is  a  native  of  the  Keystone  state 
and  was  born  May  II,  1865  in  Rock- 
ville,  Dauphin  county.  His  parents,  William  L. 
and  Elizabeth  (Vallence)  Jones,  reside  in  Pa- 
ducah,  Kentucky,  where  his  father  is  in  charge  of 
a  Baptist  church. 

Our  subject  attended  the  schools  of  Mechan- 
icsburg  and  Middletown,  Pa.,  and  Cape  May 
Court  House,  N.  J.,  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
entered  the  printing  office  of  R.  H.  Thomas,  at 
Mechanicsburg,  and  served  as  a  printer  for  six 
months.  When  fifteen  years  of  age  he  learned 
the  blacksmith's  trade  at  Cape  May  Court  House, 
and  followed  this  occupation  for  fifteen  years  at 
Pottsville,  Pa.,  Philadelphia,  and  elsewhere.  In 
1884  he  came  west  and  located  for  a  time  in  Do- 
ver, 111.,  following  his  trade  of  expert  horse-shoer 
there  and  in  various  other  towns  in  the  state.  In 
1894  Mr.  Jones  removed  to  Freeport  where  he 
followed  blacksmithing  until  October  20,  1895, 
and  on  the  nth  of  November  following,  entered 
the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  fireman  on  the 
Freeport  division  and  remained  in  that  position 
until  July  22,  1899,  when  he  was  promoted  to 
the  right  side. 

Mr.  Jones  was  married  July  6,  1885,  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Hubbard,  of  Dover,  111.  Mrs.  Jones 
was  born  at  Sheffield,  111.,  October  23,  1868.  She 
is  the  mother  of  three  interesting  children : 
Frances  V.,  born  July  7,  1886;  Marguerita 
Catherine,  born  February  27,  1888;  Charles  V., 
born  April  25,  1890.  Mr.  Jones  with  his  family 
attends  the  First  Baptist  church  of  Freeport.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  B.  of  L.  F.,  and  votes  the  Re- 
publican ticket. 


146 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


i  (  mXELIUS  B.  DEBOLT,  is  an  engineer 
in  the  yards  of  the  Illinois  Central  at 
Cherokee,  running  also  as  an  extra. 
He  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C. 
in  1890,  as  bridgeman,  then  for  several  years  as 
fireman,  and  in  1897  was  promoted  to  engineer. 
He  has  charge  of  a  switch  engine  in  the  yards 
at  Cherokee,  and  also  runs  as  an  extra  when 
called  upon.  His  first  experience  at  railroad 
work  was  acquired  on  the  B.  C.  R.  &  N.  R.  R., 
with  which  he  served  ten  years  as  bridgeman 
and  carpenter,  resigning  to  accept  a  similar 
position  with  the  I.  C.  Our  subject  was  born  at 
Juda,  Green  county,  Wisconsin,  December  i, 
1862.  His  father  is  now  a  resident  of  Clarks- 
ville,  Iowa.  Mr.  DeBolt  was  married  to  Miss 
Martha  Miller,  and  they  have  two  children. 
Gladys  and  Henry  B.  Mr.  DeBolt  is  a  member 
of  B.  of  L.  F.  No.  79,  and  is  also  connected  with 
the  Masonic  and  K.  of  P.  lodges  in  Cherokee,  his 
home  town. 


W.  McFARLANE,  station  agent 
at  Waterloo,  Iowa,  began  work 
Q  for  the  Illinois  Central  company 
in  the  capacity  of  car  tapper,  but 
soon  after  secured  a  position  in  the  freight 
house.  His  next  situation  was  that  of  night 
ticket  clerk,  which  he  retained  for  two  years,  and 
was  then  appointed  bill  clerk  for  one  year.  In 
1890  Mr.  McFarlane  became  the  cashier  at 
Waterloo,  and  in  January,  1893,  he  left  that 
position  for  that  of  station  agent  at  Cedar  Falls, 
which  he  retained  until  April  1894.  At  the  last 
named  date  he  returned  to  Waterloo  to  assume 
the  responsibilities  of  the  position  he  still  holds, 
that  of  station  agent.  Previous  to  entering  the 
employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  company,  however, 
Mr.  McFarlane  was  a  contractor  in  Waterloo  for 
about  ten  years.  Our  subject  is  a  son  of  Alex, 
and  Jane  E.  McFarlane,  the  former  a  native  of 
Scotland  and  the  latter  of  London.  The  family 
located  in  Waterloo  in  1857,  where  the  father 


has  for  many  years  been  a  contractor.  W.  W. 
McFarlane,  whose  name  appears  at  the  head  of 
this  article,  was  married  May  18,  1882,  to  Miss 
Emma  J.  Moss,  of  Anamosa,  Iowa,  and  their 
wedded  life  has  been  blessed  by  the  advent  of 
three  children,  as  follows :  Edward,  Arthur, 
and  Carrie.  In  the  social  circles  of  Waterloo, 
Mr.  McFarlane  is  identified  with  Howland  Lodge 
No.  274,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  also  Helmet  Lodge  K.  of 
P.  and  the  National  Union.  He  has  also  always 
taken  an  active  interest  in  all  local,  political  and 
school  matters,  being  now  a  member  of  the 
East  Waterloo  school  board,  and  was  a  member 
of  the  city  council  during  the  past  four  years. 
He  is  very  popular  among  the  railroad  employes 
and  is  widely  known  as  one  of  Waterloo's  sub- 
stantial citizens. 


EWIS  ALBRIGHT,  engineer  on  freight 
engine,  has  been  with  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral company  since  August  29,  1883. 
He  began  as  fireman  and  worked  at 
same  until  October  17,  1887;  was  then  examined 
and  promoted  to  engineer  and  took  charge  of  En- 
gine No.  195,  working  in  the  yards  awhile  and 
then  began  in  road  service,  which  he  continued 
until  January  28,  1900,  when  he  was  promoted 
to  the  passenger  service  on  the  Omaha  division, 
running  between  Fort  Dodge  and  Omaha. 

He  was  born  in  Sangamon  county,  Illinois, 
September  8,  1859,  a  son  °f  August  Albright, 
deceased,  who  was  a  fanner  in  that  county  for 
many  years.  Mr.  Albright  has  one  brother,  a 
carpenter  in  the  Illinois  Central  shops  at  Water- 
loo, Iowa.  Our  subject  married  Miss  Millie 
Viers,  of  Manson,  Iowa,  who  is  the  mother  of 
three  children,  Ear],  deceased,  Ella  and  Raymond. 
He  was  never  injured  and  has  never  lost  a  day's 
work  since  he  began  with  the  company.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.  No.  226,  Olive 
Lodge  No.  85,  I  .O.  O.  F.,  of  Fort  Dodge,  and 
Wahkonse  Encampment  No.  53.  Both  he  and 
his  wife  belong  to  the  Daughters  of  Rebecca. 
He  resides  at  610  Fifth  avenue,  south. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


147 


SCAR  E.  ADAMS,  switch  engineer 
at  Fort  Dodge,  Iowa,  has  been  with 
the  Illinois  Central  company  since 
March  I3th,  1880.  He  began  as 
a  switchman  in  the  yards  at  Fort  Dodge, 
where  he  worked  one  year  and  four  months  and 
he  then  began  as  fireman  with  Engineer  H.  W. 
Harrington  running  between  Waterloo  and  Sioux 
City.  He  was  next  employed  as  fireman  in  the 
switch  yards  at  Fort  Dodge  one  year,  and  then 
became  hostler  in  the  shops  for  one  year.  He 
then  fired  on  switch  engine  No.  149  in  the  yards 
at  Fort  Dodge  until  October  12,  1885,  when  he 
was  examined  and  promoted  to  engineer  and 
took  charge  of  his  present  engine,  switching  in 
the  yards  at  Fort  Dodge. 

Mr.  Adams  was  born  in  Rutland  county, 
Vermont,  on  May  4,  1851,  a  son  of  George  L. 
Adams,  a  carpenter  by  trade,  who  died  in  the  war 
on  May  24,  1862.  Our  subject  had  one  brother, 
who  was  brakeman  on  the  Wisconsin  Central  rail- 
road and  who  was  killed  while  working  for  that 
company. 

Our  subject  married  Miss  Carrie  A.  Bunnell, 
of  New  York  state,  and  is  the  father  of  three 
children,  Charles  R.,  Bessie  L.,  and  Carlyle.  He 
has  been  in  several  accidents  and  at  one  time 
was  on  his  engine  on  the  Lizzard  bridge  when  it 
went  down,  but  he  has  fortunately  escaped  in- 
jury. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.  No.  226 
of  Fort  Dodge,  and  now  resides  at  No.  826, 
Eighth  Avenue,  North,  Fort  Dodge,  Iowa. 


iHARLES  D.  GREIG  is  a  well  known 
engineer  on  the  Cherokee  divi- 
sion of  the  Illinois  Central,  having 
charge  of  Engine  No.  1324,  between 
Sioux  Falls,  S.  D.,  and  Onawa,  Iowa.  He  "be- 
came identified  with  the  I.  C.  on  September  14, 
1875,  as  engineer  on  the  Cherokee  division, 
where  he  worked  until  1887,  during  which  year 
he  was  appointed  to  his  present  run,  and  has 


since  remained  there.  Our  subject  acquired  his 
first  knowledge  of  railroad  work,  in  1869,  on 
the  Delaware  &  Lackawanna  R.  R.  at  Scranton. 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  worked  as  fireman  for 
two  years.  He  was  then  examined  for  promo- 
tion to  engineer,  and  passing  the  examination 
with  credit,  took  a  position  on  the  Danbury  & 
Norwalk  R.  R.  in  Connecticut.  After  serving 
that  company  for  two  years,  he  came  west  to 
Fort  Dodge,  Iowa,  and  immediately  entered  the 
service  of  the  I.  C.  His  record  on  the  road  has 
been  satisfactory  in  every  respect,  never  during 
his  years  of  service  having  had  a  wreck. 
Mr.  Greig  was  born  at  Nunda,  New  York,  in 
1851,  and  was  married  to  Miss  Lois  Chapman 
of  Illinois.  They  have  four  children,  three 
daughters  and  one  son,  viz:  Cressa,  Helen,  Stella 
and  George.  He  is  a  member  of  B.  of  L.  E.  No. 
226,  of  Fort  Dodge,  and  has  his  home  at  Chero- 
kee, Iowa. 


R.  COOLEY,  conductor  at  Waterloo, 
began  his  railroad  career  with  the  Illi- 
Q  nois  Central  company  at  Dubuque, 
August  i,  1886,  as  a  brakeman.  His 
first  run  was  under  Thomas  Quinlan,  for  whom 
he  set  brakes  eight  months  on  a  passenger  train. 
Later  he  served  on  the  "  Clipper  "  run  for  about 
five  months  under  conductor  Jenness  and  later 
under  Thomas  Quinlan  again  and  under  different 
ones  between  Waterloo  and  Dubuque  for  about 
six  months.  Sickness  then  took  Mr.  Cooley  off 
the  road  for  a  time  and  when  he  was  again  able 
to  resume  his  work,  he  was  given  a  run  on  a 
passenger  train  between  Dubuque  and  Lyle  un- 
der John  Dougherty  for  a  time,  then  spent  one 
year  as  baggageman  between  Waterloo  and  Sioux 
City  and  then  worked  on  a  freight  train  on  the 
east  end  under  different  men  until  he  was  pro- 
moted to  conductor  in  the  fall  of  1892.  Mr. 
Cooley's  first  work  as  conductor  was  also  on  the 
east  end  for  a  time,  and  then  spent  several  years 
running  both  ways  out  of  Waterloo.  His  present 
run  is  between  Waterloo  and  Lyle. 


148 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Mr.  Cooley  was  born  in  Lorain  county, 
Ohio,  a  son  of  Newell  B.  and  Emeline  (Cooper) 
Cooley,  both  of  whom  were  also  natives  of  Ohio. 
The  parents  always  made  their  home  in  the  state 
of  their  nativity,  the  mother  still  residing  near 
Oberlin,  but  the  father  died  in  1897.  Our  sub- 
ject located  in  Waterloo,  Iowa,  in  1888,  and  four 
years  later  he  was  married  to  Miss  Annie  C. 
Mathias,  of  Dubuque,  who  has  since  shared  his 
Waterloo  home.  To  this  union  has  been  born 
one  child  who  bears  the  name  of  Marion  M.  Mr. 
Cooley  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  67,  O.  R. 
C.  and  also  of  Lodge  No.  89,  K.  of  P.,  both  of 
Waterloo.  He  has  been  very  successful  since  be- 
ing in  the  employ  of  the  railroad  company,  his 
career  has  been  free  from  accidents  and  up  to 
the  present  time  he  has  a  clear  record. 


in  1878  and  located  in  Jesup;  lived  there  about 
twenty  months  and  then  returned  to  his  home  in 
Vermont.  In  1880  he  again  removed  to  Iowa 
and  entered  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  company.  In  1887  he  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Myrtle  Staunton,  of  Waterloo, 
Iowa,  and  two  children,  Harry  and  Leonore, 
have  been  born  to  them.  Mr.  Robbins  has  been 
quite  successful  since  locating  in  Iowa.  He  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  railroad  company  without 
any  capital  whatever,  and  has  gradually  worked 
himself  up  to  a  good  position.  Besides  this,  by 
careful  management  and  economy,  he  has  been 
laying  aside  something  for  a  rainy  day,  until  he 
is  now  in  possession  of  considerable  Waterloo 
real  estate,  the  rent  of  which  adds  materially  to 
his  monthly  income.  Socially  he  affiliates  with 
Division  No.  114,  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  also  the  Blue 
Lodge  and  Chapter  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  at 
Waterloo. 


ROBBINS,  engineer  at  Waterloo, 
Iowa,  began  his  railroad  career  April 
LQ  6th,  1882,  as  a  wiper  in  the  Illinois 
Central  round  house  at  Waterloo. 
August  2gth,  of  the  same  year,  he  began  as 
fireman  between  Waterloo  and  Fort  Dodge  un- 
der Engineer  James  McNeil,  working  there  one 
year,  and  then  spent  four  years  with  Engineer 
Martin.  During  the  winter  of  1886  and  '87,  he 
went  on  a  switch  engine,  and  on  August 
20,  1889,  he  crossed  the  cab  and  has  since  had 
charge  of  the  levers.  For  a  time  he  was  in 
charge  of  a  switch  engine,. then  ran  extra  out  of 
Dubuque  one  winter,  then  seven  weeks  on  the 
Cherokee  &  Dakota,  later  on  the  line  between 
Waterloo  and  Fort  Dodge,  then  spent  the  follow- 
ing summer  at  the  head  of  a  construction  train, 
but  since  that  time  has  been  employed  on  a  regu- 
lar run,  changing  only  in  1899  when  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  a  passenger  run. 

Mr.  Robbins  was  born  in  Elmore,  Vt,  a  son 
of  Truman  and  Betsey  E.  (Preston)  Robbins, 
both  natives  of  Vermont  and  always  made  their 
home  in  that  state.  The  father  died  in  1864  and 
the  mother  in  1875.  Our  ?  abject  came  to  Iowa 


'ILLIAM   J.   HAVILAND,   engineer 
for  the   Illinois    Cenral,    has   been 
connected  with  the  road  since  Oc- 
tober  1890,   when  he  began  firing. 
In  1896  he  was  promoted  to  engineer  and  since 
that  time  has  had  charge  of  the  engine. 

He  is  the  son  of  William  Henry  Havilancl, 
formerly  a  farmer  in  Bremer  county,  Iowa,  but 
who  is  now  deceased.  Our  subject  is  a  native  of 
Rock  county,  Wisconsin,  and  was  born  February 
23,  1868.  The  only  railroad  man  in  the  family, 
he  came  to  Waterloo  in  1890,  and  shortly  after 
secured  a  place  in  the  operating  department. 

Mr.  Havilancl  married  Miss  Ella  Barnard, 
of  Cherokee,  Iowa,  and  they  now  reside  at  Fort 
Dodge.  For  three  months  he  worked  on  the 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  branch  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  and  then  returned  to  Iowa  and  has  since 
been  running  out  of  Fort  Dodge.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  B.  of  L.  E.  No.  226  and  the  B.  of  L. 
!•".  Xo.  222,  of  Fort  Dodge,  also  of  Waukanzee 
Lodge  I.  O.  O.  F.  of  Fort  Dodge.  He  has  a 
beautiful  home  at  1325  Fourth  avenue,  south. 


EDWARD  T.  JEFFERY. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


151 


•COWARD  TURNER  JEFFERY,  presi- 
dent  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande 
Railroad  Company,  was  born  in  Liver- 
pool, England,  on  April  6,  1843.  He 
is  a  son  of  William  S.  and  Jane  (McMullen) 
Jeffery,  of  English  descent,  although  his  father 
was  born  at  Greenock-on-the-Clyde,  in  Scotland, 
and  his  mother  at  Downpatrick,  in  Ireland. 
The  senior  Mr.  Jeffery  followed  the  sea,  and 
when  not  engaged  in  his  nautical  avocation,  re- 
sided in  the  cities  of  Liverpool,  Portsmouth  and 
Woolwich,  in  the  order  named,  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  when  Edward  was  six  years  of 
age.  In  1850  the  family  emigrated  to  America, 
and  settled  first  in  Wheeling,  West  Virginia. 
Here  the  following  six  years  of  Edward's  boy- 
hood were  passed  in  minor  occupations  and  in 
gaining  the  rudiments  of  an  education.  He  was 
but  thirteen  when  the  family  removed  to  Chica- 
go, in  1856,  and  in  September  of  that  year  he 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road Company,  probably  not  dreaming  of  the 
distinction  that  awaited  him  as  the  future  super- 
intendent and  manager  of  that  great  corporation. 
His  ambition  at  that  early  day  did  not  extend  be- 
yond reaping  the  rewards  of  faithful  and  honest 
work  in  the  humbler  duties  of  his  calling.  He 
entered  the  office  of  Samuel  J.  Hayes,  superin- 
tendent of  machinery,  where  he  was  employed  as 
general  errand  and  chore  boy  for  about  two 
months,  when  he  was  put  to  work  in  the  tin  and 
coppersmith  shops,  where  he  served  three  or  four 
months,  and  then  entered  the  machine  shops  of 
the  company  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  machinist. 
He  served  in  this  latter  capacity  until  July  5, 
1858,  when  he  was  given  a  place  by  Mr.  Hayes 
in  the  department  of  mechanical  drawing.  From 
this  time,  encouraged  by  the  warm  heart  and 
good  counsel  of  Mr.  Hayes,  he  developed  the 
ambition  to  fit  himself  for  the  complete  mastery 
of  both  the  science  and  the  art  of  mechanical 
drawing  and  engineering.  He  entered  upon  a 
course  of  systematic  studies  which  he  continued 
for  ten  years,  with  such  marked  results  that  the 
privilege  was  accorded  him  of  alternating  study 
with  his  work  as  his  duties  permitted  and  he 
might  feel  inclined.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he 


was  on  the  rolls  of  the  company  as  one  of  the 
regular  mechanical  draughtsmen.  At  twenty 
he  was  placed  in  full  charge  of  the  department 
of  mechanical  drawing.  It  is  worthy  of  notice 
here  that  young  Jeffery,  at  this  early  stage  of 
his  career,  had  perceived  and  applied  in  his  own 
self-training  the  principle  now  advocated  by  the 
most  advanced  educators,  viz :  that  of  combining 
the  labor  of  the  hand  and  the  brain,  the  work- 
shop and  the  study  in  the  attainment  of  an  edu- 
cation that  shall  meet  the  practical  demands  of 
an  industrial  calling.  In  this  Mr.  Jeffery  an- 
ticipated most  of  our  polytechnic  and  manual- 
training  schools  by  the  force  of  his  own  original 
mind.  It  does  not  appear  that  he  took  any  sug- 
gestions from  any  of  these  schools  or  their 
founders.  He  continued  his  work  and  studies 
with  such  profit  that  at  the  age  of  twenty-five 
he  was  in  possession  of  the  entire  range  of 
sciences  adapted  to  the  highest  efficiency  in  his 
occupation,  and  had  also  gained  a  wide  breadth 
of  general  culture.  Few  men  can  be  found 
whose  talents  or  acquirements  are  more  versa- 
tile than  his.  At  the  time  he  was  placed  over  the 
department  of  mechanical  drawing  he  was  also 
made  private  secretary  to  the  superintendent  of 
machinery.  At  the  age  of  twenty-eight  he  was 
appointed  assistant  superintendent  of  machinery, 
by  John  Newell,  then  president  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Company.  Mr.  Newell  was 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  Mr.  Jeffery's  capa- 
bilities, and  being  a  typical  self-made  railroad 
man  was  not  slow  to  open  the  way  for  promotion 
to  deserving  and  energetic  employes.  During 
the  six  years  of  his  service  in  this  position,  Mr. 
Jeffery  was  one  of  the  most  active  and  efficient 
officers  of  the  road.  His  long  experience  com- 
bined with  his  practical  work  and  study,  had  not 
only  rendered  him  familiar  with  the  mechanical 
departments  in  all  their  branches  and  details,  but 
he  had  also  acquired  much  knowledge  of  general 
railroad  operations  and  management.  Accord- 
ingly, in  1877,  he  was  appointed  to  the  office  of 
general  superintendent  of  the  entire  Illinois  Cen- 
tral Railroad  system.  He  held  this  responsible 
position  until  January  i,  1885,  at  which  time  he 
was  appointed  general  manager  of  all  the  de- 


10 


152 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


partments  of  the  rpad,  a  position  which  he  held 
till  he  resigned,  in  September  1889,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  obtaining  needed  rest,  after  so  long  and 
arduous  service  in  the  interests  of  the  company. 
While  he  may  be  called  a  self-made  man  in  the 
best  sense  of  that  phrase,  yet  the  company  was 
liberal  in  the  recognition  of  his  genius  and  in' 
affording  him  a  fair  opportunity  for  its  develop- 
ment. Thus  from  an  office  boy  he  rose  by  suc- 
cessive stages  to  the  management  of  a  great  cor- 
poration, and  every  promotion  he  received  was 
fully  earned  by  hard  and  faithful  work,  and  was 
conferred  upon  him  unsolicited.  In  1885,  when 
the  international  railway  congress  was  held  at' 
Brussels,  he  was  the  representative  in  that  body 
of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company,  and 
the  only  American  delegate  present.  In  his 
younger  days  he  was  president  for  several  years 
of  the  Young  Men's  Literary  Society,  of  Chi- 
cago, an  institution  which  did  much  to  foster  a 
literary  spirit  among  a  large  number  of  citizens, 
and  which  carried  on  its  roll  of  membership  some 
of  the  brightest  young  men  of  the  city.  He  was 
a  frequent  though  anonymous  writer  in  prose 
and  verse,  and  several  of  his  poems  were  very 
generally  copied  by  the  press  of  the  country. 
The  following  lines  written  and  published  by 
him  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago  have 
been  reprinted  from  time  to  time : 

OUR  DUTY. 

The  heart  that  is  sad  where  a  heart  should  be  light, 

Or  false  where  a  heart  should  be  true, 
Let  us  guide  through  the    darkness  obscuring  the  light, 
And  point  to  the  future  eternal  and  bright, 
And  teach  it  to  dare  and  to  do. 

The  soul  that  is  darkened  by  passion  and  crime 

Let  us  win   from  its  idols  of  clay, 
And  lead  to  the  heroes  and  sages  sublime, 
Whose  names  are  inscribed  on  the  records  of  time, 

Unfading.     Immortals  are  they! 

Let  us  fight  for  the  right,  though  the  struggle  be  long, 

With  firm  and   unswerving  desire. 
Let   us   manfully   battle   oppression   and   wrong, 
With   hearts   that  are   earnest   and   trusty  and   strong ; 

With  God  and  the  truth  to  inspire. 


Let  Us  dare  to  be  noble  men,  nature's  own  pride, 

And  dare  to  be  true  to  each  other. 
For  the  earth  is  a  homestead  so  fruitful  and  wide, 
We  can  live,  we  can  love,  we  can  toil  side  by  side, 

And  each  unto  all  be  a  brother. 

Mr.  Jeffery  is  a  prominent  member  of  the 
American  Railroad  Master  Mechanics'  Associa- 
tion, a  member  of  the  Chicago,  Iroquois  and 
Calumet  Clubs,  being  vice-president  of  the  latter, 
and  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity.  Socially 
as  well  as  intellectually  he  is  held  in  high  repute. 
In  his  political  affiliations  he  is  democratic,  but 
takes  no  active  part  in  political  affairs.  The 
three  principal  ideas  which  governed  Mr.  Jeffery 
in  his  official  railroad  career  were :  First,  to  es- 
tablish mutual  confidence  and  kindly  relations 
between  the  corporation  and  its  employes.  Sec- 
ond, to  gain  the  respect  of  the  general  public,  and 
bring  about  a  clearer  and  more  intelligent  com- 
prehension of  the  relations  between  the  •  people 
and  the  carriers,  and  of  their  obligations  to  each 
other.  Third,  to  so  conduct  corporate  affairs  as 
to  secure  and  retain  the  confidence  of  investors 
and  the  financial  world.  It  is  believed  by  those 
who  are  qualified  to  judge,  that  he  met  with  a 
large  measure  of  success  in  carrying  out  these 
ideas.  With  the  people  and  with  working  men, 
Mr.  Jeffery  has  always  been  in  close  fellowship, 
and  few  men  have  been  capable  of  exerting  a 
stronger  influence  over  railway  employes.  One 
instance  may  be  cited.  Soon  after  the  strike  oc- 
curred on  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy 
road,  in  1888,  and  a  general  tie-up  on  all  the 
roads  of  the  country  was  threatened,  he  was  re- 
quested by  a  few  conservative  labor  men  to  use 
his  influence  with  those  who  favored  a  general 
strike,  a  large  mass-meeting  of  whom  were  in 
session  in  Turner  Hall,  on  Twelfth  street,  ready 
to  take  radical  action  in  the  matter  of  a  general 
suspension  of  work  which  would  have  been  dis- 
astrous to  all  the  industrial,  commercial  and  fi- 
nancial interests  of  the  country.  Mr.  Jeffery 
met  the  excited  multitude,  gained  their  attention, 
addressed  them  for  over  two  hours,  and  by  his 
powerful  and  conciliatory  arguments  succeeded 
in  averting  the  impending  disaster.  For  this 


•  AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


153 


timely  service  he  received  public  recognition  and 
many  letters  of  congratulation  and  thanks  from 
the  leading  merchants  and  business  men  of  the 
country.  As  soon  as  it  was  known  that  he  had 
resigned  his  position  in  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road Company,  Mr.  Jeffery  was  selected  by  the 
mayor  and  leading  citizens  interested  in  pro- 
moting the  World's  Columbian  Expostion,  to 
visit  the  Exposition  in  Paris,  study  it  and  make  a 
report  upon  it,  and  at  the  same  time  to  promote, 
as  far  as  practicable,  the  claims  of  Chicago  as 
the  site  of  the  Columbian  Exposition.  He  went 
to  Paris  and  was  entirely  successful  in  his  mis- 
sion, remaining  in  that  city  a  sufficient  length  of 
time  to  gather  and  condense  a  vast  amount  of 
invaluable  information  respecting  the  Paris  Ex- 
position, which  he  published  in  one  of  the  ablest 
and  most  concise  reports  ever  prepared  upon  that 
subject.  This  report  furnished  all  the  data 
which  have  been  so  freely  used  by  the  directors 
and  officers  of  the  Columbian  Exposition.  It 
was  published  in  London  and  has  been  translated 
into  the  French  and  other  European  languages. 
Mr.  Jeffery  declined  to  accept  any  compensation 
for  these  and  other  services  in  connection  with 
the  Exposition.  Upon  the  organization  of  the 
directory,  Mr.  Jeffery  was  chosen  a  member  of 
the  board.  He  was  strongly  urged  to  accept  at 
a  high  salary,  the  position  of  director  general, 
but  he  refused  the  honor.  He  also  declined  to 
have  his  name  used  as  a  candidate  for  the  pres- 
idency of  the  board  of  directors,  to  fill  the  va- 
cancy caused  by  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Lyman 
J.  Gage.  He  was  for  a  year  and  a  half  chairman 
of  the  committee  on  grounds  and  buildings,  and 
was  in  every  way  efficient  and  influential  in  or- 
ganizing and  constructing  the  great  interna- 
tional exposition  of  1892-3,  giving  his  time  and 
energies  to  it  without  pay.  Chicago  is  very 
much  indebted  to  his  influence  for  securing  the 
location  of  the  enterprise  in  this  city.  In  Jan- 
uary 1890,  he  was  sent  to  Washington,  and  made 
an  unanswerable  argument  before  the  Senate  of 
the  United  States  in  behalf  of  Chicago  as  the 
site  for  the  Exposition.  Mr.  Jeffery  is  a  close 
student,  a  fluent  writer,  and  a  ready  speaker. 
He  has  delivered  various  addresses  on  transpor- 


tation and  other  public  questions  before  state 
legislatures,  municipal  councils,  boards  of  state 
and  inter-state  railroad  commissions  and  other 
bodies,  which  rank  among  the  best  literature  of 
their  class.  For  nearly  a  year  and  a  half  he  was 
connected  with  a  new  enterprise  having  in  view 
the  construction  of  large  locomotive  works  in 
the  city  of  Chicago.  Many  of  the  leading  citi- 
zens were  associated  with  him  in  the  undertaking 
and  he  accepted  the  presidency  of  a  company 
which  was  organized  for  the  purpose  stated.  It 
was  natural,  however,  that  his  inclinations  and 
the  associations  and  habits  of  life  formed 
through  thirty-three  years  of  continuous  railway 
service  would  lead  him  to  return  to  his  old  pro- 
fession. Many  lucrative  offers  were  made  to 
him  by  railway  companies  after  he  retired  from 
the  Illinois  Central  road,  but  all  were  declined 
until  October  1891,  when  he  accepted  his  present 
distinguished  position  as  president  of  the  Den- 
ver &  Rio  Grande  railway,  with  headquarters  at 
Denver,  Colo.,  where  he  now  resides.  The  cir- 
cumstances under  which  this  important  change 
in  Mr.  Jeffery 's  affairs  was  made,  were  as  fol- 
lows: Having  been  solicited  in  September  1891, 
to  act  as  arbitrator  in  a  controversy  at  Denver, 
he,  while  there  in  that  capacity,  was  proffered 
by  the  directors  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande, 
the  presidency  of  that  road,  and  with  such  a 
warmth  and  heartiness  that  he  accepted  it. 
When  this  became  known  in  Chicago,  the  press 
of  the  city  were  unanimous  in  expressions  of 
sincere  regret  at  the  loss  the  community  was  to 
sustain  at  the  removal  of  so  valuable  and  popu- 
lar a  man,  though  at  the  same  time  rejoicing  at 
his  new  and  deserved  honors.  The  following 
editorial,  which  appeared  in  one  of  the  leading 
papers,  is  typical  of  •  the  many  that  voiced  the 
public  sentiment : 

"The  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Railway  Company  is 
to  be  congratulated  on  securing  for  the  difficult  office 
of  president  and  general  manager,  so  able  and  amiable 
a  man  as  E.  T.  Jeffery.  The  city  of  Denver  is  happy 
in  the  accession  of  a  good  citizen.  But  Chicago,  though 
extending  its  felicitations  to  the  fortunate  company, 
and  the  no  less  fortunate  city,  can  not  let  the  occasion 
pass  without  an  expression  of  regret  at  the  loss  we 
experience  in  Denver's  gain.  Mr.  Jeffery  has  lived  in 


154 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Chicago  from  boyhood.  Here  he  made  that  wonderful 
race  from  the  workshop  to  the  general  superinten- 
dency  of  a  great  railroad.  In  all  stages  of  advance- 
ment he  has  been  found  more  than  equal  to  the  re- 
sponsibilities of  his  position,  and  a  loyal  and  patriotic 
citizen.  Mr.  Jeffery's  public  spirit  has  best  been  illus- 
trated by  his  services  to  the  Columbian  Fair.  As  a 
member  of  the  directors  and  especially  as  chairman 
of  the  vastly  important  committee  on  grounds  and 
buildings,  he  has  been  alert,  indefatigable,  invaluable. 
It  is  no  disparagement  to  the  other  members  of  the 
directory  to  say  that  Mr.  Jeffery  has  led  them  all  in 
value  of  his  services,  bestowed  freely  and  with  no 
other  motive  than  an  admirable  public  spirit.  It  will 
not  be  easy  to  fill  the  place  Mr.  Jeffery  will  leave  va- 
cant, it  will  be  harder  still  to  efface  the  traces  which  his 
master  mind  has  left  on  the  records  of  the  fair." 

Mr.  Jeffery  was  married  April  2,  1877,  to 
Miss  Virgina  O.  Clarke,  of  Frederick,  Mary- 
land. They  have  two  children :  James  Clarke 
and  Edna  Turner,  aged  thirteen  and  eleven  years 
respectively. 

Mr.  Jeffery's  career  in  the  West  has  been  a 
marked  success.  The  railway  of  which  he  is  at 
the  head  consists  of  1,900  miles,  located  almost 
wholly  in  the  state  of  Colorado,  reaching  all  the 
principal  mining,  agricultural  and  commercial 
points  of  the  state.  Deep  canons,  elevated 
mountain  passes,  sharp  curves  and  heavy  grades 
are  the  features  of  this  remarkable  railway.  His 
administration  of  its  affairs  for  the  past  seven 
years  has  been  most  wonderful  in  its  results. 
Out  of  the  greatest  business  depressions,  ag- 
gravated by  the  unprecedented  fall  in  the  mar- 
ket value  of  silver,  of  which  metal  that  state  is 
so  noted  a  producer,  and  amidst  other  disturb- 
ances of  trade  and  commerce  that  have  occurred, 
and  surrounded  by  bankrupt  railways,  the  Den- 
ver &  Rio  Grande  has  emerged  unscathed,  with 
a  financial  record  stronger  than  at  any  time  in 
its  history.  Since  he  took  up  his  residence  in 
Colorado,  Mr.  Jeffery  has  been  a  factor,  and  a 
potent  one,  in  all  those  affairs  which  go  to  pro- 
mote the  welfare  of  its  citizens  and  its  material 
progress.  He  is  a  representative  man  in  the 
broadest  sense  of  the  term.  His  unprecedented 
clear  and  right  perception  of  things,  and  his  in- 
fluence for  peace  and  harmony  have  been  ex- 
erted with  good  results  in  trying  circumstances 


affecting  the  welfare  of  her  citizens,  and  particu- 
larly between  employers  and  employes  he  has 
been  instrumental  in  bringing  about  a  better  un- 
derstanding between  them,  a  higher  regard  for 
the  rights  of  each  other,  and  confidence  based 
upon  the  mutuality  of  their  interests.  In  all 
movements  for  the  good  of  the  community  he 
has  taken  an  active  part  since  he  has  been  in 
Colorado,  and  his  eloquence  on  many  occasions 
has  encouraged  public  enterprise  and  aided 
charity. 


JP.  REECE,  conductor  on  the  Amboy 
division  of  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
Q  road,  first  saw  the  light  in  Columbus 
Junction,  Iowa,  July  28,  1866.  He 
is  the  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Colton)  Reece, 
who  died  October  I4th,  1899,  and  Novmber  I5th, 
1892,  respectively.  He  attended  the  schools 
of  Columbus  Junction,  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
went  to  Colorado  and  drove  a  team  for  about  two 
years.  He  then  entered  the  service  of  the  Denver 
&  South  Park  R.  R.  Co.  as  brakeman,  remaining 
in  that  position  for  three  years,  then  served  in 
the  same  capacity  with  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande 
six  months,  the  Colorado  Central  six  months, 
and  with  the  B.  C.  R.  &  N.  a  short  time,  after 
which  he  went  to  Rock  Island  and  was  employed 
by  the  Chicago  &  Rock  Island  company  as  a 
switchman  about  eight  months,  served  the  C.  M. 
&  St.  P.  as  yardmaster  at  VanHorn,  Iowa,  six 
months,  then  returned  to  the  B.  C.  R.  &  N. 
where  he  remained  about  six  months.  On  the 
22nd  of  October,  1893,  Mr.  Reece  moved  to  Am- 
boy, and  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as 
a  brakeman,  and  in  July  1895,  was  promoted  to 
conductor,  which  position  he  retains  at  the  present 
time,  having  removed  in  1894  to  Freeport  where 
he  now  resides. 

Mr.  Reece  was  married  June  i,  1892,  to 
Miss  Jessie  May  Sissley,  of  Burlington,  Iowa. 
She  was  born  in  Walker,  Iowa,  August  28,  1871. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  O.  R.  C. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


155 


IDNEY  D.  BRISTOW  is  an  engineer 
in  the  freight  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  on  the  Cherokee  division.  He 
entered  the  service  of  the  company 
October  i,  1888,  as  fireman  on  a  switch  engine 
in  the  yards  at  Cherokee,  and  was  with  many  of 
the  old  engineers  on  this  division.  Some  years 
after  coming  to  the  I.  C.  he  was  promoted  to 
engineer  taking  charge  of  a  switch  engine  in  the 
Cherokee  yards  and  serving  there  for  two  years. 
He  was  then  appointed  to  the  regular  run  which 
he  now  holds.  During  his  service,  he  has  never 
had  a  member  of  his  crew  injured  in  any  way,  a 
record  of  which  he  is  justly  proud.  Mr.  Bristow 
was  born  at  Ontario,  Canada,  June  9,  1867.  His 
father,  Isaac  Bristow,  resides  with  him  and  has 
charge  of  the  store  house  for  the  I.  C.  Socially, 
our  subject  is  connected  with  B.  of  L.  E.  No.  226, 
of  Fort  Dodge,  and  is  also  a  member  of  B.  of 
L.  F.  and  A.  O.  U.  W.  of  Cherokee. 


F.  CAREY,  passenger  engineer,  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad,  began  in  the 
iO  service  °f  the  company  in  1865,  in 
the  Dubuque  offices,  where  he  re- 
mained for  two  years  under  J.  T.  Farley,  and 
also  worked  in  the  freight  house  about  two  years 
under  W.  F-  Blake.  March  9,  1869,  he  was 
placed  in  the  Dubuque  yards  where  he  served 
the  company  until  1874.  At  that  time  he  went 
on  the  road  as  fireman  and  in  the  fall  of  1879 
was  licensed  to  handle  the  throttle  and  lever,  run- 
ning for  sixteen  months  in  the  Dubuque  yards 
under  T.  W.  Place,  and  later  worked  on  different 
branches  of  the  system  until  1885  when  he  was 
given  a  run  between  Dubuque  and  Waterloo. 
April  q,  1898  he  was  promoted  to  passenger  en- 
gineer, and  now  runs  between  Dubuque  and 
Waterloo. 

Mr.  Carey  married  Mary  F.  Case,  of  Du- 
buque, and  to  them  have  been  born  nine  children, 
six  of  whom  are  deceased.  Those  living  are  Jos- 
eph, George  and  Laona.  Mr.  Carey  is  a  native  of 


Vermont,  while  Mrs.  Carey  was  born  in  Flint, 
Michigan.  Mr.  Carey  is  a  member  of  B.  of  L. 
E.  No.  114,  K.  of  P.  No.  89,  A.  O.  U.  W.  No. 
274,  and  the  Foresters.  He  has  been  successful 
in  his  railroad  career,  and  is  popular  with  his 
employers  and  the  patrons  of  the  road. 


I HARLES  F.  HILDRETH,  former  agent 
of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  at  Free- 
port,  111.,  is  a  native  of  the  Green 
Mountain  state  and  was  born  in  Ben- 
nington  county,  October  15,  1861.  His  father, 
Jerone  D.  Hildreth,  who  was  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  cotton  goods,  died  in  1891,  while 
his  mother,  formerly  Miss  Eliza  M.  Turner,  is 
living  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years. 

Our  subject  attended  the  public  schools  of 
New  England  and  Ontario,  Canada,  and  after 
two  years  in  the  Academy  of  Prattville,  Ala., 
at  the  age  of  fifteen,  he  began  work  in  the  cot- 
ton factory  at  that  place,  of  which  his  father  was 
superintendent,  and  later  was  employed  in 
the  cotton  mills  at  Cottondale,  Alabama.  When 
eighteen  years  of  age  Mr.  Hildreth  studied  tele- 
graphy, and  served  the  Chicago,  Pekin  &  South- 
western R.  R.  (now  a  part  of  the  Santa  Fe 
system)  as  station  agent  at  Groveland,  111.,  four 
months  and  at  Morton,  111.,  for  sixteen  months. 
He  then  entered  the  employ  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R. 
as  night  operator  at  Ackley,  Iowa,  remaining 
there  one  month  and  at  LeMars,  Iowa,  three 
months.  He  was  then  made  ticket  agent  and 
served  in  that  capacity  at  South  Park,  near  Chi- 
cago, for  two  months,  Heyworth,  two  weeks, 
Patoka,  three  and  one-half  years,  and  then  took 
charge  of  the  ticket  office  at  Decatur  for  the  I. 
C.  R.  R.,  the  Illinois  Midland  (now  Vandalia) 
and  the  P.  D.  &  E.  for  a  period  of  nine  months, 
after  which  he  acted  as  joint  agent  at  El  Paso 
for  the  I.  C.  and  T.  P.  &  W.  railroads  a  little 
more  than  three  years,  then  went  to  Pana  where 
he  remained  as  I.  C.  freight  agent  about  sixteen 
months.  In  September  1891,  Mr.  Hildreth  came 


156 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


to  Freeport  as  freight  agent  for  the  I.  C.  R.  R., 
and  in  July  1892,  severed  his  connection  with  the 
railroad  and  is  now  in  the  real  estate  and  insur- 
ance husiness  and  is  likewise  interested  in  the 
manufacture  of  paper  boxes. 

On  the  28th  of  August,  1889,  Mr.  Hildreth 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Nellie  P. 
McLafferty,  of  Hutchinson,  Kansas,  but  whose 
life  till  within  a  few  months  of  her  marriage  was 
spent  at  El  Paso,  111. 

Mrs.  Hildreth  received  a  liberal  education  at 
the  State  Normal  School  at  Normal,  111.,  and 
taught  school  a  number  of  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hildreth  have  no  children.  They  are  members 
of  the  First  Presbyterian  church,  and  Mr.  Hil- 
dreth is  a  staunch  Republican  in  politics. 


OP.  ESTEY,  engineer  at  Waterloo,  be- 
gan firing  for  the  Illinois  Central 
11  lAO  company  September  26,  1886.  Pre- 
vious to  this,  however,  he  had  worked 
in  the  Waterloo  shops  from  April  to  September 
of  the  same  year  before  there  was  an  opening  for 
him  on  the  road.  His  first  run  was  between 
Waterloo  and  Fort  Dodge,  and  the  first  engineer 
under  whom  he  served  was  A.  C.  DuBois.  After 
a  service  of  ten  months  on  a  freight  engine,  Mr. 
Estey  was  promoted  to  a  passenger  run  and 
served  three  years  under  L.  Smith.  August  17, 
1890,  he  was  set  up  to  engineer,  worked  one  year 
in  the  yards  at  Waterloo,  then  on  the  main  line, 
running  east,  west  and  north  out  of  Waterloo, 
covering  every  portion  of  the  Iowa  division,  un- 
til 1897,  and  since  then  has  had  a  regular  run 
between  Waterloo  and  Fort  Dodge.  The  record 
»f  Mr.  Estey's  railroad  career  is  not  dotted  1>\ 
a  single  accident. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  son  of  Charles 
and  Sylvia  (Peck)  Estey,  both  of  Vermont.  In 
1885  he  went  to  Nebraska  for  the  purpose  of 
visiting  his  sister  a  short  time,  but  on  his  return 
he  stopped  in  Waterloo  and  was  there  married 


in  1887  and  has  since  made  his  home  there.  The 
estimable  lady  of  Mr.  Estey's  choice  was  known 
in  her  girlhood  as  Miss  Nellie  Armbruster  and 
her  native  city  is  Galena,  111.  This  union  has 
been  blessed  by  the  presence  of  a  son,  Fred. 

Mr.  Estey  is  a  member  of  the  following  fra- 
ternities:  Division  No.  114  B.  of  L.  E.,  Lodge 
No.  274  A.  O.  U.  W.  and  the  Blue  Lodge,  No. 
105,  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  all  of  Waterloo. 


AVID  L.  CHEVALIER,  a  prominent 
engineer,  residing  in  Fort  Dodge,  be- 
gan with  the  Illinois  Central  November 
3,  1889,  as  fireman.  He  engaged  in 
firing  seven  years  and  on'  November  1896,  was 
promoted  to  engineer,  and  since  that  time  he  has 
had  charge  of  an  engine  running  between  Sioux 
City  and  Fort  Dodge. 

He  is  a  native  of  Dubuque,  Iowa,  born  De- 
cember 23,  1867,  a  son  of  David  L.  Chevalier 
who  was  one  of  the  oldest  engineers  on  the  Illi- 
nois Central  and  used  to  run  a  passenger  engine 
between  Dubuque  and  Waterloo.  He  is  now  a 
farmer  and  resides  in  South  Dakota. 

Our  subject  comes  from  an  old  and  promi- 
nent railroad  family,  two  of  his  brothers  being 
in  the  service,  one  an  engineer  on  the  Chicago, 
St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Omaha  railroad,  living 
in  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  and  the  other  a  fireman  on 
the  Illinois  Central.  An  uncle,  H.  L.  Chevalier, 
(see  sketch  elsewhere  in  this  volume)  is  an  en- 
gineer on  the  Illinois  Central ;  another  uncle,  H. 
Girard,  deceased,  was  an  engineer  on  the  Illinois 
Central  for  thirty-eight  years ;  and  a  cousin,  A. 
E.  Girard,  (see  sketch  on  another  page  of  this 
work)  is  an  engineer  on  the  Freeport  division  of 
the  Illinois  Central.  Our  subject  has  been  in 
several  small  wrecks  but.  never  injured.  He  is 
a  member  of  Division  No.  222,  B.  of  L.  F.,  Divi- 
sion Xo.  226,  B.  of  L.  E.  and  the  Royal  Arca- 
num, all  of  Fort  Dodge.  Mr.  Chevalier  married 
Miss  Dean  Cronenberger,  of  Fort  Dodge,  and 
they  reside  at  No.  603,  Third  avenue,  south. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


157 


LE.  ROPER,  better  known  as  "Lee,"  en- 
gineer for  the  Illinois  Central  at  Fort 
Q  Dodge,  has  been  with  the  company 
since  1887.  He  first  worked  with  the 
Iowa  Telephone  Co.  for  some  time  and  then  be- 
gan as  fireman  for  the  Illinois  Central  and 
worked  in  that  position  until  1895,  when  he  was 
promoted  to  engineer  and  began  work  in  freight 
service  running  between  Fort  Dodge  and  Sioux 
City.  Mr.  Roper  is  a  native  of  Fond  du  Lac, 
Wisconsin,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  E.  Roper,  who 
was  a  railroad  man  and  was  yardmaster  at  Fort 
Dodge  for  the  Illinois  Central  for  nineteen  years, 
at  the  end  of  which  time  he  went  to  Eagle  Grove, 
Iowa,  where  he  is  now  engaged  in  business.  A 
second  son  was  "caller"  on  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral at  Fort  Dodge,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of 
nineteen  years. 

Our  subject  married  Miss  Mary  Riffenberry, 
of  Fort  Dodge,  and  they  have  become  the  pa- 
rents of  four  children,  Letha,  Ionia,  Antia  and 
Horatio.  Since  his  marriage  he  has  always  lived 
in  Fort  Dodge,  and  he  now  resides  at  603  Sec- 
ond avenue,  where  he  now  has  a  neat  and  com- 
fortable home. 

Mr.  Roper  is  a  member  of  the  B.  of  L.  E., 
No.  226,  of  Fort  Dodge.  He  has  never  been  in 
any  wrecks,  although  he  was  injured  once,  caus- 
ing him  the  loss  of  two  weeks'  time.  He  is  well 
and  favorably  known  along  the  line. 


HARLES  L.  SMITH,  an  engineer  of 
Fort  Dodge,  began  with  the  Illinois 
Central  in  1889  as  fireman,  and  worked 
at  that  seven  years,  when  he  was  then 
promoted  to  engineer.  He  is  a  native  of  Fort 
Dodge,  Iowa,  and  a  son  of  Loring  W.  and  Caro- 
line (Gardner)  Smith.  The  father  was  a  farmer 
near  Fort  Dodge,  where  he  died  in  1891.  Our 
subject  was  educated  in  the  common  and  high 
schools  of  Fort  Dodge,  and  then  began  railroad- 
ing under  H.  M.  Rhodes,  engineer,  and  fired 


for  him  until  he  was  promoted.  His  engine  at 
present  is  No.  1511,  and  his  run  is  from  Fort 
Dodge  to  Sioux  City.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  member  of 
the  B.  of  L.  E.  No.  226,  and  also  belongs  to  the 
Royal  Arcanum  of  Fort  Dodge. 

He    resides    at    1216  'Fifth    avenue,    south, 
where  he  has  recently  built  a  neat  cottage  home. 


JOHN  DOHERTY,  a  retired  passenger 
conductor  on  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road, at  Dubuque,  Iowa,  began  work  on 
this  road  as  a  clerk  in  the  freight  depot 
at  Cedar  Falls  under  W.  B.  Boss.  He  was  thus 
engaged  three  years  and  a  half  from  the  spring 
of  1 86 1,  and  then  started  as  brakeman  under  S. 
A.  Wolcott,  running  west  out  of  Dubuque,  and 
for  about  eight  months  ran  to  Cedar  Falls.  Af- 
ter being  promoted  to  the  position  of  conductor, 
he  worked  between  Dubuque  and  Fort  Dodge 
about  twelve  years,  running  the  first  night  pas- 
senger train  west  of  Dubuque,  then  worked  be- 
tween Dubuque  and  Lyle,  and  later  returned  to 
the  main  line,  making  an  aggregate  of  twenty- 
seven  years  of  service  for  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad.  Mr.  Doherty  has  left  a  splendid 
record  on  the  company's  books,  for  he  has  never 
met  with  serious  accident,  and  an  injury  of  any 
kind  has  never  been  inflicted  upon  himself. 

Mr.  Doherty  was  born  near  Dublin,  Ireland, 
and  at  the  age  of  eight  years  came  to  America 
with  his  parents  and  located  in  Dubuque,  Iowa. 
One  of  his  brothers,  G.  F.  Doherty,  was  also  a 
conductor  on  the  Illinois  Central  for  several 
years.  In  May  1869,  our  subject  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Mary  J.  Redfern,  of  Bedford 
county.  Pa.  Since  retiring  from  the  road  Mr. 
Doherty  engaged  in  the  wholesale  liquor  busi- 
ness for  two  years  in  Dubuque,  and  since  then  has 
been  dealing  quite  extensively  in  western  lands 
and  Dubuque  real  estate.  He  is  well  known  in 
Dubuque  and  portions  of  the  West,  and  enjoys 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  all  who  know  him. 


158 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


JOHN  WILLIAM  HANSON,  yard  fore- 
man at  Fort  Dodge,  has  been  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  company  twenty-two  years, 
beginning  in  1878  on  the  section  as  a 
laborer.  He  worked  at  the  same  six  months  and 
then  was  "  wiper"  in  the  round  house  at  Fort 
Dodge  for  two  years,  and  for  one  year  was  en- 
gaged in  car  repairing  in  the  round  house.  He 
then  served  as  switchman  in  the  yards  at  Fort 
Dodge  until  1885,  when  he  was  made  yard  fore- 
man and  has  since  continued  in  that  position. 
Mr.  Hanson  is  a  native  of  Christiania,  Norway, 
born  September  14,  1854,  a  son  of  John  Hanson, 
who  is  a  carpenter  by  trade  and  resides  at  Fergus 
Falls,  Minn.  Our  subject  married  Miss  Bridget 
Daily,  who  has  borne  him  four  children,  Mary, 
Eddie,  now  in  the  employ  of  he  Illinois  Central, 
Georgia  and  Bernidetta.  Mr.  Hanson  has  been 
in  several  wrecks  and  was  twice  injured,  once 
in  jumping  from  the  train  and  was  also  caught 
in  a  "frog"  and  injured  badly.  He  is  a  charter 
member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  of  Fort  Dodge,  and 
a  charter  member  also  of  the  B.  of  R.  T.  of  Fort 
Dodge,  Lodge  No.  171.  He  now  owns  a  nice 
residence  at  No.  603  Fourth  avenue,  and  is  a 
respected  citizen  and  railroad  man  of  Fort  Dodge, 
Iowa. 


'ILLIAM  Z.  WRIGHT  is  one  of  the 
old  and  respected  employes  of  the 
Illinois  Central.  He  entered  the 
service  of  the  company  at  Fort 
Dodge,  Iowa,  on  September  9,  1869,  as  fireman, 
with  Engineer  Col.  Thomas.  He  remained  in 
this  position  three  years,  and  during  the  follow- 
ing five  years  ran  an  engine  between  Waterloo 
and  Sioux  City.  He  was  then  made  foreman  of 
the  round  house  where  he  served  about  ten  years, 
retiring  to  accept  the  position  of  train  master  at 
Fort  Dodge,  where  he  spent  the  greater  part  of 
1885.  He  then  returned  to  his  former  position  as 
foreman  of  the  engine  house,  but  in  1887  was 
transferred  to  Cherokee  and  given  a  regular  run 
in  the  passenger  service  between  Cherokee  and 


Sioux  Falls,  South  Dakota,  which  he  still  holds. 
Mr.  Wright  is  a  native  of  Willoughby,  O., 
where  he  was  born  June  7,  1850.  He  has  an 
amiable  wife  and  an  interesting  family  of  three 
daughters,  viz :  May,  Bertha  and  Kittie.  ,He 
is  quite  prominent  in  railroad  circles  socially, 
being  a  member  of  B.  of  L.  E.  No.  226,  of  Fort 
Dodge,  for  twenty-five  years,  and  for  ten  years 
Chief  of  the  lodge ;  is  also  a  member  of  Cherokee 
Lodge  No.  307,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  A.  O.  U.  W. 
No.  197.  He  resides  in  Cherokee,  and  there  is 
not  a  better  known  man  all  over  the  Iowa  division 
of  the  Illinois  Central. 


JOYCE,  conductor  at  Waterloo,  be- 
gan his  railroad  career  as  a  section 
hand  at  Cedar  Falls  in  1880,  and  was 
engaged  in  that  line  of  work  for  two 
years.  Subsequently  he  had  charge  of  the 
freight  and  baggage  rooms  at  the  same  city  for 
four  years  and  then  began  as  a  brakeman  between 
Waterloo  and  Fort  Dodge  and  served  at  different 
times  under  the  following  conductors :  Ed.  Spear, 
Henry  Mullan,  J.  Keeler,  and  his  brother,  T.  M. 
Joyce.  Mr.  Joyce  was  a  brakeman  for  twenty- 
three  months  and  in  the  fall  of  1887,  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  position  of  conductor  and  for  sev- 
eral years  thereafter  he  ran  trains  out  of  Waterloo 
both  east  and  west  on  the  main  line  and  also  north 
on  the  branch.  At  present  he  is  running  a  con- 
struction train  out  of  Waterloo.  Mr.  Joyce  has 
been  very  successful  as  a  railroad  employe,  hav- 
ing given  his  employers  satisfaction  from  the  very 
start  as  is  attested  by  the  unusually  short  time  it 
required  for  him  to  attain  the  position  of  conduc- 
tor. His  entire  career  has  also  been  without  re- 
ceiving the  slightest  injury. 

Mr.  Joyce  was  born  in  Forreston,  111.,  a  son 
of  Michael  and  Margaret  Joyce,  both  natives  of 
Ireland.  The  father,  also  was  an  employe  of 
the  Illinois  Central  company,  having  served  on 
the  section  for  thirty  years.  He  was  killed  at 
Waterloo,  in  the  year  1869,  but  the  mother  is 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


161 


still  living  and  is  making  her  home  at  Cedar  Falls, 
Iowa.  Three  of  their  sons,  besides  the  one  whose 
name  appears  at  the  head  of  this  article,  are  rail- 
road employes :  T.  M.  Joyce,  a  conductor  on  the 
Illinois  Central  at  Waterloo;  J.  Joyce,  a  passen- 
ger conductor  on  the  Sioux  City  &  Northern 
Railroad ;  and  P.  F.  Joyce,  yardmaster  at  Fort 
Dodge.  Our  subject  was  married  at  Fort  Dodge, 
in  1892,  to  Miss  Ella  Harrington,  of  that  city 
and  their  home  has  been  made  happy  by  the  pres- 
ence of  three  children  whose  names  in  the  order 
of  their  birth  are  Earl,  John  and  Myrtle.  Mr. 
Joyce  holds  a  membership  in  Lodge  No.  67,  O.  R. 
C.  and  also  in  Lodge  No.  274,  A.  O.  U.  W.  both 
of  Waterloo. 


JAMES  D.  PLACE,  the  clerk  of  the  oil 
room  at  the  shops  and  round  house  at 
Waterloo,  Iowa,  ranks  among  the  oldest 
men  in  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad.  He  was  born  in  the  town  of  Acworth, 
Sullivan  county,  N.  H.,  his  natal  day  being  Aug. 
17,  1830.  He  received  a  common  school  edu- 
cation in  his  native  county  and  was  engaged 
principally  in  farming  until  he  began  railroad- 
ing at  the  early  age  of  twenty  years,  and  has 
pursued  that  vocation  almost  continuously  ever 
since.  His  first  experience  was  with  the 
Northern  Railroad  of  New  Hampshire,  now  a 
part  of  the  Boston  &  Maine  System,  in  1851, 
serving  as  fireman  on  an  engine  named  "  Frank- 
lin "  under  Engineer  James  Blaisedell,  now  de- 
ceased, and  later  fired  the  engine  "Blackwater" 
under  James  Bachelder,  also  deceased.  In  those 
days  it  did  not  tak  so  long  to  become  an  engineer 
as  it  does  now,  and  ten  months  after  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  railroad,  Mr.  Place  was  given 
charge  of  the  "  Shaker  Engine." 

After  spending  two  and  a  half  years  with 
the  Northern  Railroad  of  New  Hampshire,  Mr. 
Place  came  west  and  began  work  for  the  Illinois 
Central  company,  in  August  1853,  running  en- 
gine No.  9  on  construction  work  from  Chicago 


to  Kankakee  before  the  bridge  at  the  latter  place 
was  built.  November  6,  1853,  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  Freeport.  111.,  with  engine  No.  13,  and 
at  that  time  the  track  was  not  laid  as  far  north  as 
Lena,  neither  was  the  road  graded  south  of 
Freeport,  and  only  ten  miles  of  track  was  laid 
on  the  northern  division. 

January  i,  1854,  a  train  ran  into  Warren, 
and  in  September,  of  the  same  year  the  first  train 
was  run  as  far  west  as  Scales  Mound.  October 
3ist,  the  first  regular  train  ran  into  Galena; 
Rensselaer  Smith  was  engineer  of  the  engine, 
No.  2,  and  Conductor  William  Thayer  in  charge 
of  the  train ;  and  the  first  regular  train  out  of 
Galena  to  points  farther  east  was  one  day  later 
drawn  by  engine  No.  45,  with  the  subject  of 
our  sketch  at  the  levers  and  Conductor  O.  B.  Wy- 
Tian  in  charge.  Mr.  Place  also  took  the  first  pas- 
senger train  into  Dunleith  (now  East  Dubuque) 
with  engine  No.  37,  on  the  I2th  day  of  June, 
1855,  with  L.  P.  Pettibone,  conductor,  in  charge 
of  the  train.  Even  at  this  time  there  were  but 
two  regular  passenger  trains  running  each  way 
out  of  Freeport.  In  the  spring  of  1856,  Mr. 
Place  severed  his  connection  with  the  Illinois 
Central  company  and  spent  six  months  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Chicago  &  Galena  Union  Rail- 
road, and  spent  two  months  in  Minnesota, 
and  then  returned  to  the  Central  road  and 
for  a  time  plied  between  Amboy  and  Dunleith. 
In  June  1857,  he  went  south,  but  after  spend- 
ing a  few  months  on  the  Memphis  &  Charleston 
line,  he  returned  to  Amboy  and  for  two  years 
did  no  railroad  work.  In  1859,  however,  he 
secured  a  position  on  the  Dubuque  &  Sioux  City 
Railroad,  running  between  Dubuque  and  Cedar 
Falls,  and  was  thus  employed  until  the  summer 
of  1862. 

August  14,  1862,  Mr.  Place  enlisted  in  com- 
pany F,  Seventy-fifth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infan- 
try, and  served  under  Buell,  Rosecrans,  Sher- 
man and  lastly  under  "  Pap  "  Thomas,  partici- 
pating in  the  following  battles :  Perryville,  Stone 
River,  Chickamauga,  Pine  Mountain,  Kennesaw 
Mountain,  New  Hope  Church,  Atlanta,  Look- 
out Mountain.  Missionary  Ridge,  Franklin, 
Tenn.,  and  several  other  minor  engagements. 


162 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


He  was  mustered  out  at  Nashville,  June  12,  1865, 
and  was  paid  off  in  Chicago,  June  3Oth,  follow- 
ing. 

After  the  close  of  the  war,  Mr.  Place  re- 
turned to  the  Illinois  Central  company  and  ap- 
plied for  a  situation,  and  was  given  charge  of  an 
engine  on  the  Chicago  division  running  between 
Chicago  and  Champaign,  but  later  was  trans- 
ferred to  run  between  Centralia  and  Cairo.  Dur- 
ing this  time  he  was  caught  in  a  collision  at 
Hanging  Rock,  two  miles  north  of  Makanda, 
March  8,  1866,  in  which  he  lost  his  right  leg 
and  was  laid  up  for  about  a  year.  As  soon  as 
he  was  able  to  resume  his  duties,  he  was  given 
charge  of  an  engine  to  run  between  Chicago  and 
Kankakee,  111.,  for  a  short  time,  and  then  went 
to  Iowa  and  took  charge  of  an  engine  running 
between  Waterloo  and  Mona  until  January  7, 
1894.  During  this  year  Mr.  Place  retired  from 
the  road  after  an  engine  service  of  over  forty 
years,  and  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  oil  room 
at  the  shops  and  round  house  at  Waterloo,  the 
position  he  still  holds.  Socially  he  affiliates 
with  Division  No.  114,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Waterloo, 
and  Robert  Anderson  Post  No.  68,  G.  A.  R. 


ANIEL  J.   REARDON,   conductor  on 
the  Illinois  Central,  Freeport  division, 
is  a  native  of  Freeport,  where  he  was 
born  August  20,   1871.     His  parents. 
Jerry  and  Mary  (Flanagan)   Reardon,  are  resi- 
dents of  Freeport,  of  which  place  his  father  is 
now  city  treasurer. 

Our  subject  was  a  student  in  St.  Mary's 
parochial  school  until  March  1885,  when  he  en- 
tered the  U.  S.  mail  service  at  Freeport  and  re- 
mained in  that  position  for  three  years ;  served  as 
clerk  for  a  period  of  eight  months  in  the  German 
Insurance  office;  then  acted  as  time  keeper  in 
the  office  of  E.  O.  Dana,  master  mechanic  of  the 
I.  C.  R.  R.,  eight  months.  At  this  time  he  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  C.  M.  &  St.  P.  R.  R.  as 
brakeman,  and  after  two  years  experience  began 


work  for  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  in  the  same  capacity, 
where  he  remained  until  September  1899,  when 
his  faithful  service  was  rewarded  by  promotion 
to  conductor,  which  position  he  now  holds. 

June  23,  1897,  Mr.  Reardon  was  married  to 
Miss  Sarah  Wolf,  of  Freeport,  who  was  born  in 
Lena,  October  27,  1875.  This  union  has  been 
blest  with  one  son,  Martin,  born  June  18,  1899. 
Mr.  Reardon  is  Catholic  in  his  religious  views, 
is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  is  socially  connected 
with  the  B.  of  R.  T. 


G.  FLANAGAN,  train  despatcher 
for  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
LQ  Freeport,  111.,  was  born  in  Freeport, 
November  10,  1865.  His  father, 
James  Flanagan,  was  born  in  County  Limerick, 
Ireland,  in  1812,  and  while  in  his  native  country, 
worked  on  a  farm.  He  was  married  Feb.  20, 
1844,  to  Honora  Hayes,  also  a  native  of  Ireland, 
and  born  April  24,  1824.  He  came  with  his 
family  to  America,  landing  at  New  York  July  4, 
1851,  and  located  in  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  worked  for  his  brother-in-law,  Martin  Hayes, 
who  was  supervisor  on  the  Erie  railroad.  In 
1857  he  moved  to  Freeport  and  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  section  foreman,  and  re- 
mained in  that  position  until  he  resigned  in  1885. 
He  died  December  28,  1891,  his  wife  having  pre- 
ceded him  January  6,  1889.  James  Flanagan, 
by  his  industry  and  thrift,  had  acquired  consider- 
able property.  He  bought  eight  lots  in  Freeport, 
and  erected  the  house  on  the  corner  of  Float  and 
Winnesheik  streets,  where  our  subject  was  born, 
and  subsequently  built  the  fine  brick  house  in 
which  subject  now  resides. 

M.  (1.  Flanagan  attended  the  public  schools 
of  Freeport,  and  in  1881  entered  the  employ  of 
the  C.  M.  &  St.  P.  R.  R.  as  an  operator  which 
position  he  retained  for  about  four  years,  and 
also  served  as  train  despatcher  at  Racine,  Wis- 
consin, and  Aberdeen,  S.  Dakota,  for  three  and 
one-half  years.  He  left  the  C.  M.  &  St.  P.  R.  R. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


163 


and  came  to  Freeport,  securing  a  position  with 
the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  telegraph  operator  and  extra 
despatches  In  1891  he  was  appointed  train  de- 
spatcher  which  position  he  still  retains.  On  the 
231x1  of  November,  1892,  Mr.  Flanagan  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Mary  Scanlan,  of  Freeport.  She 
was  horn  December  24,  1866,  and  died  December 
25,  1893,  .leaving  twins,  Mary  and  Margaret, 
horn  December  12,  1893.  Mr.  Flanagan  is  a 
Catholic,  and  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Order  of 
Foresters.  He  also  belongs  to  the  M.  W.  A., 
is  a  member  of  the  Train  Despatchers'  Associa- 
tion of  America,  and  is  a  Democrat  in  politics. 


T.  GREGORY,  freight  engineer  on 
Illinois  Central  Railroad,  at  Water- 
loo,  Iowa,  entered  the  service  of  the 
I.  C.  R.  R.  at  Waterloo,  December 
1884,  as  fireman  on  the  main  line,  making  his 
first  trip  with  Engineer  Bruce.  He  then  fired  a 
short  time  for  J.  Griffin  between  Waterloo  and 
Sioux  City,  two  years  for  J.  D.  Place  on  passen- 
ger engine  between  Waterloo  and  Lyle,  and  later 
for  other  engineers,  and  was  then  promoted  to 
engineer  July  1888,  having  previously  run  a 
switch  engine  for  about  eight  months.  His  first 
work  as  engineer  was  in  the  Waterloo,  Cherokee 
and  Dubuque  yards.  In  1889  he  ran  between 
Centralia  and  Cairo  from  May  to  September, 
then  returned  to  Waterloo  and  ran  in  the  con- 
struction service  on  the  Cherokee  division  for  a 
short  time,  and  after  running  extra  on  the  Iowa 
lines  was  given  his  present  run  from  Waterloo  to 
Ft.  Dodge  in  1895. 

Mr.  Gregory  was  born  in  Pittsford,  N.  Y., 
of  which  state  his  parents,  Daniel  and  Emily 
(Tefft)  Gregory,  were  natives.  Mr.  Gregory 
married  Miss  Jennie  White,  of  Manchester,  la., 
and  has  one  son,  Lorenzo  E.  \Yhile  firing,  in 
the  spring  of  1885,  Mr.  Gregory  had  a  very  nar- 
row e?cape  from  death.  The  engine  was  struck 
at  Lizzard  Tank  by  a  double  header  train,  and  he 
was  knocked  off  the  water  tank,  caught  under  the 
train,  and  dragged  for  some  distance,  which  laid 


him  up  for  about  two  months.  Since  handling 
the  throttle  he  has  been  so  fortunate  as  to  escape 
further  accidents.  He  is  a  member  of  the  B.  of 
L.  E.,  Division  No.  114,  and  the  Masonic  Lodge 
No.  105,  both  of  Waterloo. 


J.  FAIRBURN,  passenger  engineer 
at  Waterloo,  Iowa,  began  his  railroad 
career  at  Fort  Dodge,  Iowa,  August 
24,  1880,  in  the  capacity  of  fireman 
for  the  Illinois  Central  company.  After  spend- 
ing eight  months  at  Fort  Dodge,  Mr.  Fairburn 
worked  on  the  main  line  as  an  extra  for  some 
time.  His  first  regular  run  was  under  L.  Smith 
on  Engine  No.  150,  running  on  the  "  West 
End,"  where  he  was  employed  for  about  a  year 
and  then  worked  on  a  passenger  engine  with 
Henry  Colburn  between  Waterloo  and  Sioux 
City  for  a  time.  Subsequently  he  served  as 
hostler  at  Fort  Dodge  for  two  winters,  and  then 
fired  for  C.  W.  Baldwin  on  the  "West  End"  on 
a  passenger  engine  two  years.  December  18, 
1885,  Mr.  Fairburn  was  set  up  to  engineer, 
worked  in  the  yards  at  Waterloo  for  a  short  time, 
and  then  on  the  main  line  as  an  extra,  running 
over  all  parts  of  the  Iowa  division  until  it  was 
divisioned  off.  His  sphere  was  then  limited  to 
that  portion  of  the  line  that  lies  between  Water- 
loo and  Fort  Dodge,  and  in  1898  he  was  pro- 
moted to  his  present  position  on  the  right  side  of 
a  passenger  engine  running  on  the  same  division. 
Throughout  his  entire  career  as  a  railroad  em- 
ploye, Mr.  Fairburn  has  not  met  with  serious  ac- 
cident. 

Mr.  Fairburn  was  born  sixteen  miles  north 
of  the  city  in  which  he  now  makes  his  home,  the 
son  of  Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Churchill)  Fair- 
burn,  the  former  a  native  of  England  and  the  lat- 
ter of  Michigan.  The  father  was  a  carpenter 
by  occupation  and  worked  for  the  Illinois  Central 
company  for  twenty-three  years,  repairing  de- 
pots, etc.,  along  the  entire  line.  Our  subject 
was  married  in  1882,  at  Jancsville,  Iowa,  to  Miss 


164 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Fannie  Loveland.  In  the  social  circles  of  Water- 
loo, he  affiliates  with  Division  No.  114,  B.  of  L. 
F.,  Blue  Lodge  No.  105,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
Rowland  Lodge  No.  274,  A.  O.  U.  W. 

Mr.  Fairburn  has  always  been  a  hard  work- 
ing man,  is  thorough  and  systematic  in  his  work, 
and  has  been  very  successful  in  life.  He  is 
known  as  a  man  whose  moral  character  is  above 
reproach,  and  he  commands  the  respect  and  es- 
teem of  all  who  have  the  pleasure  of  his  acquain- 
tance 


ICHARD  WILLIAM  ORMSBY,  pas- 
senger engineer  on  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral Railroad,  Freeport  division,  one 
of  the  old  reliable  engineers,  entered 
the  service  of.  the  company  as  a  machinist  in  the 
Weldon  shops,  in  Chicago,  in  1871,  remaining 
in  that  position  until  May  1874,  when  he  began 
firing  on  the  Chicago  division,  but  after  one  year 
in  that  position  he  returned  to  the  shops  and  fol- 
lowed his  trade  for  two  years.  He  then  began 
firing  again,  and  in  August  1878  was  promoted 
to  engineer  and  ran  on  the  Chicago  division  until 
September  1887,  since  which  time  he  has  been  on 
the  Freeport  division. 

Mr.  Ormsby  is  a  Canadian  by  birth,  and  was 
the  first  white  child  born  in  Collingwood,  Ontario, 
where  he  first  saw  the  light  May  3,  1854.  His 
father,  Richard  Ormsby,  a  carpenter  and  con- 
tractor by  occupation,  was  born  in  Belfast,  Ire- 
land. In  early  life  he  came  to  America  and  lo- 
cated in  Meaford,  Ontario,  but  later  removed 
to  North  Platte,  Nebraska,  where  he  died  in  Feb- 
ruary 1869.  His  wife,  who  was  Hannah  J. 
Vail,  was  born  in  Owen  Sound,  Ontario,  in  No- 
vember 1822,  and  is  now  living  at  Orfordville, 
Wisconsin. 

Our  subject,  who  early  developed  mechanical 
genius,  when  but  thirteen  years  of  age  began  run- 
ning a  small  stationary  engine  at  Meaford,  On- 
tario, but  after  eighteen  months  service,  he  moved 
with  his  parents  in  October  1868  to  North  Platte, 


where  he  went  to  work  for  the  U.  P.  R.  R.  as 
an  apprentice  in  the  North  Platte  shops,  and  re- 
mained until  April  1870,  when  he  came  to  Chi- 
cago and  svas  employed  by  H.  Petrie  &  Son,  man- 
ufacturers of  stationary  engines,  with  whom  he 
remained  until  October  9,  1871,  when  the  plant 
was  destroyed  by  the  great  fire,  in  which  the  fam- 
ily lost  all  their  household  and  personal  effects. 
It  was  at  this  time  that  Mr.  Ormsby  entered  the 
service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  before  stated. 

On  the  25th  of  November,  1875,  Mr.  Ormsby 
was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  E.  Kenney,  of 
Chicago,  who  was  born  January  15,  1854.  Their 
union  has  been  blest  with  six  children :  Kath- 
erine,  born  November  15,  1876,  was  educated  at 
the  Hanen  and  Coleman  school,  of  Chicago,  and 
is  now  bookkeeper  for  the  American  Wall  Paper 
Co.  of  that  city;  William  J.,  born  January  17, 
1879,  is  a  machinist's  apprentice  at  the  Burnsicle 
shops,  Chicago;  Nellie,  born  August  1884,  is  at- 
tending the  Hyde  Park  high  school  in  Chicago ; 
May  E.,  born  October  18,  1886,  is  attending  the 
Madison  Ave.  school,  Chicago;  Richard,  born 
June  25,  1889;  Irene,  born  Nov.  28,  1894.  Mr 
Ormsby  is  one  of  the  charter  members  of  World's 
Fair  Lodge  No.  382,  K.  P.,  and  also  belongs  to 
the  B.  of  L.  E.  in  which  he  is  at  present  chairman 
of  the  Grievance  Committee,  Division  27,  and 
was  formerly  Chief  of  Division  No.  10  for  two 
years.  He  is  a  Protestant  in  religion,  and  a  Re- 
publican in  politics. 


O.  FERN,  an  engineer  on  the  Omaha 
division,  began  working  for  the  Illi- 
n°is  Central  company  at  Waterloo, 
Iowa,  December  24,  1887,  as  a  fire- 
man on  the  main  line.  He  served  two  months 
under  J.  M.  DuBois  and  later  under  different 
men.  He  worked  on  the  Cedar  Rapids  branch 
for  eleven  months  and  for  three  years  he  fired 
for  T.  W.  Place  between  Waterloo  and  Dubuque. 
In  the  fall  of  1895  Mr.  Fern  was  given  charge 
of  a  freight  engine,  worked  in  the  Waterloo 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


165 


yards  for  a  short  time  and  also  in  the  yards  at 
Dubuque,  and  since  then  has  made  his  home  in 
Waterloo,  serving  as  an  extra,  running  east,  west 
and  north. 

Mr.  Eern  was  born  in  Dubuque,  Iowa,  a 
son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  S.  Fern,  both  of  Eng- 
land. The  parents  emigrated  from  the  land  of 
their  nativity  to  America  in  an  early  day  and  lo- 
cated in  Dubuque  where  the  father  worked  in 
a  smelter.  They  are  the  parents  of  three  sons 
besides  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  are  em- 
ployes of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad :  Frank, 
an  engineer  on  the  Cedar  Rapids  branch ;  Rob- 
ert, an  engineer  at  Waterloo,  and  Leo  E.,  a  brake- 
man  at  Waterloo. 

Mr.  C.  O.  Fern,  the  gentleman  whose  name 
appears  at  the  head  of  this  article,  made  his  home 
with  his  parents  at  Dubuque  until  1887,  when  he 
entered  the  employ  of  the  railroad  company  and 
located  in  Waterloo.  About  two  years  after  he 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Cora  Banton,  of 
Farley,  Iowa.  In  social  circles  Mr.  Fern  is  iden- 
tified with  Cedar  Valley  Division  No.  30,  B.  of 
L.  F.,  of  Waterloo,  and  also  the  A.  O.  U.  W., 
No.  274,  of  Waterloo.  Our  subject  is  very  suc- 
cessful as  a  railroad  man,  commanding  alike  the 
esteem  and  confidence  of  his  employers  and  fel- 
low workmen,  and  throughout  his  entire  career 
has  never  been  injured  in  any  way. 


O.  MILLER,  conductor  at  Waterloo, 
Iowa,  began  his  railroad  career  with 
Q  the  Illinois  Central  company  at  Fort 
Dodge,  in  September  1881,  where  he 
worked  three  months  in  the  freight  house  before 
he  went  on  the  line.  In  August  1882,  he  secured 
a  position  as  brakeman  between  Waterloo  and 
Fort  Dodge  on  a  passenger  train  under  the  con- 
trol of  Conductor  B.  Merrill,  worked  one  week 
and  then  made  one  trip  on  a  freight  train  under 
W.  N.  Barr.  He  then  broke  on  a  freight  run 
from  Waterloo  to  Charles  City  as  extra,  and  then 


broke  for  three  months  under  G.  R.  Turner  on  a 
mixed  train  between  Waterloo  and  Lyle.  Mr. 
Miller  was  then  appointed  baggageman  on  the 
mixed  train  between  Waterloo  and  Lyle,  under 
Ed.  Parker,  and  retained  that  position  about  a 
year  and  eight  months.  He  then  returned  to  the 
Waterloo  and  Dubuque  division  and  broke  for 
different  conductors  until  1886,  when  he  received 
his  promotion  to  the  office  of  freight  conductor. 
Mr.  Miller's  first  experience  in  charge  of  a  train 
was  between  Waterloo  and  Dubuque.  Then,  after 
running  extras  for  about  a  year  he  was  given  a 
regular  crew  between  Waterloo  and  Dubuque. 
Again  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  extra  trains, 
both  freight  and  passenger,  and  his  work  took  him 
over  all  of  the  Dubuque  division,  but  for  the  past 
two  years,  his  run  has  been  from  Dubuque  to  Ft. 
Dodge. 

Mr.  Miller  was  born  in  Ingersoll,  Canada, 
in  the  year  1857,  a  son  of  William  H.  and  Helen 
(Ervine)  Miller,  the  latter  a  native  of  Scotland 
and  the  former  of  German  descent.  They  came 
west  in  1864  to  Michigan,  thirty  miles  north  of 
Detroit,  made  that  their  home  for  two  years  and 
a  half,  and  then  moved  to  Buchanan  county. 
Iowa,  near  Independence,  on  a  farm.  Our  sub- 
ject made  his  home  with  his  parents  until  he  at- 
tained his  majority.  He  worked  for  a  time  in 
the  hospital  at  Independence,  and  afterward  at- 
tended the  commercial  college  at  Keokuk  until 
he  secured  a  situation  with  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  company  and  located  in  Waterloo.  In 
September  1882,  he  was  united  in  marriage  at 
Independence,  to  Miss  Annie  E.  Williamson,  and 
three  children  have  been  born  to  them :  George 
Ervine,  John  Paul  and  Regina  A.  Socially  Mr. 
Miller  affiliates  with  the  Division  No.  67,  of 
Waterloo;  Waterloo  Lodge  No.  105  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity ;  and  also  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  Lodge 
No.  274  of  Waterloo.  He  has  a  good  education, 
is  pleasant  to  meet  and  is  held  in  high  esteem  by 
all  who  have  the  pleasure  of  his  acquaintance. 
In  his  railroad  career,  Mr.  Miller  has  been  very 
successful,  performing  his  duties  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  his  employers  and  has  never  been  injured 
in  any  way. 


166 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COM  PA  XV 


JF.  VAN  RENSSELAER  was  born  at 
Xew  Brunswick,  New  Jersey,  August 
Q  1 8,  1875.  He  is  of  old  Holland  stock, 
his  ancestors  having  settled  in  the  val- 
ley .of  the  Hudson  in  1640  and  the  names  of  their 
descendents  make  a  large  family  tree".  Mr. 
Van  Rensselaer  entered  the  railroad  service  in 
May  1890,  when  but  fifteen  years  of  age,  secur- 
ing a  place  with  the  Fort  Worth  &  Rio  Grande 
R.  R.  in  Texas,  in  the  accounting  department, 
in  which  he  continued  until  May,  1893.  On  that 
date  he  secured  a  position  as  chief  clerk  in  the 
offices  of  the  joint  car  association  of  Fort  Worth 
Railways,  where  he  was  employed  until  June  20, 
1896,  when  he  was  appointed  general  clerk  in 
the  office  of  the  second  vice  president  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  at  Chicago,  serving  in  that  capaci- 
ty until  November  2,  1898.  Transferred  to 
Evansville,  Indiana,  he  was  appointed  chief  clerk 
to  the  assistant  superintendent  at  that  point  serv- 
ing until  March  14,  1900,  when  he  was  appointed 
traveling  freight  and  passenger  agent  for  the  line 
with  headquarters  at  Denver.  It  is  a  position  of 
greater  responsibility  than  is  usually  entrusted  to 
one  of  his  age.  but  Mr.  Van  Rensselaer  has  in 
past  positions  proven  himself  worthy  of  trust  im- 
posed in  him  by  the  management  of  the  Illinois 
Central  sstem. 


'ILLIAM  F.  HALL,  one  of  the  old- 
est engineers  employed  by  the  Ill- 
inois Central  company,  began  work 
for  this  company  March  4,  1870, 
in  the  shops  at  Dubuque,  Iowa.  He  was  born 
in  Danville,  Canada,  June  27,  1840,  and  is  a  son 
of  Enoch  Hall,  who  was  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts. He  was  a  lumberman  and  farmer  through 
life,  coming  to  Canada  and  later  to  Wisconsin, 
where  he  died.  Our  subject's  first  railroad  work 
was  on  the  Milwaukee  &  Prairie  du  Chien  Rail- 
road, where  he  worked  as  engineer  from  1862 
to  1870.  He  then  began  on  the  Illinois  Central 
and  for  the  past  twenty-seven  years  has  occupied 
the  right  side  of  the  cab,  now  having  a  passenger 


run  between  Fort  Dodge  and  Sioux  City,  Iowa, 
and  makes  three  trips  a  week.  He  has  been  in 
several  wrecks,  but  no  one  was  ever  seriously 
injured. 

William  F.  Hall  married  Miss  Carrie  Bron- 
son,  of  New  York  state, -and  they  have  become 
the  parents  of  eight  children,  two  of  whom  are 
deceased.  Those  living  are  as  follows :  Edward 
M.,  who  is  a  painter  ,  of  Fort  Dodge ;  Ida  May ; 
William  F.  Jr.,  is  in  the  employ  of  the  Chicago, 
St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Omaha  Railroad  at 
Sioux  City,  Iowa ;  Charles  B.  is  general  secretary 
of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  at  Sioux  City;  Fred  A.  is  tel- 
egraph operator  for  the  Western  Union  at  Fort 
Dodge,  Iowa,  and  Bessie.  Those  deceased  are 
William  and  Harry  J.  The  family  has  a  pleas- 
ant home  at  No.  313  S.  Seventh  street,  Fort 
Dodge. 

Socially  Mr.  Hall  is  a  member  of  Division 
No.  226,  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  also  of  Blue  Lodge  No. 
in,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  both  of  Fort  Dodge.  He 
is  justly  numbered  among  the  prominent  and 
representative  engineers  on  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad. 


LEWIS  C.  FOOTE,  passenger  engineer 
at  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa,  began  his  rail- 
road career  on  the  Southern  Minnesota 
Railroad,  running  out  of  La  Crosse, 
Wis.,  beginning  in  the  year  1865.  He  worked 
for  a  time  as  fireman  and  later  as  engineer  on 
this  line,  and  subsequently  moved  to  Chicago  and 
served  the  Chicago  &  Eastern  Illinois  company 
in  the  capacity  of  engineer.  In  March  1873,  he 
moved  to  Dubuque,  Iowa,  and  the  Illinois  Central 
company  placed  him  at  the  head  of  one  of  their 
freight  trains  between  that  city  and  Waterloo, 
and  retained  him  in  that  position  for  fifteen  years. 
At  that  time  Mr.  Foote  was  promoted  to  the 
passenger  service  and  for  the  following  ten  years 
he  held  a  position  at  the  head  of  the  "Clipper." 
In  April  1898,  he  was  transferred  to  the  Cedar 
Rapids  branch,  where  he  has  since  been  employed 
in  the  passenger  service. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


167 


Mr.  Foote  was  born  at  Brookfield,  Fairfield 
count}-,  Conn.,  and  moved  from  thence  to  the 
west  in  1865.  In  1869  he  was  married  in  La 
Crosse,  Wis.,  to  Miss  Genevieve  Foster,  of 
Hokah,  Minn.,  and  two  children  have  been  born 
to  them,  namely :  Eugene,  a  switchman  at 
Cedar  Rapids,  and  Edna,  who  is  still  making  her 
home  with  her  parents.  Socially  Mr.  Foote 
affiliates  with  the  following  secret  fraternities : 
Division  No.  114,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Waterloo;  he 
first  joined  this  fraternity  in  Minnesota  but  later 
had  his  membership  transferred  to  Waterloo. 
Also  a  member  of  Rowland  Lodge  No.  274,  A. 
O.  U.  W.,  Blue  Lodge  No.  105  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  and  the  Tabernacle  No.  125.  Mr. 
Foote  has  been  on  the  road  for  a  great  many 
years,  and  with  the  exception  of  a  few  years  at 
the  beginning  of  his  career,  he  has  had  the  lever 
and  throttle  in  his  own  hands,  yet  his  record  is 
almost  entirely  free  from  wrecks,  he  having  never 
received  the  slightest  injury. 


T7  OHN  L.  WOLFE,  conductor  on  the  Am- 
boy  division  of  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road,  was  born  December  8,  1863,  in 
Mishawaka,  Indiana,  whence  the  fam- 
ily removed  to  Freeport  in  1865,  and  thence  to 
Lena  in  1868,  but  later  returned  to  Freeport, 
where  the  parents,  John  and  Theresa  Wolfe,  now 
reside,  the  former  engaged  in  the  cooper's  trade. 
John  L.  Wolfe  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Lena,  but  at  an  early  age  learned  his  father's 
trade  and  worked  at  the  bench  for  eight  years. 
In  1883  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R. 
as  brakeman  on  the  Amboy  division,  but  after  a 
few  months'  service  returned  to  his  trade  which 
he  followed  until  the  fall  of  1885,  when  he  re- 
entered  the  employ  of  the  railroad.  In  the  fall 
of  1886  he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  con- 
ductor, and  September  1898  was  made  an  extra 
passenger  conductor,  and  the  following  August 
was  given  a  regular  passenger  run  on  the  Amboy 
division,  where  he  is  still  engaged  in  the  faithful 


discharge  of  his  duties.  Mr.  Wolfe  was  married, 
January  n,  1888,  to  Miss  Florence  New,  of  Du- 
buque,  Iowa,  formerly  of  Galena,  111.,  where  she 
was  born  November  15,  1864,  and  where  she  re- 
ceived her  education  in  the  public  schools  of  that 
city.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wolfe  have  been  born 
two  children;  Mary  T.,  born  October  29,  1888, 
and  Cecelia  O.,  born  November  29,  1897.  Mr. 
Wolfe  belongs  to  the  O.  R.  C.,  is  a  member  of 
the  Catholic  church,  and  is  independent  in  his 
political  views. 


ARTIN  HILL,  conductor  on  the  Am- 
boy division  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,  was  born  in  Prophetstown, 
111.,  October  22,  1876.  His  father, 
George  Hill,  is  foreman  of  the  bridge  building 
department  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  at  Chicago,  and 
his  mother,  Ella  May  (Gould),  is  a  relative  of 
Jay  Gould  the  great  financier  of  New  York. 

Martin  Hill  was  educated  at  the  public 
schools  of  LaSalle,  graduating  from  the  high 
school  in  1891,  after  which  he  attended  the  State 
Normal  at  Normal,  111.,  for  two  terms.  In  1892 
he  began  working  for  the  Illinois  Zinc  Co.,  at 
Peru,  111.,  where  he  remained  about  one  year. 
At  this  time  the  family  removed  to  Chicago  and 
Martin  was  employed  in  bridge  work  on  the  I. 
C.  R.  R.  under  his  father,  a  little  more  than  a 
year.  In  1894  he  went  to  Kansas  City,  Mo., 
and  after  visiting  a  large  number  of  the  western 
cities,  he  returned  to  Chicago,  again  entering  the 
bridge  building  department  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R. 
January  7,  1897,  he  began  braking  on  the  Amboy 
division,  and  was  promoted  to  conductor  August 
12,  1899. 

On  the  6th  of  August,  1897,  Mr.  Hill  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Bertha  Gainer,  of 
Lake  Zurich,  111.,  where  she  was  born  November 
5,  1876.  To  them  has  been  born  one  child, 
Walter  E.,  born  June  22,  1898.  Mr.  Hill  is  a 
Protestant  in  religious  faith.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  B.  of  R.  T.  No.  115,  and  is  independent 
in  politics. 


168 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


JR.  (iRIFFIN,  an  engineer  running  out 
of  Waterloo,  Iowa,  began  his  railroad 
Q    career  with   the   Illinois   Central   com- 
pany August  30,  1879,  as  a  fireman  un- 
der D.  R.  Gould  on  a  freight  run  between  Water- 
loo and  Dubuque.      He  was  set  up  ta  engineer 
September  14,  1882,  beginning  work  in  this  ca- 
pacity in  the  yards  at  Dubuque  where  he  was  re- 
tained until  January,  1883.     He  was  then  given 
a  freight  run  between  Waterloo  and  Sioux  City 
until  1887,  when  he  was  transferred  to  the  Water- 
loo and  Dubuque  division,  and  February  27,  1899, 
was  promoted  to  his  present  position  as  passen- 
ger engineer  on  the  same  division. 

Mr.  Griffin  was  born  in  Saxeville  township, 
Waushara  county,  Wisconsin,  where  his  father, 
John  Griffin  was  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits. 
In  1896,  our  subject  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Dora  Whitney  of  Waterloo.  Socially  he 
affiliates  with  the  Division  No.  114,  B.  of  L.  E. 
at  Waterloo,  A.  O.  U.  W.  No.  274,  of  Waterloo, 
and  the  Elks,  No.  290,  also  of  Waterloo.  Mr. 
Griffin  has  been  quite  successful  in  his  railroad 
career,  has  never  met  with  serious  accident  and 
from  his  salary  has  built  for  himself  and  his  com- 
panion a  very  comfortable  home  at  221  High 
street,  which  was  completed  in  1891. 


New  York  City.  In  1872  he  entered  upon  his 
railroad  career  as  assistant  ticket  agent  in  the 
office  of  the  Michigan  Central  R.  R.  at  Chicago, 
remaining  there  three  years,  when  he  gave  up 
office  work  and  accepted  a  position  as  locomotive 
fireman,  which  he  retained  for  one  year  and  ten 
months,  and  was  then  promoted  to  engineer.  Af- 
ter nine  years  in  that  capacity,  Mr.  Griffith  left 
the  service  of  the  company  to  engage  in  a  simi- 
lar position  with  the  C.  B.  &.  N.  R.  R.,  where  he 
remained  two  years  and  three  months,  and  then 
left  voluntarily  to  enter  the  service  of  the  I.  C. 
R.  R.  ,  Jan.  n,  1888,  as  engineer,  where  he  has 
served  continuously  ever  since,  and  is  now  run- 
ning the  Sioux  City  Express  between  Chicago 
and  Dubuque. 

On  the  igth  of  August,  1874,  Mr.  Griffith 
was  married  to  Miss  Mariette  E.  Markham,  of 
Michigan  City,  Ind.,  She  was  born  in  Monroe, 
Michigan,  April  19,  1856.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Griffith 
have  two  promising  children :  Edmund  L.,  born 
November  12,  1878,  is  attending  the  dental  de- 
partment of  the  Northwestern  University  at 
Chicago,  and  will  graduate  in  1902;  Nellie  M., 
born  December  9,  1882,  is  a  member  of  the  Free- 
port  high  school  class  of  1901.  Mr.  Griffith  is 
connected  with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  Blue 
Lodge,  the  Royal  Arcanum,  and  the  B.  of  L.  E. 
He  is  a  Protestant  in  religion  and  politically  is 
a  member  of  the  Republican  party. 


M.  GRIFFITH,  engineer  on  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad,  Freeport 
division,  was  born  in  St.  Joseph, 
Michigan,  February  9,  1855.  His 
father,  Edmund  L.  Griffith,  who  was  engaged 
in  merchandising,-  died  when  our  subject  was 
but  a  child,  and  the  mother,  Hannah  C.  (Stinson) 
died  May  29,  1899. 

R.  M.  Griffith  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Niles,  Michigan,  and  the  Preparatory  Depart- 
ment also  of  Albion  College.  He  began  his  busi- 
ness life  while  still  a  lad  as  clerk  in  a  grocery 
store,  where  he  remained  one  year,  and  spent 
one  year  in  the  office  of  a  banker  and  broker  in 


W.  BOSTON,  engineer  running  out 
of  Waterloo,  began  his  railroad 
O  career  August  28,  1887,  in  the  capa- 
city of  fireman  on  a  switch  engine  in 
the  Illinois  Central  yards  at  the  city  in  which 
he  makes  his  home.  About  a  month  later  he 
was  given  a  freight  run  between  Waterloo  and 
Dubuque  under  J.  F.  Mulkern,  which  he  retained 
for  four  years.  He  then  worked  about  five 
months  on  the  left  side  of  a  passenger  engine 
under  Engineer  L.  Smith,  and  in  March  1893, 


JAMES  W.   LUTTRELL. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


171 


was  set  up  to  engineer.  The  following  five 
months  were  spent  in  the  yards  at  Dubuque,  but 
he  has  since  been  in  Waterloo,  running  east,  west 
and  north  out  of  that  city,  and  has  run  on  every 
portion  of  the  Iowa  division  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral railroad. 

Mr.  Boston  was  born  in  Waterloo,  Iowa, 
the  only  child  of  J.  C.  and  Sarah  (Collins)  Bos- 
ton, the  former  a  native  of  Bangor,  Me.,  and  the 
latter  of  Brentonwood,  N.  H.  The  parents  moved 
to  Iowa  in  1854,  and  settled  on  a  farm  four  and 
a  half  miles  west  of  Waterloo,  and  made  that 
their  home  until  1875.  In  1876  they  moved  to 
Indian  Territory,  where  the  father  is  engaged  in 
the  fruit  business.  Mr.  Boston  was  married  in 
Waterloo  in  1883,  to  Miss  Ellen  Coyne,  also  a 
native  of  that  city,  and  they  have  become  the  pa- 
rents of  a  family  of  three  children,  Sadie,  Mabel, 
and  Lewellyn.  In  the  social  circles  of  Waterloo, 
Mr.  Boston  is  identified  with  the  Cedar  Valley 
Lodge  No.  30,  B.  of  L.  F.,  Blackhawk  Lodge 
No.  72,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  Lodge  No.  274  A.  O. 
U.  W.  The  record  of  his  railroad  career  is  not 
dotted  with  a  single  accident. 


JAMES  W.  LUTTRELL,  master  mechanic 
at  the  Burnside  shops,  Chicago,  began 
railroad  work  as  an  apprentice  machinist 
in  the  shops  of  the  Norfolk  &  Western 
Railroad  at  Lynchburg,  Va.,  in  1868,  and  served 
two  years.  Immediately  upon  completing  his 
apprenticeship  he  secured  a  position  on  the  road 
as  fireman,  and  in  1871  he  became  engineer  and 
served  in  that  capacity  on  that  road  fourteen 
months.  From  there  he  went  to  Denison,  Ohio, 
and  worked  for  the  Pan  Handle  company  a  short 
time  in  the  shops  at  that  place.  Subsequently 
Mr.  Luttrell  worked  as  engineer  for  the  St. 
Louis  &  Southeastern  Railroad  company  eight 
months,  and  in  the  same  capacity  for  the  Eliza- 
bethtown  &  Paducah  Railroad  three  years,  then 
three  years  as  engineer  for  the  Louisville  & 
Nahville,  then  for  a  time  a  general  foreman  of 
that  company's  shops  at  Pensacola  Junction,  and 

31 


September  i,  1881,  he  became  master  mechanic 
of  the  Louisville,  Cincinnati  &  Lexington  divi- 
sion of  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  Railroad. 
September  i,  1886,  he  resigned  his  position  for 
the  position  of  superintendent  of  machinery  of 
the  western  division  of  the  Newport  News  & 
Mississippi  Valley  Railroad,  and  October  10, 
1891,  resigned  the  latter  for  the  position  of  mas- 
ter mechanic  of  the  Mississippi  division  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  at  Water  Valley,  Miss. 
He  remained  at  this  place  fourteen  months  and 
was  then  transferred  to  Chicago,  January  i, 
1893,  and  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  machinery 
in  the  capacity  of  master  mechanic  at  that  place, 
January  i,  1896,  the  Chicago  shops  were  re- 
moved to  Burnside,  and  since  that  date  Mr.  Lutt- 
rell has  had  charge  of  the  locomotive  and  car 
department. 

Mr.  Luttrell  was  born  in  Washington  Co., 
Virginia.  He  was  married  in  Hardin  county, 
Ky.,  to  Miss  Susan  Lucretia  Allen.  To  this 
union  was  born  one  child,  Lewis  Mattison,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  fourteen  months. 

Mr.  Luttrell  is  a  Mason  of  high  degree  and 
holds  membership  in  the  following  lodges :  Pres- 
ton Lodge  No.  281,  King  Solomon  Chapter  No. 
1 8,  Louisville  Council  No.  6,  DeMolay  Comman- 
dry  No.  12,  Grand  Consistory  of  Kentucky, 
Thirty-second  Degree,  all  of  Louisville,  Ky.,  and 
also  the  the  Medina  Temple,  Mystic  Shrine,  of 
Chicago.  Mr.  Luttrell's  father,  John  M.  Lutt- 
rell, was  an  employe  of  the  Norfolk  &  Western 
Railroad  prior  to  the  Civil  war.  On  the  out- 
break of  hostilities,  he  enlisted  in  the  Thirty- 
seventh  Virginia  Infantry  under  "  Stonewall  " 
Jackson,  and  died  in  the  army  after  the  battle 
of  Antietam. 


M.  TAYLOR,  foreman  at  the  Du- 
buque   shops,    began    his    railroad 
LQ    career  with  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road in  the  fall  of  1871,  at  Clinton, 
111.,  where  he  served  as  a  machinist  for  one  year. 
Subsequently    he    worked    seven    years    in    the 


172 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Springfield  shops,  and  in  1884,  came  to  Dubuque 
as  foreman.  Ten  years  later,  he  went  to  Fort 
Dodge,  where  he  had  charge  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral shops  two  years ;  then  at  Champaign  one 
year,  at  Centralia  seven  months,  at  Cherokee, 
Iowa,  four  months :  after  which  he  returned  to 
Dubuque  to  accept  his  present  position. 

Mr.  Taylor  was  born  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  a 
son  of  John  and  Sarah  Taylor.  The  father  for 
several  years  held  a  position  in  the  State  House 
at  the  capital  city  of  New  York,  in  the  Bank  de- 
partment. He  and  his  companion  are  now  both 
dead.  Our  subject,  prior  to  entering  the  em- 
ploy of  the  railroad  company,  was  engaged  in  the 
laundry  business  at  St.  Louis  for  about  six 
months.  He  was  married  at  Centralia,  111.,  to 
Miss  Mary  E.  Barney,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  and  one 
child,  Lula,  has  blessed  their  home.  Socially  Mr. 
Taylor  affiliates  with  the  Ancient  Order  of 
LTnited  Workmen.  His  life  has  been  an  exam- 
ple of  faithfulness  and  has  won  the  perfect  con- 
fidence of  his  employers  as  well  as  the  unfeigned 
respect  and  esteem  of  those  with  whom  he  comes 
in  contact. 


time  worked  on  the  Mississippi  division  twice  and 
the  Y.  &  M.  V.  for  about  three  months,  and  then 
returned  to  Iowa  division  at  Ft.  Dodge  and  ran 
Engine  809  until  the  winter  of  1898.  He  then  took 
charge  of  Engine  813  until  he  was  transferred 
to  the  Omaha  division.  Mr.  Haines  is  a  native 
of  Dubuque,  Iowa,  was  born  May  24,  1862,  a 
son  of  Charles  G.  and  Harriet  (Andrews) 
Haines.  The  father  was  a  farmer  through  life 
and  is  now  retired,  living  in  Deadwood,  South 
Dakota.  Our  subject  married  Miss  Minta  Jones, 
of  Mineral  Point,  Wisconsin,  and  to  them  was 
born  one  son,  Frederick  A.,  who  died  January 
18,  1900,  at  the  age  of  seven  and  one-half  years. 
They  reside  at  1027  First  avenue,  Fort  Dodge. 
Mr.  Haines  is  a  member  of  the  B.  of  L.  E., 
Division  No.  226,  of  Fort  Dodge,  also  of  the 
A.  O.  U.  W.  of  Fort  Dodge,  and  the  Masonic 
order.  Mr.  Haines  has  never  been  injured  in  any- 
way, having  fortunately  been  in  very  few  wrecks. 


G.  HAINES'  first  work  with  the  Ill- 
inois Central  company  was  in  1881, 
LQ  when  he  began  as  fireman,  remain- 
ing on  the  left  side  until  the  fall  of 
1885,  when  he  was  promoted  and  took  charge  of 
Engine  No.  152.  In  June  1887,  he  quit  the  Illi- 
nois Central  and  began  work  with  the  Fremont. 
Elkhorn  &  Missouri  Valley  Railroad,  and  worked 
as  engineer  until  February  1891,  when  he  re- 
turned to  the  Illinois  Central  at  Fort  Dodge.  In 
November  1891  he  went  on  a  regular  run  between 
Fort  Dodge  and  Sioux  City,  but  later  was  as- 
signed to  other  divisions,  such  as  Springfield,  and 
also  on  the  Chicago  division,  and  returned  in  1892 
and  worked  here  at  Fort  Dodge  until  July  1893, 
on  Fort  Dodge  and  Sioux  City.  He  then  re- 
turned to  the  Chicago  division  and  worked  on 
World's  Fair  trains  until  November  i,  1893,  and 
then  returned  to  Fort  Dodge.  He  has  since  that 


F.  GATES,  who  has  been  an  engineer 
with  the  Illinois  Central  company  for 
seventeen  years,  first  began  his  rail- 
roading at  Peoria,  111.,  on  the  I.  B.  & 
W.  R.  R.  as  fireman,  where  he  worked  one  year 
and  then  fired  on  the  Wabash  railroad  two  years. 
He  then  went  to  Waterloo,  Iowa,  and  began  as 
fireman  with  the  Illinois  Central  company  and 
worked  all  over  the  Iowa  divisions  of  the  com- 
pany. Two  years  later  he  was  promoted  to  en- 
gineer and  has  held  that  position  with  the  com- 
pany ever  since. 

He  is  a  native  of  Lake  county,  Ohio,  and  was 
born  in  September  1847.  His  father  was  Lor- 
ison  Gates,  who  was  a  minister  in  the  Christian 
church,  but  he  now  resides  on  a  farm  in  Benton 
county,  Iowa.  Our  subject  has  one  brother  who 
is  an  engineer  on  the  T.  P.  &  W.  Railroad,  re- 
siding at  Peoria,  Illinois. 

In  August  1871,  our  subject  married  Miss 
Olive  A.  Woodley,  of  Medina  county,  O.,  and 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


173 


they  have  the  following  children :  Clyde  A., 
Frederick  L.,  Lena  E.,  Alice  L.,  Edna  Ethel  and 
Ralph  L. 

Mr.  Gates  now  has  a  night  run  on  the  pas- 
senger train  called  "  The  Flyer,"  between  Fort 
Dodge  and  Sioux  City.  He  has  been  in  one 
wreck  at  Bushnell,  111.,  on  the  Wabash  Railroad, 
but  he  was  never  seriously  injured  in  any  way. 
He  has  lived  in  Fort  Dodge  for  the  past  twelve 
years,  is  a  member  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.,  Division 
Xo.  226,  of  Fort  Dodge,  also  the  Royal  Arcanum, 
of  Fort  Dodge.  He  is  an  old  and  very  prominent 
engineer  on  the  line,  and  now  resides  at  No. 
1013  Fourth  avenue,  south,  Fort  Dodge,  Iowa. 


an  enviable  one.  He  is  one  of  the  best  informed 
men  on  the  entire  system  and  enjoys  the  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  a  large  circle  of  warm 
friends. 


•ILLIAM  R.  POLMYER,  accountant 
at  Dubuque,  began  work  for  the 
Illinois  Central  company  April  19, 
1874.  Subsequently  he  served  un- 
der different  men,  including  General  Superin- 
tendent Jeffery,  J.  C.  Welling,  vice-president  of 
the  road,  and  others,  and  has  served  in  the  ca- 
pacity of  bookkeeper,  keeper  of  the  mileage  books, 
clerk  and  accountant  on  construction  work,  and 
office  clerk  at  different  times  until  April  11,  1881, 
when  he  was  appointed  to  his  present  position  as 
accountant  in  the  office  at  Dubuque,  and  during 
that  time  was  also  connected  with  the  construc- 
tion of  the  C.  &  D.  R.  R. 

Mr.  Polmyer  was  born  in  Baltimore,  Md., 
and  is  of  English  and  Dutch  parentage.  He  has 
been  married  twice;  his  present  wife  was  Miss 
Celia  Lorez,  of  Dubuque,  Iowa.  During  the 
early  years  of  his  manhood,  Mr.  Polmyer  served 
in  the  United  States  Navy.  Socially  he  affiliates 
with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  Home  Lodge  No. 
508,  of  Chicago,  of  which  he  is  a  life  member, 
and  is  also  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
holding  his  membership  in  Orient  Lodge  No. 
210,  Dubuque,  la.  Mr.  Polmyer's  life  has  been 
an  example  of  faithfulness,  and  his  record  since 
entering  the  employ  of  the  railroad  company  is 


M.  FERN,  engineer  at  Waterloo,  la., 
began  his  railroad  career  with  the  111- 
Q  inois  Central  company  in  the  capacity 
of  a  fireman  at  Waterloo,  December 
r886.  At  first  he  worked  on  a  switch  engine  in 
the  Waterloo  yards  under  Harvey  Jacoby,  after 
which  he  was  employed  on  extra  trains  out  of 
that  city.  Later  he  fired  two  years  on  a  freight 
engine  for  Charles  Wahl,  then  four  months  on 
a  passenger  engine  under  D.  R.  Gould  between 
Waterloo  and  Dubuque,  then  for  John  Mullan 
about  a  year  on  the  middle  division,  then  for 
F.  H.  Stearn  about  a  year  on  the  east  end,  and 
September  23,  1895,  he  was  examined  and  was 
promoted  to  engineer  October  12  of  the  same 
year.  Upon  taking  his  place  on  the  right  side  of 
the  cab,  Mr.  Fern  spent  one  week  in  the  Waterloo 
yards  on  a  switch  engine,  and  then  worked  in 
the  Dubuque  yards  from  October  19  until  Jan- 
uary 1 6  of  the  following  year,  and  then  returned 
to  the  Waterloo  yards.  He  spent  the  following 
summer  as  an  extra,  and  from  March  1898,  un- 
til August  i  of  the  same  year,  he  was  fireman 
under  George  Martin  between  Waterloo  and  Du- 
buque. In  fact  the  most  of  his  railroad  work  has 
been  done  between  these  two  cities. 

Mr.  Fern  is  a  native  of  Dubuque  county, 
Iowa.  In  1886,  at  the  time  he  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Illinois  Central  company,  he  located 
in  Waterloo,  and  about  five  years  later  he  won 
the  heart  and  hand  of  Miss  Carrie  Stewart,  of 
Traer,  Iowa,  who  has  since  shared  his  Waterloo 
home.  In  the  social  circles  of  Waterloo  our  sub- 
ject is  identified  with  Division  114,  B.  of  L.  E., 
and  Rowland  Lodge  No.  274,  A.  O.  U.  W.  Mr. 
Fern  is  a  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  Fern,  both 
natives  of  England.  The  father  came  to  Ameri- 
ca in  1830,  when  he  was  ten  years  of  age.  Be- 


174 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


tween  the  years  of  1834  and  1877,  he  lived  in 
Iowa,  but  from  the  last  named  date  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1889,  he  made  his  home 
in  Hazel  Green,  Wis.  He  established  the  Hazel 
Green  smelter  and  operated  it  in  partnership  with 
Mr.  Simpson,  under  the  firm  name  of -Fern  & 
Simpson,  for  four  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fern 
were  the  parents  of  a  family  of  six  children,  of 
whom  we  have  the  following  record :  William, 
deceased;  Ellen,  deceased;  Lillie,  wife  of  E.  M. 
Staly,  a  carpenter  of  Waterloo;  Frank,  an  en- 
gineer; R.  M.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Leo,  a 
brakeman  at  Waterloo.  The  mother  died  in 

1875- 


D.  McKINLEY,  engineer,  who  has 
been  with  the  Illinois  Central  com- 
Q  pany  twelve  years,  first  began  as 
fireman.  Four  years  later  he  was 
promoted  to  engineer,  beginning  on  the  Cherokee 
division  and  is  now  running  in  freight  service  on 
Engine  No.  802  on  the  above  division.  He  had 
worked  on  the  Minneapolis  &  St.  Louis  Railroad 
for  some  time  before  coming  on  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral. 

Our  subject  is  a  son  of  Gilbert  J.  and  Mary 
(McDougall)  McKinley,  both  of  Scotland,  where 
the  former  was  a  farmer.  He  moved  to  this 
country  and  settled  in  Wisconsin,  engaging  in 
farming  there.  He  later  moved  to  Milwaukee 
and  now  resides  there  retired.  The  mother  is 
deceased.  They  had  thirteen  children,  seven  girls 
and  six  boys,  four  of  the  latter  becoming  engi- 
neers. One  is  now  an  engineer  for  the  Chicago  & 
North-Western  Railroad,  running  between  Chi- 
cago and  Harrington.  Another  is  engineer  on 
the  Santa  Fe  Railroad,  and  another  was  engineer 
on  the  Great  Northern  Railroad  but  is  now  de- 
ceased. Mr.  McKinley  married  Miss  Mary  C. 
Sommers,  of  Berkeley,  Iowa,  and  they  have  three 
children,  Geneveve,  Lionel  and  Harrold.  Mr. 
McKinley  now  runs  between  Fort  Dodge  and 
Sioux  City.  He  is  a  member  of  the  B.  of  L.  E. 
of  Fort  Dodge,  No.  226,  also  a  member  of  the 


Masonic  order  of  Fort  Dodge.  The  family  re- 
sides at  No.  1230  Fourth  avenue,  south,  at  Fort 
Dodge,  Iowa. 

ENRY  A.  SMITH,  engineer  at  Waterloo, 
Iowa,  began  his  railroad  career  on  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  at  Waterloo, 
in  January,  1886.  He  first  served  as 
fireman  under  John  Rix  for  about  five  months, 
when  he  was  laid  off  on  account  of  a  decline  in 
business,  and  he  went  to  Independence  to  work- 
in  a  hospital  where  he  had  previously  been  em- 
ployed. Three  months  later,  however,  he  was 
called  back  to  the  road  and  for  the  following  two 
years  and  a  half  he  stood  at  the  left  side  of  a 
freight  engine,  working  under  M.  F.  Carey.  Sub- 
sequently Mr.  Smith  served  the  Illinois  Central 
company  on  different  runs  and  in  the  order  given 
below :  With  Engineer  J.  D.  Place  on  the  Lyle 
branch  three  months ;  then  helped  as  hostler  for 
a  short  time ;  then  as  engineer  of  a  switch  engine 
in  the  Dubuque  yards ;  then  fired  on  freight  en- 
gine during  one  summer  and  fall,  and  lastly  on 
a  passenger  engine  under  H.  A.  Knowlton  be- 
tween Waterloo  and  Dubuque. 

January  i,  1890,  Mr.  Smith  was  given  a 
seat  on  the  right  side  of  the  engine,  and  since  then 
his  work  has  been  even  more  widely  distributed 
than  was  his  work  in  the  capacity  of  fireman.  He 
began  in  the  yards  at  Waterloo  and  from  there 
was  sent  to  the  Dubuque  yards;  from  there  to 
Champaign ;  then  to  Centralia  about  two  months ; 
then  to  Cherokee  on  construction  work  for  nearly 
four  months ;  then  to  Waterloo  for  a  short  time ; 
then  to  Clinton,  111.,  for  one  winter;  returned  to 
Waterloo  for  a  short  time ;  then  to  Freeport ;  in 
1892  was  in  Clinton,  111.,  Champaign,  and  Cen- 
tralia, until  May ;  then  home  for  a  short  time ; 
back  to  the  Chicago  division ;  then  again  to 
Waterloo  to  work  as  fireman  for  a  short  time; 
then  as  engineer  again  on  the  Cedar  Rapids 
branch ;  was  in  Chicago  during  the  World's 
Fair ;  then  to  Centralia ;  back  to  Waterloo  and  ran 
extra  until  he  got  a  regular  run  on  Engine  No. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


175 


500,  running  out  of  Waterloo.  His  work  is 
mostly  west  from  that  city,  but  is  still  making 
an  occasional  extra  trip  to  various  parts  of  the 
Illinois  Central  system.  He  has  made  two  trips 
to  Mississippi,  one  to  Water  Valley  and  one  to 
Canton,  and  has  made  a  trip  to  Jackson,  Tenn. 

Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Iowa,  about  five  miles 
from  Independence,  a  son  of  Joseph  L.  and  Car- 
oline L.  (Wheeler)  Smith,  who  migrated  to  the 
agricultural  districts  of  Iowa  from  the  East  in 
1858.  The  father  died  in  1884,  but  the  mother 
is  still  living.  Our  subject  first  located  in  Water- 
loo in  1886,  the  year  he  entered  the  employ  of 
the  railroad  company.  He  was  married  Decem- 
ber 25,  1892,  to  Miss  Rose  E.  Baum,  a  native  of 
the  city  of  Waterloo,  and  a  daughter  of  S.  H. 
and  Amelia  (VanSchoick)  Baum,  and  their  home 
has  been  blessed  by  the  presence  of  a  daughter, 
Pauline  Marie.  Mrs.  Smith's  father  is  a  stone 
mason  by  trade.  Socially  our  subject  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Division  No.  114,  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  also  of 
Howland  Lodge  No.  274,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  both  of 
Waterloo. 


ILAS  B.  MABEY,  conductor  on  the  Am- 
boy  division  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,  was  born  in  Albany  county, 
New  York,  August  19,  1850.  His 
father,  Stephen  Mabey,  a  minister  in  the  Ad- 
ventist  church,  is  now  living  in  Nebraska  at  the 
age  of  seventy-two  years.  His  mother,  Lucy 
(Teats)  Mabey,  died  in  Genesee  county,  New 
York,  in  1856.  The  family  came  west  in  1862 
and  located  at  LaSalle,  111.,  but  a  year  later  re- 
moved to  Amboy.  Our  subject  was  educated  in 
the  schools  of  Albany  county,  N.  Y.,  and  at  Lee 
Center  and  Amboy,  111.  At  the  age  of  sixteen 
he  began  the  carpenter's  trade  at  which  he  re- 
mained about  six  years,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
three  commenced  preaching  for  the  Advent  de- 
nomination, engaging  in  the  active  work  of  the 
church  until  1880,  when  he  gave  it  up  on  account 
of  failing  health.  He  then  entered  the  service  of 
the  I.  C.  R.  R.  at  Amboy  as  a  freight  brakeman, 


running  between  Amboy  and  Clinton,  and  on  the 
25th  of  November,  1881,  was  promoted  to  con- 
ductor. In  1882  he  took  leave  of  absence  and 
went  to  Dakota  where  he  remained  six  months, 
and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  returned  to  the  I.  C. 
R.  R.,  working  for  the  road  during  the  busy  sea- 
sons but  still  retaining  his  home  in  Dakota.  In 
1886  he  began  regular  work  for  the  company 
and  has  been  in  its  constant  employ  to  the  pres- 
ent time,  having  run  mixed  trains  between  Am- 
boy and  Clinton,  and  also  served  as  extra  passen- 
ger conductor. 

In  1870  Air.  Mabey  was  married  to  Miss 
Mary  Crocker,  of  Amboy,  now  deceased.  He 
was  united  in  marriage  a  second  time  to  Miss 
Pauline  Le  Derer,  of  Freeport.  Mr.  Mabey  has 
no  children.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity,  and  also  of  the  O.  R.  C.,  since 
1882,  and  is  an  Adventist  Christian  in  religion. 


JT.  TAIT,  claim  agent  for  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  located  at  Dubuque, 
Q  began  his  railroad  career  at  Amboy,  111., 
October  12,  1868,  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years.     He  began  as  car  accountant  and  served 
as  such  until  June  1873,  wh,en  he  was  apponted 
chief  clerk  at  Amboy  under  J.   C.  Jacobs,  and 
remained  there  until  July,  1892,  when  he  was  ap- 
pointed claim  agent  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Du- 
buque,   Iowa.      Mr.    Tait    is    very    industrious, 
thorough  and  systematic  in  his  work  and  has 
acquired  a  high   reputation  of  faithfulness  and 
fidelity  to  his  employers. 

Mr.  Tait  was  married  at  DeKalb,  111.,  Sept. 
24,  1873,  to  Miss  Emma  A.  Bundy,  of  that  city, 
and  two  sons,  William  P.  and  Walter  H.,  have 
been  born  to  them.  Socially  our  subject  affili- 
ates with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  holding  his 
membership  in  the  Amboy  Lodge  No.  178;  and 
also  the  Elks  of  Dubuque.  He  has  a  very  wide 
acquaintance,  as  his  line  of  work  requires,  and  in 
whatever  community  he  has  been  called  he  has 
never  failed  to  make  a  circle  of  friends. 


176 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


1LLIAM  ALDERMAN,  engineer  at 
Waterloo,  began  working  for  the 
Illinois  Central  company  at  Water- 
loo, November  9,  1887,  running  on 
the  main  line  for  a  short  time  under  Engineer 
Peter  Girard  on  engine  No.  148.  Soon  after, 
however,  he  was  transferred  to  a  passenger  run 
on  the  Lyle  branch  with  engineer  Dave  Roby, 
and  later  spent  eighteen  months  with  H.  Knowl- 
ton,  between  Waterloo  and  Dubuque.  Mr.  Al- 
derman was  placed  in  charge  of  the  lever  and 
throttle  November  14,  1891,  and  did  his  first 
work  in  that  capacity  in  the  yards  at  Waterloo, 
where  he  spent  about  six  months.  He  then  went 
on  the  main  line  at  the  head  of  a  construction 
train  for  a  time,  then  spent  a  part  of  one  summer 
as  an  extra  on  all  lines  running  out  of  Chicago. 
He  then  spent  a  part  of  one  winter  running  out 
of  Champaign,  one  winter  out  of  Water  Valley, 
Miss.,  and  one  winter  out  of  Jackson,  Tenn. 

Mr.  Alderman  was  born  in  Janesville,  Wis. 
During  the  early  years  of  his  manhood,  he  was 
engaged  in  various  lines  of  work,  and  before  en- 
tering the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  com- 
pany, he  was  fireman  for  the  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad  company  between  Fargo  and  Bismark, 
N.  Dak.,  for  a  short  time.  He  came  to  Waterloo 
in  1887,  was  married  the  same  year  to  Miss  Ida 
M.  Roebuck,  of  that  city,  and  two  children,  Eddie 
and  Lora,  have  been  born  to  them.  Mr  Alder- 
man affiliates,  fraternally,  with  the  Division  No. 
114  P>.  of  L.  E.  and  Lodge  No.  274,  A.  O.  U.  W., 
both  of  Waterloo.  He  is  a  man  of  ability,  care- 
ful and  thorough  about  his  work  and  through- 
out his  railroad  career  has  never  met  with  seri- 
ous accident. 


A.    BRYANT,    general    foreman    at 
Fort  Dodge,  Iowa,  is  a  very  prom- 
inent    and    well-known    employe  of 
the   Illinois   Central   company.     He 
began  his  work  with  the  company  July  5,  1881,  as 
fireman,  which  position  he  held  until  October  30, 
1882,  when  he  was  promoted  to  engineer  and  took 


charge  of  a  switch  engine  in  the  yards  at  LeMars. 
Here  he  worked  until  December  i,  1882,  and  then 
was  sent  to  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  where  he  was  pro- 
moted to  foreman  of  shops  and  held  that  posi- 
tion until  November  1889.  He  was  then  sent  to 
Fort  Dodge  to  take  charge  of  the  shops  and  has 
been  general  foreman  of  the  same  ever  since. 

Mr.  Bryant  is  a  native  of  Battle  Creek, 
Michigan,  born  November  28,  1852,  and  is  a  son 
of  James  Bryant,  who  was  a  farmer  in  Michigan 
and  died  there  in  1892.  Mr.  Bryant  is  a  grad- 
uate of  the  University  of  Michigan.  Our  sub- 
ject married  Miss  Clara  Mentor,  of  Fort  Dodge, 
Iowa,  a  daughter  of  Wilson  H.  Mentor,  who  was 
the  second  station  agent  at  Fort  Dodge  for  the 
Illinois  Central  company.  He  was  engaged  by 
the  Illinois  Central  company  there  for  three  years 
and  then  moved  to  Newell,  Iowa,  where  he  is 
running  the  Stevens  House,  near  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral depot,  it  being  the  only  hotel  in  the  town. 

Our  subject  and  wife  are  the  parents  of  four 
children :  James,  Helen,  Alan  and  Dorris.  Mr. 
Bryant  is  a  member  of  Lodge  No.  306,  Benevo- 
lent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  of  Fort  Dodge, 
also  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  of  Fort  Dodge.  He  is  one 
of  the  best  known  master  workmen  of  the  western 
branch  of  the  Illinois  Central.  He  now  resides 
at  No.  1216  Fourth  avenue,  south,  Fort  Dodge, 
Iowa. 


ENRY  L.  CHEVALIER,  passenger  en- 
gineer on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
Waterloo  division,  one  of  the  oldest  and 
most  experienced  engineers  on  the  road, 
began  in  the  service  of  the  company  June  9,  1864, 
at  Dubuque,  where  he  worked  as  engine  wiper  in 
the  shops  until  March  15,  1865,  then  fired  one 
and  one-half  years  in  the  Dubuque  yards,  and  two 
years  on  the  main  line,  and  was  then  promoted  to 
engineer  August  15,  1868.  His  experience  as 
engineer  has  been  varied.  From  1867  until  Sep- 
tember 1872,  he  ran  on  the  main  line  between 
Dubuque  and  Waterloo,  on  the  St.  Louis  & 
South-eastern  R.  R.,  from  October  i,  1872,  to 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


177 


.March  1873,  on  the  C.  X.  &  W.  R.  R.,  Peninsular 
division,  from  May  i,  1873,  to  August  15,  1874, 
and  on  the  2Oth  of  August,  1874,  returned  to 
the  I.  C.  R.  R.  In  March  1875,  he  located  in 
Waterloo  and  from  there  ran  a  freight  engine 
until  1893,  since  which  time  he  has  been  in  pas- 
senger service,  running  principally  on  the  Cedar 
Falls  and  Minnesota  branch,  but  has  at  times 
served  on  all  branches  of  the  road. 

Henry  Chevalier  was  born  in  Moutier, 
Switzerland,  and  came  to  America  with  his 
parents  D.  L.  and  Cecil  (Jeraux)  Chevalier,  both 
natives  of  Switzerland.  He  worked  in  a  glass 
factory  before  coming  to  the  U.  S.  On  his  ar- 
rival in  1853,  he  located  in  Ft  Wayne,  Indiana. 
He  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade.  In  1873  our  sub- 
ject was  married  in  Dubuque  to  Sarah  A.  Bid- 
dolph,  of  that  city,  by  whom  he  has  two  sons, 
Lester  William  and  Roy  John.  Mr.  Chevalier 
is  a  member  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.  No.  1 14,  Waterloo 
Division,  in  which  he  has  been  Chief  Engineer 
two  years  and  has  held  other  offices,  and  belongs 
to  Black  Hawk  Lodge  No.  72,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of 
Waterloo,  and  the  Encampment.  He  has  always 
been  strictly  attentive  to  duty,  and  in  his  twenty- 
seven  years  service  has  never  had  a  lay  off, 
and  has  had  no  accidents. 


gineer  and  has  since  run  principally  on  the  Lyle 
branch.  From  December  1887  to  March  1888, 
he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Wabash  R.  R.  and 
ran  between  Moberly  and  St.  Louis  and  to  Kan- 
sas City. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Oxford,  N.  Y., 
whence  he  removed  while  a  small  boy  with  his 
father,  Joseph  S.  Hackett,  and  located  in  Inde- 
pendence, Iowa.  He  learned  blacksmithing  un- 
der George  Wilcox,  at  Otterville,  Iowa,  when 
young,  and  worked  at  the  trade  eleven  years. 
Our  subject  had  one  brother,  W.  L.,  who  was 
fireman  on  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  for  two  years,  and  a 
brother  in  Muscatine,  Iowa,  who  is  a  veterinary 
surgeon. 

Mr.  Hackett  was  married  in  his  native  town, 
October  6,  1875,  to  Hattie  M.  Slocum,  of  the 
same  place.  Mrs.  Hackett  is  the  mother  of  five 
children,  Flora,  Ardell  and  Lettie,  living,  and 
Duane  and  Hazel,  deceased.  Mr.  Hackett  is  a 
member  of  the  B.  of  L.  E,,  Waterloo  Division 
No.  1 14,  and  has  held  the  office  of  F.  A.  E.,  and 
also  belongs  to  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  No.  274,  of 
Waterloo.  During  his  eighteen  years  of  service 
he  has  had  no  accidents. 


W.  HACKETT,  passenger  engineer 
on  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  entered 
the  service  of  the  company  at  Water- 
loo, Iowa,  as  fireman,  March  17, 
1882,  firing  on  the  main  line  between  Waterloo 
and  Dubuque  under  B.  F.  Fox  for  nine  months, 
and  for  H.  E.  Camp  on  a  passenger  engine  two 
years.  In  the  fall  of  1885  he  was  promoted  to 
the  right  side  and  worked  in  the  Dubuque  yards 
until  February  1886,  and  in  the  Fort  Dodge  yards 
until  April  i,  at  which  time  he  was  set  back  to 
fireman  until  July  when  he  returned  to  his  old 
position,  running  on  the  Lyle  branch  the  follow- 
ing winter  and  then  on  the  main  line  until  August 
1897,  when  he  was  promoted  to  passenger  en- 


'ILLIAM  N.  BARR,  passenger  con- 
ductor, Illinois  Central  Railroad,  at 
Waterloo,  Iowa,  began  as  brakeman 
in  October  1878  on  Mona  branch, 
braking  for  Conductor  B.  Merrill  one  year,  and 
one  year  for  different  ones,  then  served  between 
Waterloo  and  Fort  Dodge,  and  on  the  Cedar 
Rapids  branch.  In  July  1880  he  was  promoted 
to  conductor,  running  on  the  Lyle  branch  nearly 
five  months,  and  on  the  main  line  and  branches 
on  the  "  Clipper  "  run  for  four  years,  and  was 
promoted  to  passenger  conductor  in  June  1891, 
since  then  he  has  run  extra  passenger. 

William  N.  Barr  was  born  in  West  Chester. 
Chester  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  is  the  son  of 
William  and  Elizabeth  (Evans)  Barr,  natives  of 
the  Keystone  state.  The  father,  a  blacksmith  by 


178 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


trade,  died  in  1855,  our  subject  being  but  a  small 
boy  at  the  time.  After  the  death  of  her  husband 
the  mother,  accompanied  by  her  son,  William, 
who  was  the  only  child,  came  to  Cedar  county 
where  they  lived  a  short  time,  then  returned  to 
Pennsylvania.  She  died  in  1897  at  Waterloo. 

Mr.  Barr  has  always  been  a  lover  of  fine 
horses  and  in  early  life  drove  on  the  tracks  at 
Waterloo,  Dubuque,  Minneapolis,  St.  Paul  and 
all  the  towns  in  the  northwest.  Of  the  noted 
horses,  he  has  driven,  among  others,  Harry  Kim- 
ball  with  a-  mark  of  2 132,  Whalebone,  2  129,  Kit- 
tie  Strattan,  2:29^,  Sleepy  Bill,  2:26,  Fear  Not, 
2 :29  and  Dread  2 135.  He  now  owns  a  black 
mare,  Ritta,  with  a  record  of  2  :26,  and  Tom  Cur- 
tis a  promising  colt  by  Manager,  and  also  keeps 
a  fine  driving  team.  Mr.  Barr  was  married  in 
1890  to  Miss  Myrtie  Hunt  of  Independence,  la., 
and  has  one  daughter,  Bessie  M.  He  has  been 
successful  in  every  undertaking,  and  has  accumu- 
lated not  a  little  of  this  world's  goods,  owning  his 
home  at  317  E.  Eleventh  St.  which  he  built  in 
1898,  and  other  valuable  real  estate  in  Waterloo. 
He  is  a  well  known  and  popular  conductor. 


EORGE  H.  ARMSTRONG,  engineer 
on  the  Amboy  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  is  a  native  of  Amboy, 
where  he  was  born  February  26,  1872. 
He  is  the  son  of  Alexander  Armstrong,  an  en- 
gineer of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  for  about  twenty-five 
years,  who  now  resides  in  Amboy,  and  Edith 
(Allison)  who  died  in  1876. 

After  the  death  of  his  mother  our  subject 
went  to  Iroquois,  Canada,  where  he  attended 
school  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Amboy,  and  after  attending  college  at 
Dixon  for  a  time,  entered  the  service  of  the  I. 
C.  R.  R.  as  clerk,  doing  night  work  in  the  depot 
at  Amboy  for  a  period  of  thirteen  months.  On 
the  twenty-sixth  of  June,  1893,  he  began  run- 
ning on  the  Amboy  division  as  fireman,  in  which 
position  he  remained  until  1896,  when  he  was 


promoted  to  the  right  side,  retaining  that  posi- 
tion to  date. 

Mr.  Armstrong  was  married  September  25, 
1895,  to  Miss  Rena  H.  Klein,  who  was  born  in 
Amboy,  April  14,  1872.  Mrs.  Armstrong  re- 
ceived her  education  in  the  public  schools.  Mr. 
Armstrong  is  a  member  of  the  B.  of  L.  F.,  at- 
tends the  Protestant  Episcopal  church,  and  is 
independent  in  politics. 


H.  SHULL,  passenger  conductor  on 
the  Ilinois  Central  Railroad,  Water- 
loo division,  began  his  railroad  ex- 
perience, which  has  been  varied  and 
extensive,  with  the  Illinois  Central  as  brakeman 
at  Amboy,  under  Trainmaster  Rosebow,  J.  C. 
Jacobs,  Supt,  and  Conductor  G.  Finch  for  one 
year  running  between  Amboy  and  Wapello,  with 
Conductor  Gardner  about  six  months.  He  then 
entered  the  services  of  the  C.  B.  &.  Q.  R.  R. 
where  he  was  switchman  four  years,  and  yard- 
master  and  switchman  at  Galesburg  for  four 
years.  He  then  served  the  T.  P.  &  W.  Railroad 
as  conductor  for  a  short  time,  the  C. 
&  N.  W.  Railroad  as  a  brakeman  six 
months,  the  B.  C.  R.  &  N.  R.  R.  for  four  years 
as  conductor,  brakeman,  baggageman,  express- 
man, and  U.  S.  mail  agent,  and  the  C.  B.  &.  Q. 
R.  R.  as  brakeman  and  switchman  for  one  year. 
In  1877  he  returned  to  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  and  after 
braking  about  three  months  was  promoted  to 
conductor,  running  from  Waterloo  to  Fort  Dodge 
and  Cherokee  and  return  for  one  year,  a  way 
freight  between  Fort  Dodge  and  Waterloo  about 
two  years,  and  a  stock,  train  for  seven  years.  He 
was  promoted  to  passenger  engineer  in  1887, 
making  his  first  trip  on  an  excursion  train  to 
Sioux  City.  He  then  ran  extra  on  the  main  line 
and  all  the  branches  for  three  years,  and  for  the 
past  eight  years  has  had  a  regular  run  between 
Waterloo  and  Dubuque. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  and 
is  the  son  of  Fred  A.  Shull,  a  native  of  the  Key- 


JOHN  F.  JARVIS. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


181 


stone  state,  who  removed  to  Rutland,  111.,  where 
he  engaged  in  farming,  and  subsequently  moved 
to  Fort  Dodge  where  he  died  in  1892.  In  early 
life,  about  1840,  he  was  a  conductor  in  West  Vir- 
ginia. His  widow,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Sarah  M.  Barger,  now  resides  in  Waterloo.  One 
son,  Fred  A.,  has  been  in  the  service  of  the  C. 
B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  as  passenger  and  freight  conduc- 
tor at  Galesburg,  111.,  for  thirty  years. 

Mr.  Shull  was  married  at  Fort  Dodge  to 
Miss  Viola  A.  Hartman,  of  that  city.  They  are 
the  parents  of  four  children :  E.  H.  Jr.,  Grace 
V.,  Mabel  and  Florence.  Mr.  Shull  is  a  member 
of  the  O.  R.  C.,  Division  No.  93,  and  A.  O.  U. 
W.  No.  274,  of  Fort  Dodge,  and  the  K.  P.  No. 
89,  of  Waterloo.  In  his  many  years  of  railroad- 
ing Mr.  Shull  has  not  been  injured  so  as  to  be 
laid  up  for  any  length  of  time,  but  has  had  a 
great  many  narrow  escapes. 


nOHN  F.  JARVIS  is  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent and  well  known  passenger  engineers 
CvL)  on  the  Louisiana  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central.  His  first  knowledge  of  railroad 
work  was  acquired  in  the  shops  of  the  I.  C.  at 
McComb  City,  Miss.,  where  he  served  an  appren- 
ticeship of  four  years.  He  then  went  to  Mar- 
shall, Texas,  and  was  for  two  years  in  the  service 
of  the  Texas  Pacific  R.  R.  as  a  fireman,  and  for 
a  short  time  worked  in  the  same  capacity  on  the 
International  R.  R.  out  of  Palestine,  Texas. 
Summoned  to  his  home  at  McComb  City,  on 
account  of  the  death  of  a  sister,  he  decided  to 
remain  and  began  work  in  1880  as  fireman  on 
the  Louisiana  division  of  the  I.  C.,  under  Engi- 
neer Henderson  Wallace.  One  year's  service 
in  this  branch  found  him  capable  of  taking  charge 
of  an  engine,  and  he  was  accordingly  promoted 
to  the  freight  service  where  he  continued  until 
July  2,  1895,  when  he  was  promoted  to  the  pas- 
se'nger  service,  and  is  at  present  employed  there. 
He  was  injured  in  a  rear-end  collision,  which 
occurred  on  October  19,  1899,  and  was  for  two 


months  incapacitated  for  work.  This  was  the 
only  serious  wreck  of  his  railroad  career.  Mr. 
Jarvis  was  born  on  January  14,  1857,  at  Rock 
Island,  Illinois,  and  is  the  son  of  C.  C.  and  Eliza- 
beth Jarvis,  both  now  living  retired  at  McComb 
City.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Susie  Zealy,  of 
Jackson,  Miss.,  their  union  being  blessed  by  four 
children,  viz :  Mabel,  Frankie,  Elmarie,  and 
Quinn.  Mr.  Jarvis  is  connected  with  the  Elks 
organization,  and  is  also  a  member  of  Myrtle 
Lodge  No.  136,  Knights  of  Pythias,  both  of 
McComb  City.  He  has  a  beautiful  home  on 
Broadway,  in  the  latter  city,  where  his  genial 
qualities  and  long  residence  has  won  for  him  the1 
esteem  of  its  best  citizens. 


jtjtjtjtjtjt 


"ILLIAM  WADDINGTON,  one  of 
the  oldest  conductors  in  the  service 
of  the  Illinois  Central,  is  a  native  of 
old  England,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred in  Yorkshire.  His  father,  Joseph  Wad- 
dington,  was  one  of  the  earliest  employes  of  the 
road,  having  worked  two  years  on  the  construc- 
tion train  at  the  time  the  road  was  built.  After 
it  was  turned  over  to  the  operative  department 
he  was  appointed  switchman  at  Nora,  and  held 
that  position  some  fifteen  years.  During  this 
period  he  had  charge  of  the  water  supply  at  War- 
ren when  horse  power  was  used  to  fill  the  tank. 
In  1860  he  was  seriously  injured  by  falling  be- 
tween some  moving  cars,  breaking  his  hip  and 
receiving  other  severe  injuries.  He  lived  to  a 
good  old  age,  passing  away  in  1888,  leaving  a 
wife  who  still  resides  at  the  old  home  at  Nora. 
Of  their  children  two  sons  survive,  William  and 
Joseph,  a  baggageman  running  between  Chicago 
and  Dubuque. 

William  Waddington  began  his  railroad 
career  at  Warren  in  1860  having  charge  of  the 
water  supply  there  for  two  years.  In  1862  a 
place  was  found  for  him  as  brakeman  running 
between  Dunleith  and  Freeport,  first  under  M. 
G.  Mills  and  later  Thomas  Snow,  Homer  Graves 


182 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


and  other  old  time  conductors.  September  5, 
1865.  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  train  in  the 
freight  service  between  Dunleith  and  Amboy, 
and  for  fifteen  years  held  the  same  run.  In 
1880  he  was  promoted  to  the  passenger  service 
and  ran  between  Amboy  and  Forreston  and  Free- 
port  some  six  years,  and  for  three  years  between 
LaSalle  and  Dubuque  and  later  on  the  Dubuque- 
Chicago  run.  The  only  serious  accident  that 
ever  occurred  to  Mr.  Waddington  happened 
at  Council  Hill,  Illinois,  on  the  twenty-ninth  of 
July  1898.  While  his  train  was  waiting  there  on 
a  siding  for  passing  trains  he  stepped  off  the  front 
end  of  his  train  and  the  view  down  the  track  be- 
ing obscured  by  escaping  steam  he  did  not  see 
nor  hear  the  swift  moving  train  and  was  in  con- 
sequence struck  by  the  engine  losing  his  right 
leg  below  the  knee  and  suffering  a  severe  mang- 
ling of  the  other  in  the  driving  wheels.  So 
severe  were  the  injuries  that  Mr.  Waddington 
has  not  yet  been  able  to  resume  his  duties  al- 
though his  old  place  is  waiting  for  him  as  soon 
as  he  has  fully  recovered.  Accident  and  death 
are  always  contingents  of  railroad  life  and  it 
is  good  fortune  that  this  occurrence  was  not 
worse  than  it  was. 

Mr.  Waddington  first  married  Miss  Elsa 
Consauls,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  died  in 
1882,  having  borne  seven  children  as  follows: 
Bessie  (deceased),  Sadie,  Burt,  William,  Hollis, 
Nina  (deceased)  and  Merril.  Of  a  second  mar- 
riage, to  Miss  Ida  Foster  of  Dubuque,  one  child 
has  been  born,  Lorain.  In  1870  Mr.  Wadding- 
ton purchased  his  present  home  at  East  Dubuque 
and  made  all  the  subsequent  improvements.  It 
is  a  home  where  whole-souled  hospitality  is  dis- 
pensed. 

The  reminiscences  of  one  that  has  been  so 
long  in  the  service  of  one  employer  can  not  fail 
to  be  of  interest  and  many  of  the  experiences  of 
early  railroading  related  to  the  younger  genera- 
tion seem  almost  incredible  so  great  have  been 
the  improvements  in  the  science  of  railroading 
in  the  last  three  decades.  Mr.  Waddington  was 
in  charge  of  the  train  that  hauled  the  first  stone 
for  the  railroad  bridge  at  Dubuque  and  has  had 


the  honor  of  running  from  time  to  time  the  offi- 
cial trains  and  specials  carrying  nearly  every 
officer  of  the  road.  Jovial  and  hearty,  William 
Waddington  is  one  of  the  best  known  and  best 
liked  operatives  on  all  the  lines  of  the  great  sys- 
tem, not  only  by  the  officials  under  whom  he 
works  but  by  a  large  contingent  of  the  traveling 
public  who  have  been  patrons  of  the  road  for 
vears. 


PRANK    E.    FERN,    engineer    at    Cedar 
Rapids,  Iowa,  began  work  for  the  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad  company  in  Sep- 
tember   1883,   as   a   fireman,   living  in 
Waterloo  and  running  between  Dubuque  and  Ft. 
Dodge.       His  first  engine  was  No.  79,  and  this 
he  retained  continuously  for  two  years,  but  later 
he  worked  on  different  ones.     In  August  1887, 
he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  levers  and  con- 
tinued on  the  same  run  for  five  years  after  his 
promotion,  but  later  ran  only  between  Waterloo 
and  Dubuque.       In  April    1889,  Mr.   Fern  was 
transferred  to  the  Cedar  Rapids  branch  and  has 
since  had   charge  of  an   engine  between   Cedar 
Rapids  and  Manchester. 

Mr.  Fern  was  married  in  East  Dubuque  in 
1890,  to  Miss  Belle  S.  Fox,  of  that  city,  and  Sep- 
tember 6,  1891,  they  were  made  happy  by  the  ar- 
rival of  a  daughter  whom  they  saw  fit  to  name 
Marjorie.  Mr.  Fern  is  a  member  of  Division 
Xo.  114,  B.  of  L.  E.,  also  Howland  Lodge  No. 
274  A.  O.  U.  W.,  Blue  Lodge  No.  105,  and  Chap- 
ter No.  54,  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  all  of 
Waterloo.  Mr.  Fern  has  been  a  very  successful 
engineer,  having  kept  his  record  entirely  free 
from  serious  accidents,  and  has  never  received 
the  slightest  injury  since  he  has  been  on  the  road. 
He  is  very  popular  among  his  fellow  workmen, 
and  enjoys  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  a  large 
circle  of  warm  friends.  A  brief  history  of  the 
family  of  which  our  subject  is  a  member  will  be 
found  in  the  sketch  of  R.  M.  Fern  on  another 
page  of  this  volume. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


183 


LEO  MEINZER,  residing  at  618  Fifth 
avenue,  south,  Fort  Dodge,  Iowa,  an 
engineer  on  the  Illinois  Central,  first  be- 
gan  with  the  company  in  1878  as  fire- 
man. Four  and  a  half  years  later  was  promoted 
to  engineer,  and  since  that  time  he  has  been  run- 
ning an  engine  on  the  Illinois  Central  road. 

Mr.  Meinzer,  a  native  of  Racine,  Wisconsin, 
was  born  Nov.  18,  1853.  His  father,  Michael 
Meinzer,  was  a  farmer  in  Wisconsin,  but  in  1862 
removed  to  Iowa,  where  he  died  in  1874.  Our 
subject  had  two  brothers,  Augustus  and  Charles, 
who  were  engineers  on  the  Chicago  &  Eastern 
Illinois  R.  R. 

On  Nov.  3,  1880,  our  subject  married  Miss 
Carrie  Widman,  of  Waterloo,  and  they  have  be- 
come the  parents  of  five  children,  Gus,  Annie, 
Eddie,  Albert  and  Grace. 

Our  subject  began  with  this  company  at 
Waterloo,  Iowa,  on  the  Dubuque  division,  on 
which  he  ran  until  1886,  when  he  moved  to  Sioux 
City,  Iowa,  and  began  in  freight  service  between 
Fort  Dodge  and  Sioux  City.  He  has  since  been 
on  that  division  with  the  exception  of  three  years 
when  he  was  not  in  the  employ  of  the  company. 

Mr.  Meinzer  now  has  a  passenger  run  be- 
tween Fort  Dodge  and  Omaha.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  B.  of  L.  E.  of  Fort  Dodge,  No.  226. 


tHILIP  R.  GRIFFIN,  freight  and  extra 
passenger  engineer  on  Illinois  Central 
R.  R.,  Iowa  division,  started  in  the  ser- 
vice at  Waterloo,  October  21,  1879,  as 
fireman  on  the  main  line,  and  fired  under  O.  D. 
Gray  two  years  and  under  Jim  Wheeler  eleven 
months,  between  Waterloo  and  Sioux  City.  He 
was  promoted  to  the  right  side  September  9,  1882, 
and  worked  alternately  on  the  main  line  and  in 
the  yards  until  1887  when  he  was  given  a  freight 
run  between  Waterloo  and  Dubuque,  which  he 
has  retained  for  the  past  eleven  years. 

Philip  R.  Griffin  was  born  in  Saxeville,  Wis. 
His  parents  were.  John  and  Jane  (Layton)  Grif- 


fin, both  of  English  nativity.  Their  family  con- 
sisted of  seven  children :  Martha  married  H.  A. 
Dewey,  of  Poysippi,  Wis.;  William  died  in  1874; 
John  R.  is  an  I.  C.  R.  R.  engineer  at  Waterloo; 
Philip  R. ;  Charles  H.,  living  in  Dakota,  was  fire- 
man on  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  five  years;  George  A.,  a 
farmer,  lives  in  Wisconsin ;  Belle  is  the  wife  of 
Peter  Johnson  and  lives  in  Saxeville,  Wis.  Philip 
lived  at  home  until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when 
he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R. 

Mr.  Griffin  married  Lettie  Wescott,  of  Poy- 
sippi, Wis.,  a  native  of  the  Green  Mountain  state. 
Of  this  union  three  children  were  born :  Willie, 
Lotna  and  Philip.  Mr.  Griffin  is  a  member  of 
the  B.  of  L.  E.,  Waterloo  Division  No.  114,  Ma- 
sonic Lodge  No.  105,  and  Howland  Lodge  No. 
274,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  of  Waterloo. 


LUCIAN  SMITH,  passenger  engineer  on 
the  Waterloo  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  was  born  in  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  and  is  the  son  of  Daniel  and 
Celia  (McFarland)  Smith.  His  father  was  a 
farmer  in  Lorain  county,  Ohio.  In  early  life  our 
subject  was  newsboy  on  the  Cleveland  &  Toledo 
R.  R.  for  nearly  four  years,  then  lived  with  an 
uncle  on  a  farm  west  of  Cleveland  four  years, 
after  which  time  he  came  to  Iowa  to  visit  a  broth- 
er living  near  Dubuque,  with  whom  he  remained 
a  short  time,  then  went  to  work  for  the  I.  C.  R. 
R.  He  began  firing  at  Dubuque  June  10,  1868, 
and  after  two  years  in  that  service  between  Du- 
buque and  Iowa  Falls  he  was  promoted  to  engi- 
neer, July  20,  1870,  ran  a  switch  engine  in  the 
Waterloo  yards  three  months,  and  freight  engine 
between  Dubuque  and  Waterloo  until  1883,  when 
he  was  promoted  to  passenger  service,  running 
from  Waterloo  to  Sioux  City  until  the  division 
was  divided,  and  since  that  time  runs  between 
Waterloo  and  Ft.  Dodge. 

Mr.  Smith  was  married  in  Dubuque  in  1879 
to  Miss  Lena  Forrest,  of  that  city.  In  1883  he 
located  in  Waterloo  and  built  a  home  on  the  cor- 


184 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ner  of  Lime  and  E.  Fourth  streets,  which  he  re- 
cently removed  to  another  lot  and  replaced  by 
a  beautiful  new  house  which  he  now  occupies. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.  No.  114, 
Waterloo  Division,  Waterloo  Lodge  No.  105,  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity,  A.  O.  U.  W.  No.  274, 
and  B.  P.  O.  E.,  all  of  Waterloo.  Mr.  Smith 
has  been  fortunate  in  his  railroad  career,  and  is 
a  highly  respected  citizen  of  the  city  of  Water- 
loo. 


ERNARD  COYLE,  former  section  boss 
on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  Free- 
port,  111.,  and  one  of  the  pioneer  work- 
men of  the  road,  was  born  in  County 
Caven,  Ireland,  in  1830.     He  is  the  son  of  James 
and  Rose  (Smith)  Coyle,  the  father  a  farmer  by 
occupation. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  his  ed- 
ucation in  Ireland,  and  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1850,  locating  in  New  York,  and  worked  in  a 
brick  yard  at  Haverstraw  in  that  state  for  two 
years.  In  1853  he  moved  to  Chicago  where  he 
entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  section 
boss,  and  laid  the  first  rails  on  that  road  between 
Chicago  and  Champaign.  In  August  1854,  he 
was  removed  to  Clinton  and  also  laid  the  first 
rails  on  that  branch  of  the  road  from  Clinton 
bridge  to  Decatur,  then  continuing  southward, 
laid  the  track  to  Ramsey,  after  which  he  was  giv- 
en a  section  twenty  miles  north  of  Cairo  where  he 
remained  until  April  1855.  He  then  went  to 
Freeport  and  took  charge  of  a  gravel  pit  for  six 
months,  then  to  East  Dubuque,  and  worked  on 
a  fill  where  the  present  passenger  station  stands, 
and  was  then  sent  to  the  Amboy  section  where  he 
remained  until  the  spring  of  1856,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Freeport  and  took  charge  of  the  gravel 
pit  for  the  summer.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  he 
was  made  section  foreman  at  Forreston  where  he 
remained  twenty-two  years.  In  1880  Mr.  Coyle 
severed  his  connection  with  the  I.  C.  R  .R.  and 
joined  the  forces  of  the  C.  M.  &  St.  P.  as  a  track 
layer,  and  laid  track  on  different  sections,  spend- 


ing five  years  in  said  service.  He  then  returned 
to  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  took  charge  of  the  gravel  pit 
one  summer,  and  in  the  fall  went  to  Cherokee, 
Iowa,  where  he  had  charge  of  one  hundred  men 
in  the  supply  yard.  Mr.  Coyle,  now  feeling  that 
his  many  years  of  active  work  would  justify  a 
life  of  leisure,  returned  to  Freeport  where  he 
purchased  a  comfortable  home  in  the  city,  and  has 
since  lived  retired.  He  also  owns  two  farms 
near  Freeport. 

In  1860  Mr.  Coyle  was  married  to  Miss 
Ellen  Matthews,  of  Freeport,  and  has  a  family  of 
five  children,  as  follows :  James  was  a  car  in- 
spector for  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  and  was  fatally  in- 
jured in  the  service  in  1894;  Thomas  is  an  en- 
gineer in  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  on  the 
Amboy  division ;  Michael  is  a  conductor  on  the 
C.  M.  &  St.  P.  R.  R. ;  John  is  attending  the  Uni- 
versity of  Wisconsin,  and  is  now  in  the  last  year 
of  the  law  course ;  Emma  is  the  wife  of  P.  J. 
Lonergan,  supervisor  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  at  Free- 
port.  Mr.  Coyle  is  a  devoted  Catholic  and  in 
his  political  views  is  a  Democrat.  He  is  a  man 
of  strong  moral  integrity  and  sound  constitution, 
and  proudly  states  that  he  never  entered  a  saloon 
for  a  drink,  never  used  tobacco  in  any  form'  and 
never  took  a  dose  of  medicine. 


J      SULLIVAN,  supervisor  of  the  road  at 
Manchester,  Iowa,  began  work  for  the 
Q      Illinois    Central    Railroad    company, 
July  6,  1893,  at  Epworth,  la.,  where  he 
had  charge  of  section  No.  5  for  two  years  and 
nine  months.       From  there  he  was  transferred, 
November  i,  1896,  to  his  present  position  at  Man- 
chester where  he  has  since  had  charge  of  sections 
No.  14  and  15  of  the  eighth  division. 

Mr.  Sullivan  did  his  first  work  at  Van  Horn, 
Iowa,  where  he  was  section  foreman  for  the  Chi- 
cago, Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  company 
for  a  year  and  a  half.  Later  he  had  charge  of 
a  section  for  about  three  years  at  Green  Moun- 
tain for  the  Diagonal  Railroad,  and  also  had 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


185 


charge  of  the  Oskaloosa  yards  one  year.  Mr. 
Sullivan  then  worked  for  the  Chicago  &  North- 
Western  Railroad  at  Jefferson,  la.,  about  twelve 
years,  doing  extra  work  during  summer  seasons 
and  section  work  during  winter,  and  then  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  company. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Jackson  county,  la., 
not  far  from  Dubuque,  a  son  of  Patrick  and  Mary 
(Cosgrove)  Sullivan,  and  one  of  his  brothers  is 
now  in  Dubuque  .where  he  is  engaged  in  bridge 
building.  Our  subject  was  married  in  Mason- 
ville,  la.,  in  1880,  to  Miss  Katie  Gushing,  of  that 
city,  and  to  this  union  have  been  born  five  chil- 
dren whose  names  appear  below  in  the  order  of 
their  birth :  Harry,  Nellie,  Rosie,  Irene  and 
Leo.  Mr.  Sullivan  is  a  member  of  the  M.  W. 
of  A.  He  is  a  railroad  man  in  the  truest  sense 
of  the  word,  for  his  earliest  and  only  employment 
has  been  on  the  railroad,  and  he  has  been  very 
successful  since  being  with  the  Illinois  Central. 


ILLIAM  G.  PLUMB,  of  Freeport,  is 
a  scion  of  old  New  England  stock, 
his  father,  Henry  C.  Plumb,  having 
been  born  in  the  green  hills  of  Ver- 
mont. He  was  a  carpenter  and  builder  in  Massa- 
chusetts, but  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war  he  left 
everything  and  enlisted  almost  at  the  first  call. 
He  contracted  fever  in  the  south  and  died  of  the 
malady  somewhere  in  South  Carolina.  The 
mother,  Eliza  S.  Graves,  was  a  native  of  North 
Leverett,  Massachusetts,  and  died  in  1876.  Our 
subject  was  born  at  Bernardstown,  Vermont, 
December  I2th,  1857,  ar>d  attended  school  at 
North  Leverett  until  the  age  of  sixteen,  working 
on  neighboring  farms  during  the  summer  months, 
and  earning  his  board  and  schooling  during  the 
winter  months,  for  he  had  to  care  for  himself 
after  his  thirteenth  year.  He  was  thus  employed 
until  he  came  west  in  1878.  Sojourning  for  a 
time  in  Indiana,  he  came  to  Illinois,  working  for 
a  time  on  a  fruit  farm  near  Pontiac.  Coming  to 
Amboy  he  secured  a  position  as  brakeman  on  the 


Amboy  division,  and  two  years  later  was  placed 
in  charge  of  a  train.  Amboy  was  his  place  of 
residence  until  April  1896,  when  he  moved  to 
Freeport  and  has  been  a  resident  of  that  city 
since. 

Mr.  Plumb  was  married  in  Amboy  October 
29,  1893,  to  Mrs.  Minnie  Wood,  a  native  of 
Ross  Grove,  Illinois.  By  a  former  marriage 
Mrs.  Plumb  became  the  mother  of  one  daughter, 
Anna  Wood  Plumb.  Mr.  Plumb  is  an  indepen- 
dent Republican  in  politics. 


G.  SEARLES,  freight  conductor  at 
Waterloo,  Iowa,  started  his  railroad 
LQ  career  as  a  brakeman  in  February 
1883,  at  the  city  in  which  he  now 
makes  his  home,  under  Trainmaster  J.  E.  Mc- 
Neil, with  a  run  between  Waterloo  and  Dubuque. 
He  subsequently  served  under  Frank  O'Connor, 
J.  Quirk  and  others,  until  1887,  when  he  was 
placed  in  charge  of  a  train.  His  first  work  as 
a  conductor  was  between  Waterloo  and  Dubuque, 
but  was  soon  after  sent  to  Cherokee  to  do  con- 
struction work  on  the  branches  that  start  from 
that  place,  and  was  thus  engaged  about  four 
months.  Subsequently  he  had  control  of  a  train 
between  Fort  Dodge  and  Sioux  City  until  1890; 
then  between  Waterloo  and  Dubuque  until  1896; 
then  for  a  short  time  between  Waterloo  and  Fort 
Dodge,  after  which  he  returned  to  the  Dubuque 
and  Waterloo  division  until  1898.  Since  the  last 
named  date,  Mr.  Searles  has  been  employed  on 
(he  branch  between  Waterloo  and  Lyle.  He  has 
now  been  employed  on  all  of  the  divisions  of  the 
Illinois  Central  company's  lines  which  have  a 
terminus  at  Waterloo. 

Mr.  Searles  was  born  in  Laporte  county,  In- 
djana,  March  12,  1865,  a  son  of  J.  W.  and  Mary 
(Masters)  Searles,  both  of  Pennsylvania.  The 
father's  occupation  was  that  of  carpenter  and 
builder.  He  died  in  the  year  1884,  about  five 
jears  later  than  the  death  of  his  wife.  Our  sub- 
ject made  his  home  with  his  parents  until  he  en- 


186 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


tered  the  employ  of  the  railroad  company  in  1883. 
when  he  located  in  Waterloo.  During  the  pre- 
ceding year  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Susie  Deaver,  of  Dubuque,  and  two  children, 
Hildred  and  Willie,  bless  their  home.  Mr. 
Searles  is  another  of  those  fortunate  ones  who 
have  never  received  an  injury  in  the  service  of  the 
lailroad  company,  and  he  has  never  lost  a  day  on 
the  account  of  physical  disability.  Socially  he 
is  connected  with  the  O.  R.  C,  Division  No.  67, 
of  Waterloo,  anil  also  with  the  Tribe  of  Ben  Hur. 


PRED  H.  STEARNS,  engineer  at  Water- 
loo, Iowa,  started  his  railroad  career 
with  the  Illinois  Central  company  as  a 
fireman  in  the  city  in  which  he  now 
makes  his  home,  in  1880.  His  first  run  was  be- 
tween Waterloo  and  Lyle,  under  Engineer  Sam 
Kear,  his  second  between  Waterloo  and  Dubuque, 
where  he  worked  for  six  months  under  Engineer 
Ben  Fox;  the  next  on  engine  No.  148  on  the 
"West  End,"  serving  about  a  year  under  Arthur 
Mooney ;  the  next  was  on  engine  No.  146,  on  the 
Lyle  branch,  where  he  served  six  months  under 
his  father,  E.  Stearns,  whose  sketch  appears  on 
another  page  of  this  volume.  Mr.  Stearns  then 
worked  as  a  brakeman  for  about  five  months  on 
the  "Middle  Division"  and  "West  End,"  was  pro 
moted  to  conductor  and  had  charge  of  a  train  on 
the  "West  End"  for  six  months. 

Mr.  Stearns  then  discontinued  his  service  on 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  and  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  & 
Omaha  company,  and  after  performing  the  duties 
of  conductor  for  them  for  five  months,  he  spent 
another  five  months  as  brakeman  for  the  Mis- 
souri Pacific  Railway  company.  Mr.  Stearns 
then  worked  six  months  for  the  International  & 
Great  Northern  Railroad  at  Palestine,  in  the  ca- 
pacity of  brakeman,  after  which  he  returned  to 
Waterloo  and  again  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Illinois  Central  company  who,  after  he  had  spent 


another  year  as  fireman,  promoted  him  in  August 
1887,  to  his  present  position  of  engineer  on  the 
Dubuque  division.  Although  Mr.  Stearns  be- 
gan working  on  the  railroad  at  the  very  early  age 
of  seventeen  years,  and  has  devoted  himself  ex- 
clusively to  that  vocation,  he  has  never  had  the 
misfortune  to  meet  with  an  accident  of  any  kind, 
and  has  never  been  unable  to  respond  to  the  call 
of  duty. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  1889  to  Miss 
Bertha  Schreiber,  of  Dubuque.  Socially  he  affil- 
iates with  the  B.  of  L.  E.,  Division  No.  114,  of 
Waterloo,  and  in  fact  nearly  all  of  the  secret  fra- 
ternities of  that  city.  He  is  very  prominent  in 
social  circles  and  among  the  railroad  men,  and 
enjoys  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  who  have 
the  pleasure  of  his  acquaintance. 


R.  GOULD,  passenger  engineer  at 
Waterloo,  Iowa,  began  work  for  the 
Q  Illinois  Central  company  November 
2,  1872,  at  Waterloo,  on  a  run  be- 
tween that  city  and  Dubuque,  where  he  served 
as  freight  engineer  until  1884.  At  this  time  he 
was  promoted  to  a  passenger  run  between  Water- 
loo and  Sioux  City,  but  incidentally  doing  some 
freight  work  on  the  same  division  until  1888, 
but  since  that  time,  his  place  has  been  at  the 
right  side  of  a  passenger  engine  running  between 
the  city  he  makes  his  home  and  Fort  Dodge. 

Mr.  Gould's  first  railroad  experience  was  in 
the  capacity  of  fireman  in  1866,  when  he  was  but 
seventeen  years  of  age.  At  this  time  he  was  run- 
ning out  of  Troy,  N.  Y.,  on  the  Troy  &  Boston 
Railroad,  now  known  as  the  Fitchburg  Line. 
After  three  years  of  experience  he  was  promoted 
to  the  position  of  engineer  and  worked  between 
Troy  and  Adams,  Mass.,  and  Rutland,  Vt.,  un- 
til 1872.  Then  after  serving  the  Chicago,  Du- 
buque &  Minnesota  Railway  company  one  sum- 
mer, running  out  of  Dubuque,  Iowa,  he  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  company. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


187 


During  his  entire  career  as  a  railway  employe, 
Mr.  Gould  has  never  received  injury  of  so  seri- 
ous a  character  as  to  render  him  unfit  for  service, 
nor  has  he  ever  been  the  cause  of  the  injury  of 
his  fellow  workmen. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  native  of 
Cavendish,  Vermont,  and  a  son  of  R.  D.  Gould 
who  was  a  conductor  on  the  Rutland  and  Bur- 
lington division  of  the  Rutland  Railroad  from 
uS48  to  1856,  and  later  moved  to  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
and  worked  for  a  time  on  the  St.  Louis,  Alton  & 
Terre  Haute  R.  R.  He  died  in  St.  Louis  in 
1857,  leaving  one  son  besides  the  one  whose 
name  appears  at  the  head  of  this  article,  who  was 
a  railroad  employe  for  a  time. 

Mr.  Gould's  companion  in  the  journey  of 
life  was  known,  prior  to  her  marriage,  as  Miss 
Elizabeth  R.  Palmer,  and  is  a  native  of  Troy, 
N.  Y.  To  this  congenial  union  have  been  born 
two  sons,  Harry  R.,  who  is  still  making  his  home 
with  his  parents,  and  Freddie,  who  died  in  1895. 
Socially  Mr.  Gould  is  identified  with  the  B.  of  L. 
E.,  Division  No.  114,  of  Waterloo,  has  been  an 
office  holder  of  that  lodge  and  is  one  of  its  wide- 
awake and  enterprising  members.  He  also  holds 
a  membership  in  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  at  Waterloo. 


P.  McCUNE,  engineer  at  Waterloo, 
Iowa,  began  his  railroad  career  in  the 
capacity  of  call  boy  for  the  Chicago 
&  Northwestern  Railroad  at  Belle 
1  Maine,  Iowa,  and  was  thus  engaged  eight  months. 
Then,  after  spending  about  two  months  in  the 
shops,  he  began  firing  on  the  quarry  engine, 
spending  one  summer  there,  and  was  transferred 
to  the  local  run  between  Belle  Plaine  and  Boone. 
Two  and  half  years  later  Mr.  McCune  was  set 
up  to  engineer,  spending  his  first  eleven  months 
on  the  right  side  of  the  engine  in  the  upper  and 
lower  yards  at  Belle  Plaine,  and  then  spent  a 
year  running  between  the  last  named  city  and 
Boone. 


Mr.  McCune  then  severed  his  connection 
with  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  company  and 
began  as  fireman  for  the  Illinois  Central  company, 
running  out  of  Cherokee.  January  13,  1887, 
he  moved  to  Waterloo,  and  began  firing  under 
Engineer  James  McNiel  between  the  last  named 
city  and  Eort  Dodge,  and  held  this  place  from 
January  to  April.  Next  he  was  sent  to  Chero- 
kee where  he  spent  about  two  years  firing  on  the 
"  North  Branch  ",  running  to  Sioux  Falls,  S. 
Dak.  Mr.  McCune's  next  position  was  on  the 
left  side  of  a  passenger  engine  running  from 
Cherokee  to  Onawa.  Four  months  later,  or  in 
1891,  he  became  an  engineer.  Mr.  McCune  is 
now  in  charge  of  an  engine  running  between 
Waterloo  and  Fort  Dodge. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  born  in  Frank- 
lin-county, Pa.,  a  son  of  J.  V.  McCune  and  Esther 
Alexandria,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania. The  father  was  a  contractor  and 
builder  by  occupation,  and  moved  to  Dubuque, 
Iowa,  in  1856,  where  he  died  in  February,  1898, 
about  a  year  later  than  the  death  of  his  com- 
panion. Three  of  their  sons,  besides  the  one 
whose  name  appears  at  the  head  of  this  article, 
were  railroad  employes,  R.  K.  McCune,  is  an  en- 
gineer on  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railroad 
at  What  Cheer,  la.,  J.  M.  is  train  despatcher  at 
Lajunta,  Colorado,  for  the  Atchison,  Topeka  & 
Santa  Fe  Railroad  company,  and  Carson  C,  who 
served  as  a  freight  conductor,  was  killed  eleven 
miles  west  of  Lajunta,  Colorado.  Mr.  E.  P. 
McCune,  our  subject,  made  his  home  with  his 
parents  until  he  entered  the  service  of  the  railroad 
company.  He  was  married  in  Paris,  Texas,  to  a 
young  lady  of  that  place  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Alice  North,  and  their  home  has  been 
made  happy  by  the  presence  of  a  family  of  the 
following  children,  Edna,  Arthur,  Beulah,  Harold 
and  Nina.  Socially  Mr.  McCune  affiliates  with 
the  B.  of  L.  E.,  Lodge  226,  at  Fort  Dodge.  In 
his  railroad  career  he  has  never  had  the  misfor- 
tune to  receive  an  injury  of  any  kind  nor  to  cause 
the  injury  of  one  of  his  fellow  workmen,  and 
his  career  has  ben  exceptionally  free  from  ac- 
cidents. 


188 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


T.  KILLORAN,  conductor  on  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad,  Amboy 
division,  was  born  in  LaSalle,  111., 
October  13,  1877,  and  is  the  son 
of  Thomas  and  Mary  (Ryan)  Killoran,  both  of 
whom  are  now  living  in  Lostant,  111.,  his  father 
a  prominent  grain  merchant  of  that  place. 

Our  subject  a  bright  and  energetic  young 
man,  was  educated  in  the  Brother's  school  at 
LaSalle,  and  graduated  at  a  very  early  age  from 
the  high  school  at  Lostant.  In  1893  he  went  to 
Streator  and  worked  in  the  carpet  store  of  D. 
Heenan  &  Co.  for  a  few  months.  He  then  took 
a  teacher's  examination,  securing  a  first  grade 
certificate,  but  preferring  the  active  employment 
of  out-door  life  he  declined  an  offer  of  a  school, 
and  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  ,C.  R.  R.  as  a 
brakeman  where  he  remained  for  three  months, 
then  resigned  the  position  and  taught  school  at 
Lostant  for  several  months,  and  also  worked  at 
telegraphy  for  some  time.  Returning  to  the  ser- 
vice of  the  road,  Mr.  Killoran  served  as  freight 
and  passenger  brakeman  until  August  31,  1898, 
when  he  was  promoted  to  conductor  and  remains 
in  that  position  to  date,  the  youngest  conductor 
in  the  employ  of  the  company,  having  been  ap- 
pointed before  he  had  attained  his  majority.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  O.  of  R.  C,  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  and  a  communicant  in  the  Catholic 
church. 


March   i, 


E.  CAMP,  passenger  engineer  at 
Waterloo,  and  third  engineer  on  the 
Iowa  division  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,  started  as  a  railroad  man, 
1866,  on  the  Dubuque  &  Sioux  City 
R.  R.  at  Dubuque  as  a  fireman,  and  fired  two 
years  under  J.  P.  Farley,  Sup't,  S.  A.  Wolcott, 
Trainmaster,  and  T.  W.  Place,  Master  Mechanic, 
running  between  Dubuque  and  Iowa  Falls,  and 
was  also  in  the  construction  service  between 
Ackley  and  Iowa  Falls  in  1866,  and  helped  to 
build  that  road.  He  was  promoted  to  engineer 


May  9,  1868,  has  run  on  all  the  Iowa  lines,  and 
has  been  on  the  Dubuque  division  for  thirty-one 
years.  He  was  promoted  to  passenger  engineer, 
April  1878,  since  which  time,  with  the  exception 
of  thirteen  months,  from  October  16,  1890,  to 
November  17,  1891,  when  he  served  as  general 
foreman  in  the  Waterloo  shops,  he  has  been  in 
the  passenger  service. 

Mr.  Camp  was  born  in  Euclid,  Ohio,  May 
19,  1845,  and  is  the  son  of  John  H.  and  Ruth 
Mary  (Baldwin)  Camp,  natives  of  Canon,  Conn., 
and  New  York,  respectively.  The  father,  who 
was  a  cooper,  millwright  and  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion, spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  Ohio, 
where  he  died  in  1850.  They  had  a  family  of 
eight  children :  Frances  C.  married  William  Pal- 
mer; Elizabeth  lives  in  Ohio;  Dudley  B.,  de- 
ceased, was  a  marine  engineer;  Pulaski  S.  is 
farming  at  Everett,  Mich. ;  Anna  Eliza  died  in 
Long  Island ;  William  M.  is  one  of  the  oldest 
engineers  on  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  Springfield  division; 
H.  E. ;  Seth  C.  is  a  printer  and  works  on  the 
Northwestern  Miller,  a  magazine  published  in 
Minneapolis.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Camp, 
Mrs.  Camp  was  married  a  second  time  to  R.  B. 
Marsh,  of  Port  Hope,  Canada  West,  who  died 
in  Oregon.  Mrs.  Camp  died  at  Mexico,  Mo., 
in  1878. 

H.  E.  Camp  remained  at  home  until  sixteen 
years  of  age,  when  he  enlisted,  June  6,  1861,  in 
Company  A,  24th  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  but  was  dis- 
charged in  August  1862  for  disability.  In  Janu- 
ary 1864  he  re-enlisted  in  the  37th  N.  Y.  Vol. 
Inf.  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  taking 
part  in  many  battles  and  skirmishes  without  re- 
ceiving -a  wound,  and  was  discharged  May  16, 
1865.  Shortly  after  the  close  of  the  war  he  went 
to  work  on  the  railroad  as  before  stated.  In 
1878  he  located  in  Waterloo,  having  lived  previ- 
ous to  that  time  in  Dubuque. 

Mr.  Camp. was  married  at  Glen  Cove,  Long 
Island,  February  21,  1870,  to  Jeanette  T.  Camp- 
bell of  that  place.  To  them  have  been  born  two 
children  :  Mary  J.  married  W.  J.  Smith,  of  Water- 
loo, Iowa,  manager  of  the  Iowa  Telephone  Co.  ; 
Jessie  E.  is  still  at  home.  Mr.  Camp  is  a  mem- 


JOHN   I.  HOUSEAL. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


191 


her  of  the  I>.  of  L.  E.,  Waterloo  Division  No. 
114,  in  which  he  has  held  all  the  offices  and  is 
now  Secretary  of  Insurance ;  Harmony  Lodge 
No.  2,  I.  C).  O.  F.,  of  Dubuque,  since  1869;  A. 
(.).  U.  W.  No.  274  of  Waterloo.  In  his  career 
as  a  railroad  man,  Mr.  Camp  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful, having  never  been  injured  or  injured 
others  during  his  many  years  of  service.  He  is 
well  known  all  over  the  system  and  well  liked 
by  all. 


JOHN  I.  HOUSEAL,  a  popular  and  promi- 
nent passenger  engineer  on  the  Yazoo 
&  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.,  entered  the 
service  of  the  Illinois  Central  in  1893. 
His  railroad  career  began  on  the  Columbia  & 
Greenville  R.  R.,  where  he  was  for  two  years 
a  fireman.  Resigning  his  position  he  retired 
from  the  road  and  entered  the  employ  of  a  mer- 
cantile house  in  Newberry,  S.  C.,  and  later  was 
a  clerk  in  the  sheriff's  office  there.  He  was  then 
made  chief  of  police  of  Newberry,  and  held  that 
position  until  1875.  In  the  latter  year,  after  an 
absence  of  seven  years  from  railroad  work,  he 
went  to  the  Alabama  &  Vicksburg  R.  R.  as  fire- 
man, where  after  five  months  service  he  was  pro- 
moted to  engineer  and  remained  eight  years  on 
that  road,  and  on  the  Alabama  division  of  the 
East  Tennessee,  Virginia  &  Georgia  R.  R.  He 
returned  to  Vicksburg  as  engineer  on  the  Ala- 
bama &  Vicksburg  R.  R.,  remaining  there  six 
months.  In  1883,  he  entered  the  service  of  the 
old  Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Texas  R.  R.  (now 
the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.)  which  was 
absorbed  by  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  in  1893.  Receiving 
the  appointment  of  foreman  in  the  railroad  shops 
at  Memphis,  in  1884,  he  accepted  and  held  the 
position  one  year,  but  returned  to  the  road  where 
he  remained  until  1887.  He  was  appointed  fore- 
man at  Memphis  for  the  second  time  and  re- 
mained there  four  and  one  half  years,  afterward 
returning  to  his  former  work  as  engineer,  and 
has  since  been  in  the  regular  service  with  the 


exception  of  three  years  spent  as  traveling  en- 
gineer. His  present  run  is  on  engine  No.  15  in 
the  passenger  service  between  Memphis  and  Rol- 
ling Fork,  Miss.  His  career  embraces  a  period 
of  twenty-five  years  of  railroad  work,  during 
which  time  he  was  only  in  one  wreck,  being 
slightly  burned.  He  has  never  had  a  collision, 
and  no  railroad  property  in  his  care  has  ever  been 
.  damaged.  He  is  the  oldest  engineer  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R. 
and  highly  esteemed  by  the  company.  He  was 
offered  a  position  in  the  service  for  some  months 
before  he  accepted.  Mr.  Houseal  is  a  native  of 
Newberry,  S.  C.,  where  he  was  born  January 
26,  1845.  His  father,  William  W.  Houseal  was 
sheriff  and  auditor  of  that  county,  and  also  en- 
gaged in  merchandising.  He  died  in  1889,  and 
is  survived  by  his  wife  who  resides  at  Newberry 
and  is  seventy-eight  years  of  age.  Two  brothers 
of  our  subject  are  professional  men  of  that  place, 
one  an  editor  and  another  a  doctor.  Another 
brother  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Cedartown, 
Ga. 

Mr.  Houseal  received  a  college  education  in 
his  native  city,  and  on  January  i,  1863,  enlisted 
in  Company  F,  South  Carolina  Regulars,  under 
Col.  L.  M.  Keitt,  and  Captain  John  M.  Kinard, 
of  the  Confederate  army.  His  company  fought 
at  Fort  Sumter,  and  was  at  the  siege  of  Charles- 
ton in  1863.  He  served  in  General  Lee's  army 
in  the  campaign  of  1864,  at  Richmond,  Va. ;  at 
the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  second  battle  of 
Cold  Harbor,  and  siege  of  Petersburg.  He  was 
then  transferred  to  Gen.  Early's  command,  and 
fought  Sheridan  at  Cedar  Creek,  Va.  He  was 
then  transferred  back  to  Richmond,  and  finally 
to  South  Carolina,  and  met  Sherman  on  his 
march  through  Georgia.  He  surrendered  with 
his  company  in  1865,  at  Salisbury,  N.  C.  His 
career  as  a  soldier,  like  his  career  as  a  railroad 
man,  was  a  fortunate  one,  never  being  wounded 
nor  compelled  to  go  to  the  hospital.  Mr.  Houseal 
married  Miss  Augusta  G.  Addy,  of  Newberry, 
S.  C.,  and  to  them  eight  children  have  been  born, 
of  whom  four  survive.  They  are :  J.  Fred,  an 
engineer  in  the  I.  C.  service ;  E.  B. ;  M.  B.,  and 
Iva,  the  latter  three  at  home.  His  deceased 


12 


192 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


children  are  Frank  I.,  William  W.,  Ouida  and 
an  infant. 

Mr.  Houseal  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  Knights  of  Pythias  and  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Baptist  church,  in  Memphis, 
where  they  reside  at  No.  180  Florida  avenue  in 
a  beautiful  home,  and  where  their  excellent  qual- 
ities have  gained  for  them  a  warm  place  in  the 
hearts  of  a  large  circle  of  friends. 


Mr.  Van  Vleck  was  married  in  January  1883, 
to  Miss  Mary  Heyer,  of  Waterloo,  Iowa,  by 
whom  he  has  three  children  :  Myrtle  Irene,  Mil- 
dred Mae  and  Charles  Matthew.  Mr.  Van 
Yleck  has  been  very  successful  as  a  railroad  man. 
has  never  been  injured  and  never  laid  up.  He 
is  a  great  hunter,  and  has  a  case  of  fine  guns 
and  has  won  some  fine  medals.  He  is  very 
well  known  and  is  one  of  the  popular  young  con- 
ductors of  the  Illinois  Central  system.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  O.  of  R.  C.  No.  67,  and  the  Ma- 
sonic F>lue  Lodge,  No.  105,  both  of  Waterloo. 


LAWRENCE  VAN  VLECK,.  passenger 
conductor  on  the  Waterloo  division  of 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  entered 
the  service  Tune  27,  1879,  at  Waterloo, 
as  a  brakeman  under  Matthew  Bankson,  his  first 
run  being  on  No.  13  to  Dubuque  for  a  short  time ; 
was  on  the  Pool  run  two  months,  and  one  and 
one-half  years  on  a  passenger  run.  He  then  ran 
with  George  Clinger  and  J.  H.  Keepers  for  a 
time,  and  for  four  months  was  on  the  local  and 
way  freight  with  Conductor  Quinlan.  In  1881 
he  was  promoted  to  conductor  and  ran  extra 
about  four  years  when  he  was  given  a  regular 
run  between  Waterloo  and  Dubuque,  and  also 
ran  for  three  months  on  the  west  end,  and  was 
then  promoted  to  extra  passenger  conductor.  In 
January  1897,  he  took  a  regular  passenger  run, 
and  now  runs  to  Dubuque,  Fort  Dodge  and  Lyle. 
Lawrence  Van  Vleck  was  born  in  Grant 
county,  Wisconsin,  near  Dubuque.  He  is  the 
son  of  Matthew  and  Chloe  M.  (Clark)  Van 
Meek,  of  Syracuse,  New  York.  His  father  was 
the  owner  of  three  packet  lines  on  the  Erie 
canal  while  residing  in  New  York,  and  after  mov- 
ing to  Wisconsin  he  patented  a  spring  bed  which 
he  manufactured  quite  extensively.  He  died  in 
1873.  The  family  numbered  seven  children: 
Helen  lives  in  .New  York  state;  Henry  was 
brakeman  and  baggageman  for  the  I.  C.  R.  R., 
and  died  in  1890 ;  George ;  Rose ;  Orab,  deceased  : 
Lawrence  and  Carrie. 


JM.  DuBOIS,  passenger  engineer  on  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad,  Iowa  division, 
Q  began  his  life  on  the  road  October  10, 
1870,  at  the  early  age  of  seventeen 
years,  as  a  brakeman,  first  under  Fred  Hill  and 
later  with  Jack  Shipman,  and  was  baggageman 
for  Thomas  Sanders  one  year  between  Waterloo 
and  Sioux  City.  In  1873  he  started  as  fireman, 
running  between  Waterloo  and  Dubuque  about  a 
year,  and  later  from  Waterloo  to  Sioux  City, 
firing  for  Engineer  Kingsbury  a  short  time,  and 
Bill  Hale  three  and  one-half  years,  for  James 
Palmer  one  year,  and  afterward  for  different 
ones.  He  was  promoted  in  the  fall  of  1879,  and 
ran  engine  No.  153  in  the  Dubuque  yards,  but 
later  was  given  freight  engine  No.  141,  running 
between  Waterloo  and  Sioux  City,  and  has  since 
run  nearly  all  the  engines  stationed  in  Waterloo. 
He  ran  a  freight  between  Waterloo  and  Dubuque 
one  year,  and  in  1887  was  promoted  to  the  pas- 
senger service  and  now  runs  between  Dubuque 
and  Fort  Dodge. 

Mr.  DuBois  was  born  in  Tompkins  county. 
N.  Y.,  and  is  the  son  of  Uriah  DuBois,  also  of 
the  Empire  state,  who  came  west  and  located 
seven  miles  north  of  Waterloo,  on  a  farm,  in 
1855.  Our  subject  had  one  brother,  Arthur  C., 
who  was  killed  on  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  at  Abingdon, 
Iowa,  in  the  fall  of  1889,  by  his  engine  going 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


193 


through  a  bridge  that  was  being  repaired.  He 
had  been  in  the  service  of  the  road  for  about 
fifteen  years.  Mr.  DuBois  is  a  member  of  the 
1).  of  L.  E.,  Waterloo  Division  No.  114;  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.  No.  105,  and  A.  O.  U.  W.  No.  274,  of 
Waterloo.  He  has  made  many  of  the  fast  runs 
out  of  Waterloo,  and  has  been  very  successful 
in  his  experience,  never  having  been  injured  or 
caused  injury  to  others  on  his  trains, 


T.  PIMM  is  the  well-known  engineer 
in  charge  of  the  "Brookhaven  Local," 
Q  running  between  McComb  City  and 
Brookhaven,  Mississippi,  in  which  ca- 
pacity he  has  served  since  1893.  In  point  of  age 
he  bears  the  distinction  of  being  the  oldest  engin- 
eer in  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  in  the 
South,  being  now  in  his  sixty-sixth  year.  At 
the  age  of  twelve  years  our  subject  began  life 
on  his  own  account,  working  as  an  engine  wiper 
lor  the  B.  &.  O.  Railroad  at  Frederick  City, 
Maryland.  He  also  served  as  fireman  on  the 
same  road,  and  for  a  short  time  as  freight  con- 
ductor, and  in  May  1852,  being  then  only  eight- 
een years  of  age,  was  promoted  to  engineer,  serv- 
ing the  same  company  as  such  for  several  years. 

In  1871  he  decided  to  retire  from  railroad 
life,  and,  going  to  Parkersburg,  W.  Va.,  obtained 
a  position  as  superintendent  of  an  extensive  oil 
business,  conducted  by  William  W.  Hartness,  an 
oil  producer  of  that  locality.  After  a  number  of 
years  in  this  work,  our  subject  went  to  Lexing- 
ton, Mississippi,  and  entered  the  service  of  the 
Illinois  Central  a,s  engineer.  He  then  came  to 
McComb  City,  taking  charge  of  a  bridge  train, 
and  running  all  over  the  Louisiana  division  of 
the  I.  C.  until  in  1893,  when  he  was  promoted  to 
his  present  position. 

Mr.  Pimm  was  born  in  Frederick  City,  Md., 
December  15.  1834,  and  is  a  son  of  John  Pimm, 
a  farmer  of  that  vicinity,  now  deceased.  John 
I'innn  Jr.,  a  brother,  was  an  engineer  on  the 


Western  Maryland  Railroad,  and  was  killed  in 
an  accident  on  that  road. 

Our  subject  was.  married  in  early  manhood 
to  Miss  Mary  Norton,  of  Virginia,  who  died  in 
1898.  Nine  children  were  born  to  them,  viz: 
James,  a  machinist  residing  at  Wilmington,  Del. ; 
William,  a  machinist  in  the  employ  of  the  I.  C.  at 
the  McComb  City  shops;  Nannie,  residing  in 
Philadelphia;  Nora,  at  home;  John,  an  engineer 
in  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  at  Canton,  Mississippi ; 
Harry,  a  machinist  in  McComb  City;  Frank,  an 
employe  of  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  in 
Philadelphia ;  Maggie,  residing  with  her  father, 
and  Bernard,  a  prescription  druggist  in  McComb 
City. 

Socially  Mr.  Pimm  is  connected  with  the 
Catholic  Knights  of  America,  being  a  member  in 
good  standing  for  the  last  twenty  years.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  Division  No.  196,  B.  of  L.  E.. 
of  McComb  City,  where  he  resides  in  a  beautiful 
home  of  his  own,  and  of  which  city  he  is  a  useful 
and  valued  citizen. 


(ENJAMIN  F.  FOX,  a  very  prominent 
and  one  of  the  oldest  engineers  on  the 
road,  has  been  in  the  employ  of  the 
Illinois  Central  company  since  1868. 
He  began  in  the  car  shops  at  Dubuque,  Iowa, 
and  worked  there  under  Foreman  D.  B.  Smith 
until  1869.  He  then  began  as  fireman  on  the 
Waterloo  and  Iowa  Falls  division  and  worked 
there  for  one  and  a  half  years.  In  1870  he  be- 
gan firing  on  an  engine  between  Waterloo  and 
Sioux  City,  and  then  in  1872  was  promoted  to 
engineer,  running  a  freight  train  between  Du- 
buque and  Sioux  City  until  1882,  when  he  was 
promoted  to  passenger  engineer  and  since  that 
time  he  has  run  passenger  train  between  Fort 
Dodge  and  Sioux  City.  He  is  now,  in  point  of 
service,  the  fourth  oldest  engineer  in  Fort  Dodge. 
He  is  a  son  of  Calvin  P.  Fox,  who  was  a 
machinist  by  trade  and  worked  at  that  until  his 
death  at  Dubuque,  Iowa.  Our  subject  had  one 


194 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


brother  who  was  a  fireman  on  the  Illinois  Central 
and  L'nion  Pacific  railroads.  He  was  killed  at 
Sedalia,  Missouri,  in  1876,  while  in  the  employ  of 
the  company  as  a  traveling  engineer. 

In  1867  Mr.  Fox  married  Miss  Mary  F. 
Smith,  of  Connecticut,  a  daughter  of  D.  B.  Smith 
who  was  foreman  of  the  shops  for  the  Illinois 
Central.  Our  subject  and  wife  have  two  chil- 
dren, Avis  L.  and  Orphia.  Mr.  Fox  has  never 
been  injured  in  a  wreck  nor  has  he  ever  been  the 
cause  of  an  injury  to  any  of  his  fellow  men.  He 
has  been  a  member  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.  for  twenty 
years,  and  is  now  a  member  of  Lodge  No.  226, 
of  Fort  Dodge.  He  now  resides  at  808  Second 
Ave.,  south,  Fort  Dodge,  Iowa. 


C.  CALKINS,  engineer  at  Waterloo, 
Iowa,  began  his  railroad  career  in 
'O  September  1885,  at  Fort  Dodge,  in 
the  capacity  of  fireman  for  the  Illi- 
nois Central  company.  He  first  worked  on  a 
switch  engine  in  the  yards  for  a  time,  and  for  a 
short  time  thereafter  was  employed  on  extra 
trains,  and  was  then  promoted  to  the  passenger 
service,  running  between  Waterloo  and  Sioux 
City  with  Engineer  Baldwin  for  two  years.  Sub- 
sequently Mr.  Calkins  worked  on  a  switch  engine 
in  the  Dubuque  yards  until  October  1889,  when 
he  crossed  the  cab  and  has  since  had  a  seat  on 
the  right  side  of  the  engine.  His  first  work  in 
the  capacity  of  engineer  was  in  the  Dubuque 
yards,  and  then  for  a  time  his  work  was  distrib- 
uted over  the  entire  Iowa  division.  In  1891  Mr. 
Calkins  had  a  run  between  Champaign  and  Cen- 
tralia,  111.,  after  which  he  returned  to  the  Iowa 
division  for  a  short  time.  In  the  spring  of  1892 
he  went  south,  but  soon  returned  to  Waterloo ; 
from  thence  he  went  to  the  Chicago  and  Cham- 
paign division,  and  in  the  fall  of  1892  returned  to 
to  Waterloo  where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 
Mr.  Calkins  was  born  in  Amboy,  111.,  a  son 
of  Henry  G.  Calkins,  who  has  been  an  Illinois 
Central  engineer  since  1862.  He  is  now  making 


his  home  in  Freeport,  111.,  and  is  ranked  among 
the  oldest  of  the  company's  employes.  Our 
subject  also  has  a  brother,  Frank  W.,  who  is  an 
engineer  between  Freeport  and  Clinton,  111.  Mr. 
Calkins  was  married  in  Dubuque  in  1896,  to  Miss 
Anna  Hayes,  of  that  city.  He  has  been  a  very 
successful  railroad  man  and  is  known  to  be  a 
skillful  engineer. 


JOHN  G.  DUGAN,  one  of  the  most  popular 
conductors  and  known  from  Chicago  to 
New  Orleans,  was  born  in  Lockport, 
Niagara  county,  New  York,  June  20, 
1847.  His  father  was  Hugh  Dugan,  who  was  a 
successful  business  man  in  Buffalo  and  afterward 
retired  on  a  farm,  dying  when  our  subject  was 
a  small  boy.  Several  years  after  his  father's 
death  our  subject's  mother  married  a  Mr.  Kol- 
lymer,  going  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  to  live.  Our 
subject  worked  at  various  occupations  and  at  the 
time  the  Civil  war  broke  out,  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany D,  84th  Ohio.  Serving'  out  his  enlisted 
period  he  received  an  honorable  discharge  and 
entered  the  service  of  the  Adams  Express  Co. 
as  messenger  between  Louisville,  Kentucky  and 
Nashville,  Tennessee.  He  was  a  trusted  em- 
ploye of  this  company  for  eighteen  years,  serv- 
ing in  various  capacities  as  messenger  and  assis- 
tant cashier,  afterward  having  entire  charge  of 
a  large  scope  of  territory.  On  the  night  of  July 
29,  1869,  while  messenger,  he  had  a  serious  mis- 
fortune happen  while  on  train  going  from  Mem- 
phis to  Louisville.  The  train  went  through  a 
bridge  at  Budds  Creek.  This  was  one  of  the 
most  serious  railroad  accidents  of  the  time,  as 
the  entire  train  was  burned  up  and  many  passen- 
gers perished.  Being  a  short  distance  from  a 
meeting  point  a  crew  of  another  train  saw  the 
light  and  came  to  the  rescue.  They  took  blankets 
from  the  sleeping  cars  and  wrapping  them 
around  themselves,  went  into  flames  of  the  wreck 
and  rescued  many  of  the  passengers.  Among 
them  was  Mr.  Dugan  who  had  been  thrown  un- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


195 


cler  the  car.  Our  subject  was  so  badly  burned 
and  injured  that  the  doctors  gave  him  up  to 
die  as  he  lay  on  the  depot  platform  at  Clarksville. 
An  old  German  named  Wenzler  living  at  that 
place,  and  who  had  been  educated  in  Germany^ 
determined  to  save  our  subject  if  possible.  No- 
ticing signs  of  life  he  sent  for  a  tub  of  hot  water, 
into  which  he  placed  our  subject,  even  going  so 
far  as  to  suck  great  clots  of  blood  out  of  subject's 
throat  from  which  he  removed  several  handfuls. 
The  German  then  had  Mr.  Dugan  removed  to  his 
house  where  he  faithfully  nursed  him  six  months, 
having  six  and  eight  doctors  at  various  times, 
his  condition  being  so  serious,  and  at  one  time 
he  was  given  up  to  die  and  a  coffin  and  suit  of 
clothes,  were  made  for  him.  Mr.  Dugan  often 
laughs  when  he  thinks  of  the  coffin  as  he  saw  it 
many  times  afterward,  it  being  sold  in  1894  by 
the  company  back  to  the  maker,  while  the  suit  of 
clothes  disappeared. 

The  doctors  at  one  time  decided  to  remove 
Mr.  Dugan's  eyes,  his  head  being  in  a  deplorable 
condition.  Mr.  Dugan  was  helpless  and  could 
not  raise  his  hand  against  them,  but  he  told  them 
if  they  did,  and  he  recovered  he  would  kill  every- 
one of  them,  as  he  preferred  dying  to  loosing  his 
eyes.  They  put  off  the  operation  and  Mr.  Dugan 
recovered,  but  a  leech  injured  a  cord  of  the  right 
eye  when  our  subject  was  helpless,  which  caused 
the  iris  to  turn  back.  The  express  company  and 
railroad  company  did  everything  possible  for  him 
and  when  lie  had  fully  recovered  he  went  back 
to  the  express  company  as  general  agent's  clerk, 
serving  up  to  1880,  when  he  left  the  service  and 
engaged  in  the  commission  business  in  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky,  building  up  a  large  business, 
making  many  friends.  Through  the  unfaithful- 
ness of  persons  supposed  to  be  his  friends  he  lost 
a  large  amount  of  bills  and  closed  out  his  busi- 
ness and  entered  the  service  of  the  C.  O.  &  S. 
W.  Having  friends  on  the  road  he  made  but 
few  trips  as  brakeman,  when  he  was  given  charge 
of  a  freight  train,  ran  this  four  years  and  was 
then  promoted  to  passenger  conductor,  running 
between  Louisville  and  Paducah. 


His  present  run  is  between  Louisville  and 
Fulton,  being  one  of  the  best  runs  on  the  divi- 
sion. Mr.  Dugan  has  had  a  remarkably  success- 
ful railroad  career,  having  had  no  serious  acci- 
dents or  injuries  while  running  a  train.  He 
never  had  any  passengers  injured,  the  only  per- 
son ever  hurt  on  our  subject's  train  was  mail 
clerk  Myers,  who  was  slightly  injured  by  the  car 
leaving  the  track. 

Our  subject  is  courteous,  accommodating, 
always  looking  out  for  the  comfort  of  his  passen- 
gers and  he  has  hosts  of  friends.  Mr.  Dugan 
married  Miss  Vollmer,  of  Louisville,  Kentucky, 
and  has  four  children,  George  John,  a  lumber 
inspector ;  Frank  Wenzler,  who  served  as  lumber 
inspector  of  Louisville,  now  lumber  inspector  at 
Memphis;  Miss  Ella  Pauline,  an  accomplished 
young  lady,  and  Albert,  a  graduate  of  the  Louis- 
ville schools. 

Our  subject  is  a  member  of  the  O.  R.  C. 
Monon  Division,  No.  89,  having  filled  the  princi- 
pal chairs  and  served  on  many  of  the  committees. 
Was  also  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Knights  of 
Honor,  of  Louisville.  He  has  a  fine  residence 
on  West  Broadwav. 


JD.  HARRELL,  an  engineer  in  the  pas- 
senger service  on  the  Louisiana  divi- 
O  sion  of  the  Illinois  Central,  is  an  old 
and  trusted  employe  of  the  road.  His 
connection  with  the  I.  C.  dates  ^from  July  n, 
1878,  when  he  was  employed  as  fireman  on  a 
steam  shovel  at'  Chatawa,  Mississippi.  He  re- 
mainded  there  only  three  months  when  he  went 
to  McComb  City,  where  he  worked  for  some 
time  in  the  shops  of  the  company  at  that  point. 
Later  he  was  appointed  locomotive  fireman,  hav- 
ing served  two  years  as  fireman,  he  was  on  Oc- 
tober 28,  1880,  examined  for  promotion  to  en- 
gineer, and  passing  the  examination  with  credit, 
was  given  a  position  in  that  capacity  on  the 
Louisiana  division  of  the  road.  In  1891  he  was 
promoted  to  the  passenger  service,  and  has  since 


196 


•ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


remained  there  having  a  regular  run  between 
Canton,  Mississippi,  and  New  Orleans.  He  has 
never  had  a  serious  wreck,  or  been  in  any  way 
injured  on  the  road. 

Mr.  Harrell  is  a  native  of  Greensboro,  Ala- 
bama, the  date  of  his  birth  being  September  14, 
1860.  He  is  the  son  of  James  D.  Harrell,  who 
was  a  carpenter  and  builder  by  trade,  also  a  suc- 
cessful farmer.  Mr.  Harrell,  Sr.  departed  this 
life  in  1895,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-seven 
years.  Three  brothers  of  our  subject,  now  all  de- 
ceased, were  former  employes  of  the  I.  C.  Wil- 
liam C.  was  a  bridge  foreman,  John  A.,  a  carpen- 
ter, and  Wesley  M.  was  for  a  time  supervisor  of 
bridges  and  buildings. 

Mr.  Harrell  married  Miss  Mamie  Long,  of 
Kenner,  Louisiana.  Two  children  have  been 
born  to  them:  James  M.,  born  August  7,  1895, 
and  Mae,  born  August  3,  1898. 

The  family  reside  in  a  beautiful  home  in  the 
south-east  part  of  McComb  City,  besides 
which  Mr.  Harrell  is  the  owner  of  several  other 
pieces  of  valuable  property.  Division  No.  196, 

B.  of  L.  E.  claims  him  as  a  member,  he  having 
just  been  elected  secretary  of  the  Division. 

Mr.  Harrell  kindly  furnished  the  Histori- 
cal Company  with  a  short  sketch  of  the  Lodge 
which  is  as  follows : 

"  Magnolia  Division  No.  196,  B.  of  L.  E., 
was  organized  by  F.  L.  Waldron.  on  October 
23,  1882,  with  the  following  charter  members : 

C.  Lindstrom,  W.  B.  Baldwin,  Harry  Thompson, 
George  Deaton,  P.  Hannon,  J.  C.  Purdy,  F.  G. 
Wheelock,   F.   Burrow,   H.   Bowen,  John   Dietz. 
William  Hight,  W.  D.  Mitchell',  and  Hennison 
Wallace.     The   Division   now   has   seventy-eight 
members,    with    the    following    officers :     |.    D. 
Harrell,  Secretary:   E.  R.   Harlan,   Chief  Engi- 
neer ;    B.   E.   Harrell,    First   Engineer ;   William 
Munn,    Second    Engineer ;    Thomas    McCosker, 
Second    Assistant    Engineer:    C.    W.    Harrell, 
Third   Assistant   Engineer ;   Leon    Ford,   Guide ; 
J.  R.  Lilly,  Chaplain  ;  J.  R.  Smith,  Journal  Agent : 
J.  D.  Harrell,  Insurance  Agent,  and  delegate  to 
the    General    Board   'of    Adjustment ;    William 
I 'evens,  ( )fficer  of  Law  &c. ;  and  H.  Bowen,  dele- 
gate to  the  International  Convention. 


SCAR  D.  GRAY  is  an  engineer  in  the 
freight  service  of  the  Illinois  Central 
in  the  Cherokee  district  of  the  Iowa 
division.  He  entered  the  service  of 
the  I.  C.  in  January  1873  as  fireman,  and  has  re- 
mained with  the  company  ever  since.  His  first 
experience  in  railroad  work  was  between  the 
years  of  1852  and  1856,  when  he  worked  as  fire- 
man on  the  old  Galena  &  Chicago  Union  R.  R. 
He  retired  from  the  service  of  that  company  and 
at  once  entered  the  employ  of  the  I.  C.  On  com- 
ing to  this  company  he  was  for  nearly  five 
years  fireman  for  T.  W.  Place,  now  master  me- 
chanic, receiving  a  well-merited  promotion  in 
1877  to  engineer,  and  took  a  regular  run  between 
Waterloo  and  Sioux  City.  During  his  service 
he  has  been  in  a  number  of  small  wrecks,  in  one 
of  which  he  was  injured.  He  is  now  in  charge 
of  freight  engine  No.  814,  running  on  the  Chero- 
kee division. 

Mr.  Gray  was  born  April  6,  1834,  in  Chau- 
tauqua  county.  New  York,  and  is  married.  His 
wife,  formerly  Miss  Adeline  Conley,  being  a  na- 
tive of  Canada.  He  is  socially  connected  with 
B.  of  L.  E.  No.  226,  and  also  of  the  Elks  organ- 
ization of  Fort  Dodge. 


J      WILLIAM    MEYER,   engineer   on    the 
Illinois   Central,   Freeport   division,   en- 
Q   tered  the  service  of  the  company   No- 
vember 8,  1 887,  as  a  fireman  on  the  Am- 
boy  division,  and  after  some  four  years'  service 
was  licensed  to  handle  the  throttle  and  lever  June 
1 6.  1 80 1,  since  which  time  he  has  served  in  that 
capacity,  now  running  on  the  Freeport  division. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Hull,  England, 
where  he  first  saw  the  light  October  22,  1865. 
Two  years  later  the  family  came  to  the  United 
States  and  located  in  Chicago,  where  they  re- 
mained but  eight  months,  then  removed  to  Dixon, 
111.,  where  the  parents,  Julius  and  Rosine  (Oyler) 
Meyer,  still  reside,  the  father  following  the  tail- 
or's trade. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES.- 


197 


J.  William  Meyer  attended  the  Dixon 
schools,  and  during  his  boyhood  and  early  man- 
hood worked  on  a  farm  near  his  home.  On  the 
1 7th  of  January,  1889,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Addie  F.  Walker,  of  Amboy,  111.  Mrs.  Meyer 
was  born  in  Sublette,  June  28,  1868.  By  her 
union  with  Mr.  Meyer  she  is  the  mother  of  one 
child — Myrtle  M.,  born  December  i,  1890.  So- 
cially Mr.  Meyer  affiliates  with  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, and  also  belongs  to  the  B.  of  L.  E.  In 
his  religious  views  he  is  a  Protestant,  and  is  a 
Republican  in  politics. 


C.,  being  engaged  as  pumper  at  the  station  at 
Frinear,  Louisiana. 

Miss  Mattie  E.  Hammond,  of  McComb  City, 
Mississippi,  became  the  wife  of  our  subject.  She 
is  the  daughter  of  H.  R.  Hammond,  now  de- 
ceased, who  was  for  twenty-two  years,  an  engi- 
neer in  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  at  the  water-works, 
and  was  also  supervisor  of  the  pumping  service. 
To  this  marriage  two  children  have  been  born, 
Harry  and  Vivian. 

Socially  Mr.  Muller  is  connected  with  the 
Order  of  Maccabees,  and  is  a  member  of  Divi- 
sion No.  367,  O.  R.  C.  of  McComb.  He  has  a 
comfortable  home  in  East  McComb,  and  is  a 
highly  respected  citizen. 


JG.  MULLER,  a  well  known  conductor 
in  the  freight  service  of  the  Ilinois  Cen- 
Q  tral,  on  the  Louisiana  division,  dates 
his  connection  with  the  road  from  1890. 
Previous  to  becoming  identified  with  the  I.  C. 
he  had  been  employed  for  two  years,  first  as  fire- 
man and  later  as  a  brakeman,  on  the  New  Or- 
leans, Spanish  Fort  &  Lake  Railroad.  He  then 
engaged  in  farming  in  Alabama,  which  he  fol- 
lowed two  years,  and  the  three  years  following 
was  employed  as  a  fireman  on  a  Mississippi  river 
steamer.  In  1890  he  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Illinois  Central  at  McComb  City,  as  brakeman, 
and  served  three  years.  Owing  to  a  small  wreck 
which  occurred  that  year,  he  retired  from  the 
service  and  went  to  the  Southern  Pacific  at  New 
Orleans,  as  hostler  and  night  engineer.  After 
a  two  years'service  with  that  road,  he  went  to  the 
shops  at  Gulf  port,  Louisiana,  where  he  worked 
for  a  period  of  eighteen  months.  In  1898,  he 
was  re-instated  by  the  I.  C.  and  resumed  work 
as  brakeman,  and  after  fourteen  months  spent 
in  that  branch  of  the  service,  was  promoted  to 
conductor  in  the  freight  service,  and  given  a 
regular  run  between  Canton,  Miss  .and  New  Or- 
leans. 

Mr.  Muller  is  a  native  of  New  Orleans  where 
lie  was  born  on  February  22,  1866.  His  father, 
Mathias  Muller,  is  a  valued  employe  of  the  I. 


ICHARD  MORGAN,  trainmaster  of  the 
Grenada  district,  was  born  at  New- 
castle, Ireland,  November  15,  1856. 
His  parents  emigrated  to  the  States  in 
the  spring  of  1858,  sojourning  at  Cumberland, 
Maryland,  and  at  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  be- 
fore settling  at  Nashville,  Tennesee.  Here  in 
public  and  private  schools  the  boy  received  his 
education  until  1867,  when  he  began  his  railroad 
career,  lad  though  he  was,  as  tool  carrier  on  the 
Louisville  &  Nashville  road  on  what  is  now  the 
Henderson  division.  Soon  he  secured  a  some- 
what easier  situation,  that  of  news-boy,  running 
between  Nashville  and  Guthrie,  Kentucky,  about 
a  year.  His  next  move  was  to  become  bridge 
watchman  at  Red  River,  near  Adams,  Tennessee. 
A  year  later  he  was  given  a  place  with  the  bridge 
carpenters,  and  a  year  later  became  brakeman 
running  between  Nashville  and  Henderson.  Pro- 
motion came  within  a  twelve-month,  and  he  was 
given  charge  of  the  construction  train  and  later 
a  freight  run,  receiving  a  final  promotion  and 
placed  in  charge  of  a  passenger  train  which  he 
ran  for  one  year  before  resigning  and  entering 
the  service  of  the  Illinois  Midland  as  conductor 
of  the  work  train,  which  he  ran  some  five  months 


198 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


before  going  east  to  accept  a  position  on  the  New 
York  &  New  England  road  with  a  freight  run  be- 
tween Boston  and  Hartford.  A  year  later  he 
secured  a  place  as  conductor  on  a  construction 
train  on  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande,  for,  a  year, 
and  went  from  there  to  the  Cotton  Belt  road  in 
Texas  on  a  work  train  until  the  road  became 
bankrupt  some  seven  months  later.  An  opening 
being  offered  him  on  the  road  where  he  served 
his  apprenticeship,  he  accepted  and  served  as 
freight  and  passenger  conductor  some  three  years, 
and  then  started  in  as  extra  freight  conductor  for 
the  Chesapeake,  Ohio  &  South-Western,  soon  re- 
ceiving a  promotion  to  extra  passenger  conduc- 
tor, and  later  was  made  trainmaster  at  Memphis, 
from  which  place  he  was  transferred  to  Paducah 
and  later  to  Louisville,  Ky.  September  16,  1893, 
he  was  made  superintendent  of  the  main  line 
and  branches,  with  headquarters  at  Paducah. 
When  the  road  became  a  part  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral system  on  July  31,  1896,  Mr.  Morgan  was 
assigned  his  present  position  with  headquarters 
in  Memphis. 

May  31,  1878,  he  was  married  to  Miss  El- 
leanor  A.  Kane,  of  Logan  county,  Ky.  They 
are  members  of  the  Catholic  church.  In  his 
political  views  Mr.  Morgan  affiliates  with  the 
Republican  party,  and  socially  is  a  member  of 
the  Elks.  His  career  refutes  the  old  saying  that 
a  rolling  stone  gathers  no  moss,  or  is  the  ex- 
ception that  proves  the  rule  In  the  many 
changes  of  employers  he  encountered,  he  gathered 
an  experience  that  ripened  and  fitted  him  for  the 
higher  positions  that  came  after — positions  that 
he  might  not  have  been  competent  to  fill  had  the 
varied  experience  been  lacking. 


JOHN  J.  McNAMARA,  a  popular  conduc- 
tor in  the  freight  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central,   on  the  Louisiana   division,   en- 
tered the  service  of  the  I.  C.  in  1891.    His 
railroad  career  began  in   1882,  on  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  £  Ouincy  R.  P..  at  Beardstown,  Illi- 


nois, where  he  served  as  brakeman  for  two  and 
one  half  years,  and  afterward  as  conductor  for 
five  years.  He  then  went  west  to  Pocatello.  Ida- 
ho, where  he  was  for  two  years  with  the  Union 
Pacific  R.  R.  as  conductor.  Going  from  there 
to  Birmingham,  Alabama,  he  was  for  a  short 
time  with  the  Georgia  Pacific  R.  R.,  and  in  1891 
became  identified  with  the  Illinois  Central  at 
McComh  City,  Mississippi,  where  he  has  since  re- 
mained in  the  freight  service  of  the  road  on  the 
Louisiana  division. 

Mr.  McNamara  is  a  native  of  Sublette,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  was  born  October  20,  1864,  and 
is  a  son  of  Daniel  McNamara,  now  retired,  and 
living  at  Rock  Falls,  Illinois,  but  who  for  many 
years  was  connected  with  the  Chicago,  Burling- 
ton &  Quincy  and  Illinois  Central  roads  as  sec- 
tion foreman.  Miss  Katie  McCoster,  of  Canton, 
Mississippi,  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  McNamara, 
and  they  are  the  parents  of  two  children,  Bessie 
and  Ellen.  Mr.  McNamara  belongs  to  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity,  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  Di- 
vision No.  367  O.  R.  C.,  of  McComb  City,  where 
he  has  a  fine  home  on  Broadway.  .  He  is  regarded 
among  the  officers  of  the  I.  C.  as  a  very  careful 
and  steady  man,  and  his  fellow  citizens  respect 
him  for  his  integrity  and  progressive  qualities. 

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J'  NORTH  ABBOTT,  a  well-known  con- 
ductor in  the  freight  service  on  the  Lou- 
Q   isiana   division   of   the    Illinois   Central 
between  Canton,  Mississippi,  and  New 
Orleans,  entered  the  employ  of  the  company  in 
1872  at  the  age  of  seventeen.     He  was  first  em- 
ployed as  bill  clerk  and  later  as  rate  clerk  in  the 
outward   freight   office   at   New   Orleans,   under 
Major  E.  A.  Burke,  who  was  then  freight  agent. 
Occupying   this    clerkship    until    1878,    he    then 
resigned   to   accept   a   position   at   court,    where 
he  was  engaged  for  the  succeeding  four  years. 
He    then    returned    to    the    employ    of    the    Illi- 
nois  Central    in    1886,   and   entered   the   service 
of  the  company   at   McComb   City,   Mississippi, 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


201 


as  a  conductor  on  the  Louisiana  division  of  the 
road,  which  position  he  holds  at  the  present 
time.  For  the  past  six  years  he  has  had  charge 
of  the  summer  fruit  trains  out  of  New  Orleans. 

Mr.  Abbott  is  a  native  of  Natchez,  Missis- 
sippi, where  he  was  born  October  31,  1854,  and 
is  a  son  of  John  and  Sarah  J.  Abbott,  both  still 
living  and  leading  a  retired  life  in  the  city  of 
New  Orleans,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  seventy-six 
and  seventy-four  respectively.  John  Abbott  was 
a  commercial  salesman  by  occupation,  well  and 
favorably  known  throughout  the  state  of  Mis- 
sissippi. He  was  in  later  years  in  the  newspaper 
business,  being  connected  with  the  Item  and  the 
States,  New  Orleans  publications. 

On  November  12,  1877,  J.  North  Abbott 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Clara  Vienne, 
a  daughter  of  Francis  A.  Vienne,  a  cotton  mer- 
chant of  New  Orleans.  Four  children  have  been 
born  to  them,  viz :  Marga  B.,  Alene  M.,  Dr. 
C-W-M.,  and  Clara  Louise.  In  his  social  con- 
nections Mr.  Abbott  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
367,  O.  R.  C.,  of  McComb  City,  of  which  he  is 
now  Chairman,  and  has  been  the  representative 
of  the  Division  for  four  years.  He  was  a  char- 
ter member  of  the  Young  Men's  Gymnastic  Club 
of  New  Orleans,  and  is  connected  with  Lodge 
No.  68,  Knights  of  Pythias,  of  New  Orleans. 
Mr.  Abbott  resides  with  his  family  in  a  beautiful 
and  commodious  residence  in  East  McComb 
City,  of  which  place  he  is  an  energetic  and  pro- 
gressive citizen. 


L.  HAYES  is  an  engineer  in  the  pas- 
senger service  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
Q  his  run  being  between  Champaign  and 
Centralia.  His  father,  Patrick  Hayes, 
entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  in  1864, 
as  a  section  man  at  Champaign,  working  after- 
ward in  the  shops  as  a  laborer  until  December 
I,  1895,  without  suspension  or  discharge.  On 
the  latter  date,  after  a  life  of  well-spent  labor, 


he  retired  on  account  of  ill-health,  and  died  one 
year  later,  December  i,  1896.  Our  subject  was 
born  in  Lowell,  Mass.,  in  1860,  and  came  to 
Champaign  in  1864.  He  entered  the  employ  of 
the  Illinois  Central  as  fireman  in  1878  on  the 
Champaign  section  of  the  Chicago  division,  ser- 
ving six  months  in  the  freight,  and  four  and 
one-half  years  in  the  passenger  service.  On 
February  13,  1883,  he  was  examined  by  E.  T. 
Jeffery  and  Henry  Schlacks,  and  passing  the  ex- 
amination was  promoted  to  engineer,  taking  a 
passenger  run  in  1893.  Mr.  Hayes  is  a  charter 
member  of  B.  of  L.  F.,  and  also  a  member  of 
Division  No.  24,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Centralia.  May 
20,  1885,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  Cof- 
fee, of  Champaign.  They  have  had  four  chil- 
dren, Gertrude  and  Minnie,  deceased,  and  Wil- 
liam Bertram  and  Margaret  Loretta.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Democrat.  Both  are  members  of  St. 
Mary's  Catholic  church,  of  Champaign. 


JGRANEY  is  an  engineer  in  the  passen- 
ger service  of  the  Illinois  Central,  run- 
Q  ning  between  Champaign  and  Centralia. 
He  was  born  in  Bristol,  Conn.,  January 
T,  1854,  a  son  of  John  and  Kate  (Naughton) 
Graney,  natives  of  County  Galway,  Ireland.  He 
entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  as  fire- 
man in  1871,  when  only  a  youth  of  seventeen. 
He  was  promoted  to  engineer  October  5,  1877, 
and  in  1892  took  charge  of  engine  No.  968  in 
the  passenger  service  on  the  Champaign  section 
of  the  Chicago  division.  Mr.  Graney  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Minnie  F.  Hayes,  November  10, 
1880.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Patrick  and  Mary 
(Quirk)  Hayes,  and  was  born  in  Lowell,  Mass., 
February  19.  1858.  They  have  no  children. 
Both  are  communicants  of  St.  Mary's  Catholic 
church  in  Champaign,  and  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Father  Matthew  Total  Abstinence  Society, 
of  which  he  has  been  a  member  for  twenty-five 
years.  The  fathers  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Graney 
were  both  in  the  employ  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  for 


202 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


thirty-five  years,  and  only  retired  when  old  age 
compelled  them,  and  during  all  this  time  neither 
of  them  were  ever  discharged  or  laid  off.  Mr. 
Graney  is  connected  with  Division  No.  24.  U. 
of  L.  E.,  of  Centralia. 


•ILLIAM  H.  BARTLETT,  a  popular, 
hustling  young  agent  at  Owensboro, 
the  son  of  William  H.  Bartlett,  is 
a  native  of  Tennessee,  where  he  re- 
ceived his  education.  At  the  age  of  seventeen 
he  worked  in  a  store  where  he  learned  telegraph 
operating,  remaining  in  this  store  seven  months. 
He  then  began  work  for  the  L.  &  N.  at  Browns- 
ville, Tenn'essee,  where  he  remained  two  years 
as  operator,  then  was  in  Supt.  Dunn's  office  at 
Memphis  for  three  months.  Then  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  C.  O.  &  S.  W.  as  operator  and 
ticket  agent.  In  1891  he  went  to  Greenville,  and 
in  1892  to  Grand  River,  a  boomed  town,  as  agent. 
Tn  1894  he  went  to  Eddyville,  remaining  until 
1896,  when  he  was  transferred  to  Central  City. 
One  year  after  this  he  again  changed  and  took 
up  his  work  at  Princeton,  and  yet  a  year  later 
was  again  transferred  to  Owensboro  to  succeed 
Agent  Stovall,  of  Louisville.  Our  subject  has  a 
number  of  men  in  his  department,  his  assistants 
being  J.  P.  Van  Meter,  chief  clerk  and  cashier, 
F.  X.  Pottinger,  bill  clerk,  ticket  seller  and  opera- 
tor, and  George  Arnold,  warehouse  man. 

Owensboro  is  a  city  of  great  business  enter- 
prises. The  yard  has  two  and  a  half  miles  of 
side  track,  and  the  freight  house  is  far  too  small 
for  the  amount  of  business  transacted.  Mr. 
Bartlett  has  continued  the  good  work  begun  by 
Mr.  Stovall  and  has  doubled  the  business  in  the 
last  year.  The  principal  shipments  from  this 
town  are  tobacco,  carriages,  wagons,  feed,  whis- 
key, cellulose,  a  preparation  made  from  the  pith 
of  corn  stalks,  which  is  used  in  battle  ships,  ex- 
ports of  1,000,000  tons  expected  in  the  year  1900, 
also  large  shipments  of  woolen  goods,  brick  and 
tile,  There  are  seven  thousand  bogheads 


of  tobacco  to  be  shipped  in  the  year  1900, 
besides  the  large  shipments  of  flour.  Mr.  Bart- 
lett has  a  great  deal  of  competition,  there  being 
the  L.  &  N.,  the  L.  H.  &  St.  L.  railroads  and  the 
Ohio  river,  all  having  good  agents.  Our  subject 
acts  as  commercial  agent  in  connection  with  the 
duties  of  local  freight  agent,  and  much  of  his 
success  lies  in  his  being  very  accommodating  to 
his  patrons  and  his  pleasant  manners  and  his 
square  dealing  have  also  done  much  for  him  in 
his  work.  He  is  a  temperate  man,  attends  strict- 
ly to  his  business  during  the  day  and  spends  his 
evenings  at  home  when  not  engaged  at  his  office. 
Mr.  Bartlett  married  a  daughter  of  M.  W.  Brown 
and  has  one  child,  Leonard  B.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  and  resides  at  210  E.  Fifth 
street,  Owensboro,  Kentucky. 


L.  PRICE,  a  conductor  on  the  Louis- 
iana division  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
in  the  freight  department,  dates  his 
connection  with  the  company  from 
1894.  His  first  knowledge  of  railroad  work  was 
acquired  on  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  R.  R. 
where  he  worked  as  a  brakeman  for  three  years 
out  of  Birmingham,  Alabama.  He  was  after- 
ward for  three  years  with  the  Nashville  &  Chat- 
tanooga R.  R.  as  brakeman  and  extra,  conductor 
but  returned  to  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  where, 
after  six  months  service  as  brakeman  he  was  pro- 
moted to  conductor.  The  latter  position  he  held 
for  nine  years,  having  charge  of  a  run  out  of 
Birmingham. 

In  1894  he  became  identified  with  the  I.  C. 
at  McComb  City,  Mississippi,  as  a  brakeman, 
serving  for  six  months.  He  was  then  sent  to 
Jackson,  Mississippi,  as  yardmaster  for  the  I.  C., 
which  position  he  held  for  two  years,  and  in 
1897  returned  to  the  road  service  as  a  conductor 
on  the  Louisiana  division  of  the  road,  and  has 
since  remained  there.  He  was  in  a  collision  at 
Johnston's  Station,  Miss.,  and  also  at  Brook- 
haven,  but  in  both  escaped  injury. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


203 


Mr.  Price  is  a  native  of  Coffee  county,  Tenn., 
his  birth  occurring  on  December  23,  1864.  James 
I  Vice,  his  father,  now  deceased,  was  a  prominent 
attorney  at  Manchester,  Tenn.,  and  well  known 
throughout  the  state.  Mr.  Price  has  two  broth- 
ers who  reside  at  his  old  home  in  Tennessee,  one 
of  them  a  physician  by  profession,  and  the  other 
a  farmer.  ( )ur  subject  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Mrs.  Annie  Wilson,  a  native  of  Tennessee, 
by  whom  he  has  one  son,  James  Ernest,  a  prom- 
ising boy.  The  Knights  of  Maccabees  and  O. 
R.  ('.  of  McComb  City,  claim  him  as  a  valued 
member.  A  man  of  genial  disposition,  and-  a 
faithful  employe,  he  is  held  in  high  esteem  by 
the  officials  of  the  road  and  his  fellow  employes. 


Central. 


•ILUAM  T.  COLMESN1LL,  the 
popular  passenger  conductor,  is  the 
oldest  man  in  active  service  on  the 
Evansville  district  of  the  Illinois 
Around  the  family  of  which  he  is  a 
descendant,  is  woven  a  romance  as  interesting  as 
any  tale  of  fiction. 

Gabriel  de  Colmesnill,  a  native  of  France, 
enjoyed  the  title  of  Marquis  while  under  his  na- 
tive flag.  When  a  young  man  he  settled  in  the 
island  of  Hayti,  and  acquired  several  large  plan- 
tations, some  in  the  valley  of  the  Antobomic,  and 
the  home  plantation  in  the  mountains  near  St. 
Marks,  on  which  he  raised  large  quantities  of 
sugar,  cotton,  coffee  and  indigo.  During  an  up- 
rising of  the  blacks  at  the  close  of  the  last  cen- 
tury, the  Marquis  was  beseiged  on  his  planta- 
tion that  had  been  fortified  by  his  faithful  slaves. 
When  carried  by  storm  his  wife  and  two  sons  and 
(laughters  perished,  while  he  himself  was  severely 
wounded  and  carried  by  his  servants  to  a  place  of 
safety  in  St.  Marks.  Here  he  chartered  a  vessel 
belonging  to  Stephen  Girard,  and  loaded  it  with 
coffee  and  indigo.  Just  prior  to  sailing  there 
appeared  a  couple  of  his  slaves  who  had  with 
them  his  infant  son  that  they  had  rescued  and  car- 
ried to  the  mountains.  This  was  John  D.  Colmes- 


nill,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  The 
Marquis  landed  at  Philadelphia  and,  selling  his 
cargo  to  Girard,  purchased  a  plantation  at  Lam- 
berton,  New  Jersey,  where  most  of  his  old  slaves 
joined  him.  Finding  the  climate  too  severe  for 
them,  he  removed  in  '800  to  Georgia,  purchasing 
a  large  plantation  near  Savannah,  where  he 
raised  cotton  and  vegetables  for  the  city  market. 
Here  John  D.  Colmesnill  was  reared  and  at  the 
age  of  sixteen,  after  two  years  in  the  academy  at 
Athens,  Georgia,  he  entered  the  mercantile  es- 
tablishment of  Robert  and  John  Baldwin  as  ship- 
ping clerk.  The  following  year  he  was  made 
super-cargo  on  one  of  their  trading  vessels  and 
sent  on  several  voyages  to  the  West  India  islands. 
During  one  of  these  trips  he  landed  at  Hayti 
to  recover  the  family  plate  that  his '  father  had 
buried  between  two  mahogany  trees  at  his  moun- 
tain home.  Together  with  what  was  buried  for 
the  neighbors  there  were  two  tons  of  the  precious 
metal  which  he  packed  into  some  four  hundred 
fifty  bags  of  coffee  he  was  buying  for  that  pur- 
pose, and  started  with  it  to  the  coast.  Some  one 
proved  traitor  and  informed  the  authorities  at 
Port  an  Prince,  so  the  young  treasure  hunter 
was  compelled  to  make  his  escape  in  an  open  boat 
to  Jamaica,  and  return  to  the  states  poorer  by 
the  value  of  the  silver  and  the  coffee.  After 
leaving  the  sea  Mr.  Colmesnill  went  into  business 
at  Fashington,  Georgia,  where  he  was  when  his 
father  died,  directing  in  his  will  that  his  slaves  be 
set  free,  and  that  the  grown  ones  be  given  fifty 
dollars  each  and  the  young  ones  thirty.  As  the 
laws  of  Georgia  did  not  permit  the  freeing  of 
slaves,  he  had  to  work  the  plantation  a  year  to 
secure  funds  enough  to  carry  out  the  provisions 
of  the  will  by  moving  them  north  before  manu- 
mitting them.  This  he  did,  although  it  was  a  tax 
on  his  own  resources.  A  few  years  after  he  sold 
his  possessions  and  moved  with  what  slaves  had 
been  purchased  in  Georgia  to  Kentucky,  where 
he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days.  During  the 
days  of  his  service  as  super-cargo,  an  attempt  was 
made  to  smuggle  a  part  of  the  cargo  of  flour 
through  the  port  at  Havana.  Being  detected, 
Mr.  Colmesnill,  along  with  the  captain  of  the  ves- 
sel, was  arrested  and  cast  into  the  Moro  castle, 


204 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


and  confined  in  a  dungeon  below  the  level  of  the 
sea.  After  thirty-one  days  in  darkness  the  Cap- 
tain General  chanced  to  visit  the  dungeons  and 
was  appealed  to  for  mercy.  Learning  the  name 
of  the  young  man  he  enquired  of  his  father,  asked 
his  size,  appearance,  birth-place,  and  place  of  ed- 
ucation. It  was  an  old  schoolmate  who  had  been 
in  college  of  Lorenz,  in  the  Pyrenees,  with  him 
years  before.  The  prisoner  was  released,  taken 
to  the  palace  of  Don  Vivas,  and  nursed  through 
a  spell  of  fever  contracted  while  in  the  damp 
dungeon  under  the  sea.  At  Louisville  he  entered 
into  trade  and  became  the  largest  merchant  in 
the  city,  with  a  trade  extending  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Mississippi.  At  one  time  when  the  firm  with 
which  he  was  connected  failed,  Mr.  Colmesnill 
refused  to  take  advantage  of  the  bankruptcy  laws, 
but  paid  dollar  for  dollar  on  over  a  quarter  of  a 
million.  During  the  administration  of  James 
Guthrie  as  secretary  of  the  treasury,  Mr.  Colmes- 
nill was  agent  of  the  department  in  the  most  con- 
fidential relations,  handling  millions  of  the  na- 
tion's revenue.  In  1833  he  purchased  a  beautiful 
country  seat  near  the  city,  where  he  lived  until 
the  northern  soldiers  despoiled  it  of  its  beauti- 
ful grove  during  the  war,  when  he  moved  to  the 
city  to  spend  his  declining  days.  He  was  born 
July  31,  1787,  and  died  July  30,  1871.  In  1815 
he  married  Miss  Honore,  who  lived  but  a  few 
years.  In  1826  he  married  Sarah  Courtnie  Tay- 
lor, daughter  of  Major  Edmond  Taylor,  of  the 
U.  S.  A. 

W.  T.  Colmesnill  was  born  in  Bullet  county, 
Kentucky,  and  received  his  education  in  the  pub- 
lic, schools  of  Louisville  and  at  St.  Mary's  Col- 
lege. When  the  war  broke  out  he  moved  to  Mis- 
souri, and  being  a  large  boy  for  his  age  was  ar- 
rested many  times  for  not  entering  the  service. 
Tiring  of  this  annoyance  he  entered  the  railroad 
service  of  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  Railroad, 
on  the  Beardstown  branch,  as  brakeman  and  bag- 
gageman a  short  time,  when  he  was  promoted  to 
freight  conductor,  running  a  mixed  train  until 
1873,  and  for  a  year  following  had  charge  of  the 
work  train  and  the  iron  train  on  the  Richmond 
branch.  In  1874  he  engaged  with  the  Elizabeth- 
town  &  Paducah  road  under  the  superintendency 


of  Dan  Whitcomb,  running  a  local  between  Cen- 
tral City  and  Paducah.  At  that  time  there  was 
no  telegraph  on  the  road,  and  trains  ran  by  the 
card.  The  night  of  March  28,  1875,  the  train 
went  through  the  bridge  at  Poplar  Creek,  the 
caboose  with  seven  men  aboard  fell  forty  feet  into 
ten  feet  of  water.  Not  until  after  rescuing  for- 
mer Governor  Anderson  and  seeing  that  all  were 
safe,  did  Mr.  Colmesnill  realize  that  he  had  bro- 
ken an  arm,  shattered  a  leg,  ribs  fractured  and 
severe  cuts  about  the  head.  After  his  recovery 
he  resumed  his  place  again,  but  soon  abandoned 
it.  to  manage  the  large  farms  of  D.  R.  Burbanks 
for  three  years.  When  fully  recovered  he  again 
entered  upon  a  railroad  career,  this  time  in  Texas. 
For  a  time  he  ran  a  passenger  train  and  then 
had  charge  of  a  train  on  construction,  and  in  one 
capacity  or  another  helped  construct  seven  hun- 
dred miles  of  road  in  the  Lone  Star  state,  includ- 
ing the  three  hundred  miles  of  track  laying  for 
the  Texas  Pacific  through  an  unsettled  wilder- 
ness. Returning  to  Kentucky  he  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Ohio  Valley  line,  under  construction 
by  General  Manager  Kelsey,  running  a  work 
train,  remaining  in  the  service  of  the  road  under 
the  subsequent  changes  of  management.  Dur- 
ing all  the  years  of  his  railroad  service  Mr. 
Colmesnill  has  never  had  a  passenger  lose  his 
life  although  in  the  incident  above  related  there 
was  a  narrow  escape. 

Mr.  Colmesnill  married  Miss  Fanny  Taylor, 
a  daughter  of  Dr.  Thomas  Taylor,  a  prominent 
physician  of  Henderson  county,  and  one  of  the 
early  settlers  there.  Of  his  two  sons,  Thomas  H., 
the  elder,  attends  the  Kentucky  Military  Acad- 
emy, where  he  is  considered  by  his  instructors 
one  of  the  brightest  students  ever  in  the  school. 
His  address  at  the  age  of  eight  to  the  convention 
of  ex-Confederate  soldiers  at  Nashville,  awak- 
ened the  greatest  enthusiasm.  The  second  son 
is  Charles  Anderson,  attending  the  public  school. 
Mr.  Colmesnill  is  a  member  of  the  Monon  Div- 
ision. O.  R.  C.,  and  of  the  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter 
and  Commandery  of  the  Masonic  order.  In  his 
stately  bearing  he  shows  descent  from  the  old 
cavaliers,  and  his  jovial  nature  makes  him  a  typ- 
ical railroad  man  of  the  highest  type. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


205 


JC.  LOMAX,  a  widely  known  and  pop- 
ular conductor  in  the  freight  service  of 
Q    the   Illinois  Central,  on  the  Louisiana 
division,  received  his  initial  training  on 
that  division  and  has  since  remained  there.     Be- 
ginning as  brakeman  in  August  1889,  he  worked 
in  that  capacity  for  one  and  a  half  years,  when 
he  was  found  worthy  of  promotion  to  conductor 
and  given  charge  of  a  regular  run.     A  man  of 
capability  and  faithful  services,  his  future  should 
be  a  bright  one.     He  has  seen  some  small  acci- 
dents, but  has  escaped  serious  injury. 

Mr.  Lomax  is  a  native  of  Hazelhurst,  Miss., 
where  he  was  born  on  May  3rd,  1860.  Jesse 
Lomax,  an  extensive  farmer  of  that  state,  now 
deceased,  was  his  father.  Mr.  Lomax  married 
Miss  Katie  Easley,  of  McComb  City,  and  three 
children  are  the  result  of  their  union,  viz : 
Blanche,  Maude,  and  Madge  O.  He  affiliates 
socially  with  Division  No.  367,  O.  of  R.  C.,  of 
McComb  City,  where  he  resides  with  his  family 
in  a  nice  home  in  the  southern  part  of  the  city. 


Mr.  Kennedy  is  a  native  of  Crab  Orchard, 
Kentucky,  the  date  of  his  birth  being  August  i, 
1869.  Matthew  Kennedy  Sr.,  his  father,  an  ex- 
tensive railroad  contractor,  was  for  many  years 
connected  with  the  Alabama  &  Chattanooga  Rail- 
road, the  Louisville  &  Nashville,  and  also  assisted 
in  the  construction  of  the  I.  C.  He  is  now  liv- 
ing at  New  Orleans,  enjoying  the  fruits  of  a 
well  spent  and  industrious  life.  William  Ken- 
nedy, a  brother  of  our  subject,  was  a  railway 
conductor,  and  was  killed  while  in  the  employ 
of  the  Little  Rock  &  Fort  Smith  R.  R.  Mr. 
Kennedy's  estimable  wife  was  a  Miss  Wise,  of 
Alabama,  by  whom  he  has  three  children,  Lois, 
Maud  Wise,  and  Mary  Chapel.  He  affiliates  so- 
cially with  the  Maccabees,  and  is  secretary  of 
Division  No.  367  O.  R.  C.,  of  McComb  City.  He 
has  a  pleasant  home  on  Front  street,  and  is  con- 
sidered a  worthy  and  energetic  citizen  of  that 
place. 


ATTHEW  KENNEDY  is  a  popular 
freight  conductor  in  the  service  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  having  a  run  between 
Canton,  Mississippi,  and  New  Or- 
leans. His  first  experience  at  railroad  work  was 
acquired  at  Birmingham,  Alabama^where  he  was 
in  the  employ  of  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  Rail- 
road as  a  brakeman.  In  1888  he  was  promoted 
to  conductor  in  the  freight  service  of  that  road, 
and  served  as  such  between  Decatur  and  Mont- 
gomery, Alabama,  and  between  Decatur  and  Bir- 
mingham. He  left  the  employ  of  that  road  in 
1892,  and  was  for  a  time  with  the  Fort  Scott  & 
Memphis  R.  R.  as  brakeman,  and  from  the  latter 
road  went  to  the  San  Antonio  &  Aransas  Pass 
Railroad  as  brakeman  and  conductor.  He  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  I.  C.  in  1894,  beginning 
as  a  brakeman,  and  in  1895  was  promoted  to 
conductor  in  the  freight  service  on  the  Louisiana 
division,  where  he  has  since  remained. 


^OBERT  C.  McKAY,  a  prominent  en- 
gineer on  the  Vicksburg  division  of 
the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R., 
was  born  in  Jackson,  Tennessee,  Sep- 
tember 23,  1874.  John  S.  McKay,  his  father, 
was  an  engineer  on  the  Mississippi  Central  R.  R. 
for  many  years.  He  was  also  master  mechanic 
at  Jackson,  and  was  superintendent  of  the  div- 
ision between  Canton,  Mississippi,  and  Cairo,  Il- 
linois. His  railroad  career  embraced  a  period  of 
thirty-two  years.  He  died  in  1895  while  acting 
as  traveling  engineer  for  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  division 
of  the  J.  C.  R.  R.,  and  is  survived  by  his  wife, 
Lucy  (Cady)  McKay,  who  is  a  resident  of  Mem- 
phis. Robert  C.  McKay  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Memphis  until  fourteen  years  old, 
when  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Buyers  and 
Factors  Compress  company,  at  Memphis,  where 
he  worked  two  years.  In  January  1890,  he  be- 
came identified  with  the  Illinois  Central  as  an  ap- 
prentice in  the  machine  shops  at  Memphis,  under 
Master  Mechanic  Jones  Ramsey,  and  served  a 
full  term  of  four  years  there.  Remaining  there 


206 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


one  year  longer,  in  April  1895  he  went  to  Vicks- 
burg,  Mississippi,  and  worked  there  in  the  shops 
of  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  until 
November  of  that  year.  He  then  entered  the 
road  service  of  the  I.  C.  as  fireman  on  locomotive 
No.  48,  with  Engineer  Joseph  O'Leary,  between 
Memphis,  Tennessee,  and  Vicksburg,  Mississippi. 
He  remained  in  that  branch  of  the  service  until 
promoted  to  engineer  in  October  1897,  where  he 
is  at  the  present  time  employed,  having  charge 
of  engine  No.  35  on  the  Yicksburg  division.  Mr. 
McKay  was  reared  in  the  Presbyterian  faith, 
and  in  his  political  views  is  a  supporter  of  demo- 
cratic principles.  He  is  a  young- man  of  ability, 
and  is  a  valued  employe  of  the  company. 


THOMAS  ALLEN  BANKS  JR.,  the  pop- 
ular agent  at  Princeton,  Kentucky,  was 
born  at  Springfield,  January  17,  1869. 
His  father  was  a  well  known  conductor 
for  many  years  on  the  Louisville  &  Nashville 
road.  The  subject  of  this  brief  sketch  left  school 
at  the  early  age  of  fifteen  to  study  telegraphy, 
and  in  1885  was  given  a  place  at  Rives,  Tennes- 
see, remaining  at  that  station  two  years  as  bill 
clerk.  He  was  next  assigned  work  at  Ripley, 
and  from  there  at  Dyersburg  for  a  short  time. 
The  following  four  years  he  served  as  agent  at 
Kattawa,  Ky.,  and  was  transferred  from  there 
to  Evansville,  Indiana,  as  operator.  January  7, 
180,9,  he  was  assigned  his  present  position  as 
agent  at  Princeton.  This  is  one  of  the  important 
points  on  the  Louisville  division,  requiring  the 
assistance  of  six  clerks,  operators  and  assistants, 
besides  a  number  of  porters  and  a  matron.  In 
addition  to  his  duties  as  station  agent  Mr.  Banks 
acts  as  yard  master  and  has  charge  of  several 
miles  of  tracks  and  forty-eight  switches.  Being 
a  junction  point  large  quantities  of  baggage  are 
handled,  averaging  five  thousand  pieces  a  month. 
In  addition  to  a  large  express  business,  the  sta- 
tion sends  out  each  year  several  thousands  hogs- 
heads of  tobacco,  large  quantities  of  castings, 


lime,  limestone,  brick,  cattle,  hogs,  sheep,  poultry 
and  produce.  With  a  seminary  in  the  town,  a 
large  passenger  traffic  centers  in  the  place.  To 
manage  all  this  properly  requires  a  man  of  alert. 
pushing  business  qualifications.  Mr.  Banks  mar- 
ried Miss  Mattie,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  William 
Shrvock,  of  Newton,  Illinois. 


DH.  MARTIN,  a  popular  and  well-known 
engineer  in  the  passenger  service  of  the 
Q  Illinois  Central,  became  identified  with  the 
company  in  1883.  In  September  of  that 
year  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  as  fireman 
on  the  New  Orleans  division,  with  Engineer  John 
Hines.  He  remained  in  that  branch  of  the  ser- 
vice until  1887,  when  on  examination  he  was 
found  proficient  and  was  promoted  to  engineer 
in  the  freight  service,  and  given  charge  of  a  run 
between  Canton,  Mississippi,  and  New  Orleans, 
Louisiana,  continuing  there  until  his  promotion 
to  the  passenger  service,  and  has  since  continued 
in  that  capacity  on  the  Louisiana  division,  where 
he  is  known  as  a  careful  and  painstaking  employe. 

His  experience  in  railroad  work  has  been  de- 
void of  serious  accidents,  and  although  he  has 
been  in  some  small  wrecks,  was  never  injured. 
He  has  charge  at  present  of  the  largest'  engine 
in  the  McComb  City  shops. 

Mr.  Martin  was  born  in  Franklin  county, 
Tennessee,  March  5.  1865,  and  is  a  son  of  Wil- 
liam W.  Martin,  formerly  a  blacksmith  in  the 
employ  of  the  Nashville,  Chattanooga  &  St.  Louis 
R.  R.,  who  is  now  retired  and  living  at  Decherd, 
Tennessee.  Edward  H.  Martin,  a  b'rother,  now 
residing  in  Kentucky,  was  for  some  time  con- 
nected with  the  I.  C.  as  bookkeeper  in  the  store- 
room of  the  company  at  McComb  City,  and  was 
also  for  several  years  chief  clerk  to  the  master 
mechanic  there. 

The  lady  who  became  Mr.  Martin's  wife 
was  formerly  Miss  Julia  Hanford,  whose  father, 
A.  W.  Hanford,  now  deceased,  was  proprietor  of 
the  popular  Hanford  Hotel,  of  McComb  City. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


207 


Their  union  has  been  blessed  by  one  child,  Hugh 
deary,  a  fine  boy.  Mr.  Martin  belongs  to  the 
Elks  organization,  and  also  to  the  B.  of  L.  E., 
of  McComb  City,  where  he  and  his  estimable 
family  reside  at  the  Han  ford  Hotel. 


young. 


cHENRY  HIXON,  local  freight  agent 
at  Evansville,  was  born  December  n, 
1867,  at  Union  Point,  Georgia,  but 
moved  to  Russellville  when  quite 
and  received  his  education  there.  His 
first  experience  in  railroading  was  at  Russellville 
as  baggage  and  freight  clerk  for  the  L.  &  N. 
He  worked  here  a  short  time  when  he  accepted 
a. position  with  the  N.  N.  &  M.  V.  road  at  Prince- 
ton, Kentucky,  and  continued  in  the  clerical  de- 
partment until  January  i,  1894,  when  he  was  pro- 
moted to  agent  at  Uniontown,  Kentucky.  March 
loth,  -following,  he  was  made  agent  for  the  Ohio 
Valley  Railway  at  Princeton,  Kentucky,  where 
he  was  employed  at  the  time  the  road  was  ab- 
sorbed by  the  Illinois  Central  and  on  the  trans- 
fer became  chief  clerk  at  Princeton.  He  re- 
mained here  until  January  5,  1899,  when  he  was 
appointed  agent  at  Morganfield,  Ky.,  remaining 
there  until  May  3,  1899,  when  he  was  appointed 
local  freight  agent  at  Evansville,  Ind.  He  now 
has  as  his  assistants  E.  F.  Coon,  chief  clerk,  H. 

E.  Fritz,   warehouse   foreman,   W.   C.   Mitchell, 

F.  Bock,  W.  T.  Coxin,  all  of  whom  are  clerks  in 
the  office,  and  H.  Ross  who  is  the  yard  clerk,  be- 
sides five  or  six  porters.     This  is  a  very  impor- 
tant office,  as  besides  the  Illinois  Central  there 
is  a  great  deal  of  transferring  for  the  E.  &  T.  H., 
the  E.  &  L,  L.  E.  &  St.  Louis,  P.  D.  &  E.,  and 
the  L.  &  N.     The  principal  commodities  handled 
at  this  place  are  tobacco,  cotton,  pig  iron,  hay 
and  grain,  furniture,  stoves,  plows,  etc.     Evans- 
ville has  many  manufacturing  industries  and  the 
Illinois  Central  business  is  gradually  increasing, 
lumng  had  an  increase  of  eighty-three  thousand 
dollars  in  receipts  in  1899.     Mr.  Hixon  is  a  man 
who  is  not  afraid  of  work  as  his  accounts  will 


show.  He  assumes  a  large  part  of  the  work  him- 
self, and  thereby  reduced  the  office  expense  one 
thousand  dollars  during  the  year  1899.  Mention 
should  be  made  that  most  of  the  freight  handled 
is  in  less  than  car  load  lots,  which  makes  a  greater 
amount  of  work.  The  freight  house  is  much  too 
small  for  the  business  and  a  new  one  is  contem- 
plated. 

Mr.  Hixon  married  a  Miss  Tully  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  has  three  children,  McHenry  Jr.,  Tul- 
ly, and  an  infant.  He  is  very  popular  and  a 
man  who  has  a  bright  future. 


ENRY  C.  EICH,  general  foreman  at 
Louisville  is  a  native  of  Chicago,  where 
his  father,  Peter  Eich,  was  a  shoe  mer- 
chant. Our  subject  commenced  rail- 
roading in  Chicago  in  the  year  1882,  as  an  office 
boy  in  the  auditor's  office.  He  worked  in  this 
capacity  three  months,  and  then  entered  the 
Weldon  shops  an  apprentice  under  William  Ren- 
shaw,  master-mechanic,  serving  four  years.  He 
afterward  left  the  shops  to  learn  mechanical 
drawing,  leaving  his  position  to  take  one  at  less 
wages,  being  anxious  to  learn.  He  worked  in 
the  drafting  department  six  months,  applying 
himself  closely  and  on  account  of  his  merit  he 
was  appointed  instructor  of  the  Illinois  Central 
drafting  school  at  McComb  City,  Miss.,  remain- 
ing there  one  year  and  a  half.  'January  i,  1893, 
he  was  appointed  foreman  at  Rantoul,  111.,  and 
remained  there  three  months,  later  served  as  gang 
foreman  at  the  Burnside  shops.  He  continued 
in  this  place  until  May  i,  1898,  when  he  was  pro- 
moted to  general  foreman  at  Freeport,  Illinois, 
remained  there  until  March  20,  1899,  at  which 
time  he  was  transferred  as  general  foreman  at 
Champaign.  He  continued  in  this  capacity  thir- 
ty days,  and  on  the  first  of  May  1899,  he  was 
transferred  to  Louisville,  his  present  position. 

Our  subject  has  at  present  one  hundred  men 
in  his  department,  the  round  house  foreman  be- 
ing John  McDerrmott ;  chief  clerk,  H.  M.  Miles. 


208 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


His  territory  comprises  Louisville,  Owensboro 
and  the  Hodgenville  and  Elizabetlitown  districts. 
He  has  fine  new  shops,  fifty  by  fifty  feet,  a  boiler 
room,  fifty  by  twenty-five,  new  fifteen  stall  round 
house,  all  modern  style.  T.  M.  Baughn  is  the 
car  foreman,  and  there  is  a  large  amount  of  work- 
done  here. 

Mr,  Eich  is  a  young  man  who  is  steadily 
rising  and  has  had  quick  promotions  on  account 
of  his  merit.  He  married  Miss  M.  Steinert  and 
resides  at  1527  Maple  street,  Louisville.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Forresters  Court,  Chicago,  also  to 
the  Railway  and  Telegraph  Political  League  of 
Illinois. 


C.  JARVIS,  a  retired  passenger  en- 
gineer, ex-mayor  and  extensive  real- 
estate  owner  of  McComb  City,  Mis- 
sissippi, is  one  of  the  oldest  and  best 
known  men  on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  Mr. 
Jarvis  was  born  in  Rockbridge  county,  Virginia, 
November  24,  1832,  where  he  received  a  practi- 
cal education  in  the  common  schools.  In  1853. 
at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  made  a  successful 
trip  to  California,  and  returning  to  "the  states" 
went  to  Elkhart,  Indiana,  and  from  there  in  1860 
to  Chicago,  Illinois.  He  there  secured  a  posi- 
tion as  fireman  on  the  Chicago  &  Rock  Island 
R.  R.  and  received  promotion  to  engineer  in  1862. 
After  a  short  service  as  engineer  on  that  road, 
he  went  to  Memphis,  Tennessee,  and  was  in  the 
employ  of  the  government  as  engineer  on  mili- 
tary railroads  until  the  surrender.  During  that 
time  he  ran  on  every  road  in  the  state  of  Ten- 
nessee. 

In  1865  he  went  to  New  Orleans,  and  was 
for  one  year  with  the  New  Orleans,  Jackson  & 
Great  Northern  R.  R.  as  engineer,  but  returned 
to  Memphis  and  for  a  time  was  with  the  Memphis 
&  Ohio  road.  He  then  went  to  Rock  Island, 
where  his  family  resided,  and  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Chicago  &  North-Western  R.  R.  on  the 
Iowa  division,  where  he  had  charge  of  a  con- 
struction train  for  six  months.  In  1867  he  first 


became  connected  with  the  Illinois  Central, work- 
ing for  seven  months  in  the  freight  service  on 
the  Chicago  division. 

Leaving  the  1.  C.  he  went  to  the  L'nion  Pa- 
cific R.  R.  at  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  and  after 
working  there  in  the  freight  service,  was  ap- 
pointed traveling  engineer  for  that  road  between 
Rollins  Springs  and  Bryan,  Wyoming,  occupying 
the  latter  position  until  May  12,  1868.  He  then 
resigned  and  went  to  Chicago,  and  the  next 
year  was  spent  in  recreation.  In  October  1869, 
he  went  to  Water  Valley,  Miss.,  entering  the 
employ  of  the  Mississippi  Central  (now  the  I. 
C.)  where  he  was  for  two  months,  finally  re- 
turning to  the  old  New  Orleans,  Jackson  & 
Great  Northern  (now  the  I.  C.),  and  for  one 
year  was  in  the  freight  service  between  New  Or- 
leans and  Canton,  Miss.  Promotion  to  the  pas- 
senger service  followed  in  September  1870,  and 
from  that  date  until  July  23,  1895,  he  was  on  the 
Louisiana  division  of  the  road,  when  he  retired 
to  private  life. 

Mr.  Jarvis  has  a  fund  of  experience  of  early 
railroad  days  on  the  I.  C.  He  was  engineer  on 
the  road  when  water  had  to  be  dipped  with  a 
cup  to  fill  the  tender,  in  order  to  make  a  ten  mile 
run  between  Summit  and  Magnolia,  Miss.  He 
made  what  was  considered  at  that  time  a  very- 
fast  run  on  one  of  the  old  engines,  No.  262,  the 
first  extension  front  engine  on  the  Louisiana  di- 
vision. The  engine  had  a  five  foot  wheel,  and 
a  cylinder  15  by  24.  On  this  engine  he  covered 
the  distance  between  McComb  City  and  New  Or- 
leans, a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  five  miles, 
in  one  hour  and  fifty-nine  minutes,  a  remarkable 
run  for  those  days. 

Mr.  Jarvis  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Sare,  of 
Covington,  Kentucky.  They  have  two  children, 
both  railroad  men:  J.  F.,  a  passenger  engineer 
on  the  I.  C.  at  McComb  City,  and  Samuel,  an 
engineer  on  the  Kansas  City,  Memphis  &  Bir- 
mingham R.  R.  Mr.  Jarvis  is  one  of  the  honored 
and  substantial  citizens  of  McComb  City.  He 
served  as  mayor  during  the  years  1896,  '97  and 
'98,  his  administration  being  a  highly  successful 
one. 


C.  H.  MOORE. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


211 


H.  MOORE,  attorney  for  the  Illinois 
Central  residing  at  Clinton,  111.,  was 
born  at  Kirtland,  Lake  county,  Ohio, 
on  October  26,  1817,  about  twenty 
rods  south  of  the  famous  Mormon  temple  situ- 
ated there.  He  attended  the  Kirtland  Academy 
during  the  summer  and  in  winter  was  employed 
in  teaching.  Going  to  Pekin,  111.,  in  May  1839, 
he  assumed  charge  of  a  school,  and  between 
whiles  read  law  with  Bailey  &  Wilmot,  leading 
attorneys  of  that  city.  At  the  July  term  of  court 
1841,  he  successfully  passed  a  rigid  examination 
in  open  court,  in  company  with  two  other  stu- 
dents and  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  By  a  curious 
error  our  subject  is  reported  in  the  second  or 
third  volume  of  Scammon's  reports  as  "residence 
not  given.'' 

Mr.  Moore  arrived  at  Clinton  in  August 
1841,  opened  an  office  and  has  successfully  prac- 
ticed his  profession  in  that  city  ever  since.  He 
was  the  speaker  of  the  day  on  the  occasion 
of  the  laying  of  the  corner  stone  of  the  new  Illi- 
nois Central  Depot  at  Clinton  and  has  been  one 
of  the  attorneys  for  the  Illinois  Central  R.  R. 
company  since  1852,  and  obtained  its  right  of 
way  through  Dewitt  county  for  it.  The  profes- 
sion of  the  law  has  always  had  with  Mr.  Moore 
a  powerful  rival,  that  of  buying  and  improving 
land.  His  success  in  life  marks  the  career  of 
a  shrewd  business  man  as  well  as  a  prosperous 
attorney,  and  speaks  for  itself. 


LRERT  E.  BROAS,  the  well  and  fa- 
vorably known  conductor  in  charge  of 
the  ''  Hammond  Local  "  on  the  Louisi- 
ana division  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
began  railroad  life  when  a  boy.  His  first  work 
was  as  messenger  hoy  for  the  Louisville  &  Nash- 
ville R.  R.  under  Mr.  Dunn  and  Mr.  Harahan, 
both  now  officials  of  the  Illinois  Central.  He 
followed  other  pursuits  in  early  life,  but  for  a 
short  time  only,  as  railroad  work  had  for  him 
an  irresistible  charm.  Going  to  McComb  City 


in  1887,  he  began  at  once  as  brakeman  on  the 
Louisiana  division,  and  after  a  faithful  service 
of  nearly  two  years,  was  promoted  to  conductor 
in  the  freight  service.  At  the  present  time  he 
has  the  local  run  between  McComb  City,  Missis- 
sippi, and  Hammond,  Louisiana,  making  the  trip 
on  alternate  days. 

Mr.  Broas  was  born  in  New  Orleans,  on 
October  31,  1866.  His  father,  now  deceased, 
was  a  prominent  contractor  in  his  clay.  He  was 
married  to  Miss  Ollie  McLaurine,  who  departed 
this  life  in  1899.  One  child,  also  deceased,  was 
born  to  them.  Of  the  social  organizations,  Mr. 
Broas  claims  membership  with  the  Masonic  or- 
der, (Blue  Lodge,)  Order  of  Elks,  Order  of  the 
Eastern  Star,  and  Division  No.  367,  Order  of 
Railway  Conductors,  all  of  McComb  City.  He 
has  a  pleasant  home  on  South  street  in  that  city, 
where  he  resides  with  his  mother. 


L.  ARM  I  STEAD,  a  rising  young  con- 
ductor in  the  freight  department  of 
the  Illinois  Central,  on  the  Louisiana 
division,  has  been  with  the  company 
since  1895.  He  acquired  his  first  knowledge  of 
railroad  work,  on  the  New  Orleans  &  North- 
Eastern  R.  R.  where  he  served  for  five  years  as 
fireman.  Following  this,  he  was  for  one  year  in 
the  employ  of  the  Buffalo,  Rochester  &  Pitts- 
burg  R.  R.  as  flagmaji  and  brakeman.  In  Sep- 
tember 1895,  he  became  connected  with  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  at  McComb  City,  Mississippi,  as 
switchman  in  the  yards  there,  and  was  for  two 
years  employed  at  that  work.  He  then  served  as 
brakeman  for  eleven  months,  followed  by  pro- 
motion to  his  present  position  as  conductor  in  the 
freight  service.  His  career  with  the  I.  C.  has 
been  devoid  of  accidents  of  any  kind. 

Mr.  Armistead  was  born  in  Meridian,  Mis- 
sissippi, on  April  27,  1870.  He  is  a  son  of  J.  J. 
Armistead,  now  living  a  retired  life  in  New  Or- 
leans, but  who  was  for  many  years  connected 
with  a  firm  of  contractors  who  took  large  con- 


212 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


tracts  in  building  the  Vicksburg  &  Meridian  and 
I.  C.  Railroads.  A  brother  of  our  subject,  Jabe 
Armistead,  is  now  chief  dispatcher  of  the  New 
Orleans  &  North-Eastern  R.  R. 

Mr.  Armistead  belongs  to  the  Order  of  Elks, 
and  Brotherhood  of  Railway  Trainmen,  ui  Me 
Comb  City,  and  is  a  member  of  Faith  Lodge  No. 
200,  B.  of  L.  F.  of  Meridian,  Mississippi.  He 
is  unmarried,  and  resides  at  McComb  City,  mak- 
ing his  home  with  Conductor  S.  M.  Reames  of 
that  place. 

jt.lM.fM** 


AMUEL  H.  BREWER,  a  prominent  en- 
gineer in  the  freight  service  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  on  the  Louisiana  division, 
entered  the  service  of  the  company  in 
January  1895.  He  was  first  employed  in  the 
yards  of  the  I.  C.  at  New  Orleans  as  a  switch  en- 
gineer, and  then  went  to  McComb  City,  Mis- 
sissippi, and  took  a  position  as  engineer  in  the 
freight  service,  where  he  has  since  remained,  and 
is  appreciated  as  a  careful  and  steady  employe. 
His  first  knowledge  of  the  work  was  acquired 
on  the  Western  &  Atlantic  R.  R.  where  he  began 
service  in  1870  as  a  wood  passer.  After  one 
year  at  that  work,  he  was  promoted  to  fireman, 
serving  as  such  for  the  following  three  years, 
when  he  was  examined  and  promoted  to  engineer. 
In  1877  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Nashville, 
Chattanooga  &  St.  Louis  R.  R.,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1880,  and  was  then  for  three  months 
engineer  with  the  Alabama  &  Chattanooga  R.  R. 
Returning  to  the  Western  &  Atlantic  R.  R.,  he 
worked  there  for  a  short  time  when  he  went  to 
Savannah,  Georgia,  and  was  in  the  employ  of 
the  "Plant  System"  until  1887.  The  intervening 
three  years  between  1887  and  1890  were  spent 
on  the  Northern  Georgia  R.  R.,  when  he  went  to 
Water  Valley,  Mississippi,  and  worked  for  three 
months  as  engineer  on  the  Mississippi  division 
of  the  I.  C.  Deciding  to  try  agricultural  pur- 
suits, he  left  the  road  and  was  engaged  in  that 
line  until  1895,  when  he  became  identified  with 
the  I.  C.  at  New  Orleans. 


Mr.  Brewer  was  born  at  Adairsville,  Bar- 
tow  county,  Georgia,  in  August  1855.  Peter  W. 
Brewer,  his  father,  deceased,  was  an  experienced 
railroad  man,  and  was  a  machinist  and  engineer 
in  the  Baldwin  locomotive  works  at  Philadelphia. 
He  was  also  at  various  times  connected  as  en- 
gineer with  the  Philadelphia  &  Reading  R.  R., 
the  Illinois  Central,  the  Western  &  Atlantic,  and 
the  East  Tennessee,  Virginia  &  Georgia  R.  R. 
A  brother  of  our  subject  is  a  hostler  in  the  round 
house  of  the  I.  C.  at  McComb  City. 

Mr.  Brewer  married  Miss  Ella  Jennings, 
a  native  of  Georgia.  They  are  the  parents  of 
three  children,  viz  :  Milton,  Bessie  and  Maurice. 
Socially  he  is  connected  with  Division  No.  196, 
B.  of  L.  E.,  and  also  with  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  the  World..  He  has  recently  erected  a  pretty 
cottage  home  in  East  McComb  City,  where  he 
resides,  and  is  a  popular  citizen. 


kRANK  J.  ZANONE,  store  keeper  of  the 
Memphis  division,  is  a  native  of  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky,  where  he  was  reared 
and  attended  school.  After  four  years 
in  the  fire  insurance  business  at  Louisville,  with 
his  father,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Louis- 
ville &  Nashville  Railroad  as  clerk  in  the  Audi- 
tor's office  at  Louisville,  and  three  years  later 
went  into  the  mechanical  department  at  Louis- 
ville where  he  remained  two  years.  Returning 
to  the  insurance  business  he  was  engaged  two 
years,  and  in  September  1898  entered  the  service 
of  the  Illinois  Central  road  at  Memphis  as  store- 
keeper, where  he  is  at  present  engaged.  The 
parents  of  our  subject,  J.  A.  and  Alice  (John- 
son) Zanone  reside  at  Louisville,  where  the 
father  is  a  leading  real  estate  dealer 

Mr.  Zanone  was  married  January  19,  1894, 
to  Miss  Ida  Cook  in  the  rites  of  the  Catholic 
church  to  which  they  both  belong.  A  son,  Ar- 
thur, was  born  June  29,  1897.  Mr.  Zanone  is 
a  Democrat  in  politics.  He  is  a  competent  ac- 
countant and  his  integrity  is  such  that  he  merits 
the  fullest  confidence  of  his  employers. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


213 


"7  UTHER  BURNS,  a  conductor  in  the 
freight  service  on  the  Louisiana  divi- 
Lx-y  sion  of  the  Illinois  Central,  entered  the 
employ  of  the  road  in  1882  as  brake- 
man,  at  McComb  City,  Mississippi.  He  was  em- 
ployed in  that  capacity  until  June  1893,  when  he 
went  to  North  Dakota,  and  engaged  in  brick- 
making.  Returning  to  McComb  City,  he  re- 
sumed work  on  the  T.  C.  working  as  brakeman, 
switchman  and  finally  as  yardmaster,  at  that 
place.  In  1894,  he  went  to  Minnesota,  and  for 
a  year  followed  farming  in  that  state,  and  in 
Xorth  and  South  Dakota.  He  then  returned  to 
Vicksburg,  Mississippi,  and  worked  on  the  I. 
C.  as  brakeman,  between  that  city  and  New  Or- 
leans. After  successively  working  as  brakeman, 
switchman  and  yardmaster  for  the  I.  C.  on  the 
Louisiana  division,  he  was  on  November  7,  1898, 
promoted  to  conductor  in  the  freight  service, 
where  he  now  has  a  regular  run.  His  railroad 
career  has  been  free  from  accidents. 

Mr.  Burns  was  born  May  21,  1861,  in  Lin- 
coln county,  Mississippi,  and  is  a  son  of 
Joseph  Burns,  contractor  and  builder,  who 
died  at  Jackson,  Mississippi,  in  1871.  Mr.  Burns 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Nannie  Quin,  of 
McComb  City,  and  they  have  one  child,  Alice 
Eugene.  He  is  connected  with  Division  No. 
367,  O.  R.  C.,  and  with  Pearl  Lodge,  Division 
No.  264,  O.  R.  T.,  both  of  McComb  City. 


EORGE  F.  MULLINIX,  a  popular 
conductor  on  the  pay  car  on  the  Louis- 
ville division,  is  a  native  of  Yorktown, 
Pa.,  his  father  being  W.  H.  Mullinix, 
an  did  conductor  on  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  system, 
having  been  with  the  road  through  the  war.  Our 
subject  remembers  often  hauling  soldiers  to  the 
south  and  riding  on  his  father's  train.  His  fath- 
er died  in  1870,  and  his  mother  passed  away  in 
the  year  1809.  He  has  a  brother  who  is  at  pres- 
ent an  engineer  on  the  L.  &  N.,  and  a  second 
brother  who  is  a  train  dispatcher  on  the  Southern 


road,  and  a  third  brother  passenger  conductor 
on  the  same  road.  They  are  all  getting  along 
nicely  and  have  been  very  successful  in  the  work- 
day are  doing. 

Our  subject  commenced  his  railroad  service 
driving  a  team  for  a  contractor  on  the  C.  Mt.  V. 
&  C.  road  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  and  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  he  was  a  coach  hand  on  the  B. 
&  O.,  his  duties  being  to  collect  tickets ;  at  that 
time  a  coach  was  connected  to  the  fast  freight. 
In  the  fall  of  1877  our  subject  left  the  B.  &  O. 
and  entered  the  service  of  the  L.  &  N.-  as  a  brake- 
man. He  remained  in  this  capacity  up  to  1879 
when  he  was  promoted  to  conductor,  running  a 
local  freight  train  between  Louisville  and  Knox- 
ville  until  1883,  when  he  accepted  a  place  running 
a  freight  on  the  C.  O.  &  S.  W.  under  Superinten- 
dent Frasher.  He  continued  here  up  to  1887 
and  then  went  to  the  Cincinnati  Southern  where 
he  worked  until  1889,  at  which  time  he  took  a 
place  on  the  K.  C.  Ft.  S.  &  M.,  and  ran  between 
Thayer  and  West  Memphis.  Returning  to  the 
Cincinnati  Southern  he  ran  a  train  two  years, 
after  which  he  entered  the  service  of  the  C.  O. 
&  S.  W.  on  a  freight.  He  has  at  present  a  pre- 
ferred run  on  a  freight  train,  and  is  conductor 
of  the  pay  train,  which  place  he  has  had  for  six 
years.  Mr.  Mullinix  has  had  the  best  of  success, 
and  in  his  long  service  he  has  not  yet  lost  a  trip. 
He  is  a  member  of  Monon  Division  No.  89,  O. 
R.  C.,  of  Louisville,  Ky. 


JOHN    A.    JONES,    an    engineer    in    the 
freight    service   of   the    Illinois    Central, 
on    the   Louisiana   division,    entered   the 
employ  of  the  company  in   1883,  at  the 
age  of  fifteen,  as  steam-handle  boy  in  the  I.  C. 
blacksmith  shops  at  McComb  City.     He  was  af- 
terward a  general   helper,  and   for  a  time  had 
charge  of  a  bolt  machine  in  the  same  shops.     An 
interval  of  two  months   was  then  spent   in  the 
blacksmith  shops  of  the  Southern  Pacific  R.  R., 
when  he  returned  to  the  Illinois  Central  black- 


214 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


smith  shops  for  six  months,  then  served  as  brake- 
man  for  one  year.  The  following  year  was 
spent  at  Albuquerque,  New  Mexico,  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Santa  Fe  R.  R.  and  from  there  to 
Annistbn,  Alabama,  where  he  worked  for  the  U. 
S.  car  works,  at  that  point  for  ten  months.  In 
November  1893  he  returned  to  the  service  of  the 
I.  C.  as  a  fireman,  at  which  he  was  employed 
until  September  1896.  On  the  latter  date  he  took 
charge  of  a  switch  engine  in  the  yards  at  Canton, 
Miss.,  but  soon  returned  to  his  former  position 
as  fireman, -serving  for  the  next  eighteen  months 
in  that  capacity.  Passing  a  highly  creditable  ex- 
amination in  February  1899,  he  was  promoted 
to  engineer  on  the  main  line,  being  given  his 
present  run  between  Canton,  Miss.,  and  New  Or- 
leans, on  Engine  No.  730.  He  is  proud  of  the 
fact  that  in  his  entire  railroad  career  he  has  never 
had  an  accident  of  any  kind. 

Mr.  Jones  was  born  on  April  30,  1868,  at 
Summit,  Miss.  His  father,  James  M.  Jones,  is 
engaged  in  farming  in  the  vicinity  of  McComb 
City.  A  brother  was  for  some  time  an  engineer 
on  the  Louisiana  division  of  the  I.  C.  He  is  a 
member  of  Division  No.  196,  B.  of  L.  E.,  and 
Division  No.  411,  P>.  of  L.  F.,  of  McComb  City, 
and  is  also  connected  with  Knights  of  Pythias 
Lodge  No.  46,  of  Anniston,  Alabama.  Mr.  Jones 
is  unmarried  and  makes  his  home  with  Engineer 
Bacot,  in  East  McComb  City. 


JESSE   D.   PETTINGILL,   passenger   en- 
gineer on  the  Louisville  division  of  the 
Illinois    Central,    was    born    in    Wayne 
county,  Michigan,  a  son  of  W.  A.  Pet- 
tingill,  a  farmer  of  that  county. 

Our  subject  commenced  his  railroading  on 
the  Michigan  Central,  working  a  short  time, 
when  he  went  to  the  Flint  &  Pere  Marquette 
railroad,  working  out  of  Saginaw  for  thirteen 
months.  Our  subject  next  came  to  Kentucky 
in  1882  and  entered  the  service  of  the  C.  O.  & 
S.  W.  as  brakeman,  running  out  of  Elizabeth- 


town.  In  1883  he  began  firing  and  fired  up  to 
1887  when  he  was  given  engine  No.  562,  a  ten 
wheel  Cook,  on  a  freight  between  Louisville  and 
Central  City  and  Paducah.  Our  subject  ran 
freight  up  to  1896  when  he  was  promoted  to 
passenger  service.  Mr.  Pettingill  has  been  very 
successful  as  a  railroad  man. 

Our  subject  married  Miss  Mamie  Turner,  of 
Elizabethtown,  Kentucky,  and  he  resides  at  522 
Breckenridge  street,  Louisville.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  B.  of  L.  E.  and  of  Preston  Lodge, 
No.  281,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  of  Louisville,  Ky. 


JD.  McMURTRIE,  a  popular  passenger 
conductor  on  the  Vicksburg  division  of 
Q  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R., 
was  born  in  Harrisburg,  Can.,  March 
18,  1864.  Mr.  McMurtrie  is  of  Scotch  descent. 
His  father,  Mathew  A.,  was  a  native  <5f  Scotland, 
but  emigrated  to  Canada  when  a  young  man,  and 
was  for  many  years  connected  with  the  Great 
Western  R.  R.  as  agent  and  telegrapher.  He 
departed  this  life  in  1882.  The  mother  of  our 
subject  was,  before  her  marriage,  Miss  McKen- 
zie,  a  name  honorably  connected  with  the  history 
of  Scotland.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  received 
his  early  training  in  the  schools  of  Cass  City, 
Michigan,  where  he  made  his  home  with  an  un- 
cle. At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  began  railroad  life 
on  the  Pontiac,  Oxford  &  Port  Austin  R.  R.  as 
an  engine  wiper  in  the  round  house  at  Pontiac, 
Michigan.  After  one  year  there  he  entered  the 
road  service  as  fireman  between  Pontiac  and 
Cassville,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  miles,  re- 
maining there  one  year.  He  then  returned  to 
the  round  house  at  Pontiac  as  hostler,  working 
there  three  months.  His  next  employment  was 
as  brakeman  on  the  Missouri  Pacific  R.  R.  be- 
tween St.  Louis  and  DeSoto,  Missouri,  where  he 
worked  six  months,  and  from  there  went  to 
\  icksburg,  Miss.,  where  lie  entered  the  employ 
ot  the  Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Texas  R.  R. 
(now  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  R.  R.),  as  brakeman  and 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


215 


baggageman  between  Leland  and  Allen,  Miss. 
After  filling  the  latter  position  for  one  year  he 
was  promoted  to  conductor  on  the  local,  between 
Memphis,  Tennessee,  and  Cleveland,  Mississippi, 
and  in  1897  was  promoted  to  the  passenger 
service.  Mr.  McMurtrie  affiliates  with  the  Ma- 
sonic order,  Order  of  Elks,  and  O.  R.  C.  He 
attends  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  prefers  to 
be  independent  in  politics. 


JOHN  L.  McGUIRE,  the  oldest  engineer 
on  the  Memphis  division  in  active  ser- 
vice, has  had  an  eventful  life,  full  of 
experiences  that  have  seldom  ever  be- 
fallen a  human  being.  His  railroad  experience 
began  at  the  early  age  of  fifteen  as  helper  to 
C.  C.  Jarvis,  a  machinist  on  the  Nashville  & 
Northwestern,  serving  three  years.  He  then  ac- 
cepted a  place  with  the  New  Orleans  &  Ohio 
railroad,  working  on  the  section.  It  was  while 
thus  employed  that  a  severe  and  peculiar  acci- 
dent occurred  to  him.  During  a  trip  of  the  con- 
struction train  he  slipped  and  fell  under  the  mov- 
ing car  sustaining  severe  injuries.  With  his 
spinal  column  dislocated,  his  breast  crushed  in, 
several  ribs  broken,  his  head  injured  and  a  badly 
damaged  foot,  he  was  gathered  up  for  dead  and 
no  one  supposed  that  he  would  survive  for  more 
than  a  few  hours.  Little  was  done  for  him  at 
first  by  the  surgeons,  because  it  was  thought  use- 
less, but  when  it  was  seen  that  his  wonderful 
vitality  was  keeping  him  alive,  proper  attention 
was  given  him  and  after  a  confinement  of  eleven 
months  to  his  bed  he  was  able  to  set  his  foot  on 
the  ground  again.  As  soon  as  able  to  work  he 
was  given  a  place  as  brakeman  on  the  road  then 
known  as  the  New  Orleans  &  Ohio  Railroad  un- 
der the  presidency  of  Mr.  Fate  Flourney. 

Railroading  on  the  line  at  that  time  was 
primitive  in  the  extreme.  There  was  but  one 
train  with  a  crew  of  six  men,  the  engineer,  fire- 
man, conductor  and  three  brakemen.  There  was 
between  Paducah  and  Union  City,  but  one  train 


a  day  each  way  six  days  a  week,  and  on  Sunday 
the  engineer  repaired  his  engine,  the  fireman 
polished  the  bright  parts  and  the  brakemen 
scrubbed  the  coaches.  After  the  completion  of 
the  road  to  Rives  in  1871,  there  was  an  additional 
train  put  on,  a  local  freight,  and  more  like 
modern  railroad  principles  instituted. 

Mr.  McGuire  did  not  long  remain  a  brake- 
man, and  when  the  first  new  engine,  the  "  H. 
Norton,"  was  brought  onto  the  line  he  was  given 
.  the  place  of  fireman  under  the  instruction  of  en- 
gineer B.  F.  Adams,  the  first  engineer  on  the 
road.  In  1873  when  the  business  of  the  road 
increased  so  that  an  additional  engine  became 
necessary,  Mr.  McGuire  was  promoted  and 
placed  in  charge,  and  was  assigned  to  the  pile- 
driver  service  when  that  was  put  on,  serving  here 
for  a  year  and  a  half. 

On  January  27,  1875,  occurred  the  second 
exciting  experience  in  our  subject's  career.  Driv- 
ing a  Baldwin  engine  that  had  been  built  for  the 
government  during  the  war,  drawing  the  pay 
car  over  the  line,  Boaz  station  had  been  reached 
on  the  return  trip  about  five  o'clock  in  the  eve- 
ning. While  standing  on  the  track,  without  a 
moment's  warning,  the  boiler  exploded,  landing 
parts  of  the  plates  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away  and" 
the  smoke  stack  four  hundred  yards  from  the 
scene.  Mr.  McGuire  was  standing  on  the  deck 
at  the  time  and  escaped  with  three  fractures  of 
his  right  leg,  a  split  ankle  and  serious  cuts  from 
flying  glass,  one  piece  nearly  severing  the  jugular 
vein.  With  no  telegraph  to  summon  a  surgeon, 
Mr.  McGuire  lay  on  the  platform  while  the  super- 
intendent walked  five  miles  to  get  a' handcar  to 
go  to  Paducah  for  help,  returning  about  eleven 
o'clock.  After  patching  him  up  the  best  that 
could  be  done  there,  the  patient  was  removed  to 
Paducah  and  for  another  long  period  of  eight 
months  was  confined  to  his  room. 

As  soon  as  able  to  resume  his  duties,  Mr. 
McGuire  was  given  a  run  between  Paducah  and 
Fulton,  pulling  a  coal  train,  and  June  20,  1876, 
he  was  assigned  to  a  passenger  run  to  Newbern, 
Dryersburg  and  Covington  successively  as  the 
road  was  completed  to  those  points.  In  the 


216 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


month  of  August,  1882,  when  the  above  named 
road  was  completed  to  Memphis,  it  was  a  gala 
day,  a  public  celebration  being  held.  A  train  of 
six  coaches  with  the  mayor  and  city  council  left 
Paducah,  with  our  subject  at  the  throttle,  and  at 
Rialto  met  the  officials  of  the  road  and  celebrated 
the  event  of  the  completion  by  driving  the  golden 
spike.  On  the  opening  of  the  road  Mr.  McGuire 
was  given  his  present  run  in  the  fast  passenger 
service  between  Paducah  and  Memphis  on  a 
Baldwin  engine  Xo.  554.  During  the  inter- 
vening years  many  large  and  extensive  improve- 
ments have  been  made.  From  a  rough,  uneven 
road-bed  with  heavy  grades,  under  the  succeed- 
ing management  a  fine  road  bed  with  gravel  bal- 
last has  been  built,  the  grades  reduced,  new 
trestles  put  in,  and  new  station  buildings  erected. 
During  the  earlier  years  of  the  operation  of  the 
road  the  old  "  chair  rail  "  was  used,  and  a  train 
load  was  not  more  than  seven  cars.  Up  to  1883 
the  engines  in  vogue  on  this  line  were  the  -old 
wood  burners  and  the  first  air  brake  was  installed 
in  1879.  The  passenger  coaches  were  small  and 
the  upholstering  meagre,  while  in  case  of  an 
emergency  rush  benches  were  fastened  to  flat  cars 
to  accommodate  the  crowds.  Twenty  miles  an 
hour  was  the  schedule  time  while  now  nearly 
twice  the  speed  is  required  with  numerous  stops 
on  the  way. 

In  1883  a  third  thrilling  incident  occurred 
in  the  life  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  While 
running  a  fast  passenger  train  approaching  a 
sharp  reverse  curve,  the  engine  struck  a  box  car 
that  had  got  out  of  the  siding  and  was  spinning 
along  the  down  grade  at  the  rate  of  fifty  miles  an 
hour.  Although  the  engine  was  turned  over 
and  rolled  into  the  ditch  in  a  demolished  condi- 
tion, and  the  baggage  car  telescoped  as  far  as 
the  boiler,  Mr.  McGuire  emerged  with  his  life 
though  somewhat  bruised.  He  has  had  thrilling 
experiences  with  floods,  one  notable  instance  be- 
ing on  February  18,  1884,  when  he  brought  the 
last  train  into  Paducah  before  traffic  was  sus- 
pended, running  part  of  the  time  in  ten  to  twenty 
inches  of  water  until  the  water  reached  the  fire 
box  and  the  mail  and  passengers  had  to  be  trans- 


ferred in  boats  some  six  miles  to  the  landing. 

Hugh  McGuire,  father  of  our  subject,  had 
also  an  unusual  career.  As  a  lad  he  was  a  wit- 
ness of  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  and  well  remem- 
bers seeing  the  Iron  Duke.  Shipping  in  a  ves- 
sel for  America  in  1820,  he  was  shipwrecked  on 
the  coast  of  New  Brunswick,  rescued  and  landed 
at  St.  Johns.  Not  frightened  by  his  experience 
here,  he  shipped  as  a  sailor  and  for  a  number  of 
years  followed  the  sea,  and  later  served  on  ves- 
sels plying  the  great  lakes.  It  was  while  engaged 
here  that  he  met  at  Erie  the  woman  who  became 
his  wife,  and,  leaving  the  water,  he  learned  stone 
cutting,  and  after  the  birth  of  our  subject  moved 
to  Tennessee. 

Born  at  Erie  and  reared  in  Tennessee,  John 
L.  McGuire's  marriage  occurred  at  Paducah, 
Miss  Jane  Jones,  a  native  of  Georgia,  being  the 
woman  of  his  choice.  To  them  have  been  born 
four  children :  Margaret  E.,  wife  of  Mr.  John 
Gossett ;  Mabel  Maude ;  John  Norman,  clerking 
for  the  Scott  Hardware  Company,  and  Mamie, 
still  in  school,  and  all  residing  in  Paducah. 

Mr.  McGuire  has  been  unusually  prominent 
in  social  orders.  He  is  a  charter  member  of  the 
local  division  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  served 
seven  years  in  the  presiding  chair.  He  served 
as  chairman  of  the  General  Adjustment  Commit- 
tee, which  at  one  time  held  a  session  of  twenty- 
two  days  in  Chicago.  He  takes  a  prominent  part 
in  the  insurance  department  of  the  order  and  at 
the  present  time  is  serving  as  secretary  of  that 
body.  For  eight  years  he  represented  the  en- 
gineers on  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Paducah 
hospital,  and  was  an  active  worker  in  securing 
the  establishment  of  the  institution,  one  of  the 
most  complete  of  its  kind  in  the  country.  He  is 
a  prominent  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
holding  membership  in  Blue  Lodge  No.  449, 
Chapter  No.  30,  and  in  the  Consistory,  with 
which  he  has  been  affiliated  for  fifteen  years. 

Mr.  McGuire  has  demonstrated  his  finan- 
cial ability  in  securing  a  handsome  home  in  the 
city  of  Paducah,  and  a  fine  farm  a  short  distance 
from  town,  which  is  now  very  much  enhanced 
in  value,  owing  to  the  location  of  the  Union  de- 
pot within  a  short  distance  of  it. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


217 


During  a  long  and  exceedingly  eventful  ca- 
reer, "  Old  Dad  McGuire  "  has  never  received 
a  mark  of  demerit  and  has  nothing  to  which  to 
look  back  with  regret.  His  career  has  been  one 
in  which  his  children  may  take  pardonable  pride, 
and  a  railroad  record  to  which  younger  members 
of  the  craft  may  turn  for  inspiration.  It  is  a 
pleasure  and  an  honor  to  anyone  to  have  called 
him  friend.  Up  to  June  I,  1900,  Mr.  McGuire 
has  covered  1,200,000  miles  in  the  passenger 
service. 


CAMPBELL,  the  capable  train  de- 
spatcher  for  the  Illinois  Central  in 
Memphis,  Tennessee,  is  a  Canadian 
by  birth,  and  of  Scotch  ancestry.  He 
was  born  in  Elgin  county,  Ontario,  February  24, 
1864.  His  parents,  A.  and  Catherine  (Taylor) 
Campbell,  were  farmers  of  that  place ;  both  are 
now  deceased,  the  former  in  1893  ancl  tne  latter 
in  1877.  The  Campbell  family  settled  in  Canada 
in  1833.  Angus  Campbell,  a  brother  of  our  sub- 
ject, residing  at  Shreveport,  Louisiana,  is  an  en- 
gineer in  the  service  of  the  Kansas  City,  Pitts- 
burg  &  Gulf  R.  R.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
received  his  early  training  in  the  public  schools 
of  Avon,  Ontario,  working  on  a  farm  at  inter- 
vals until  1878.  In  that  year  he  commenced 
work  in  a  saw-mill  where  he  remained  three 
years.  He  began  railroad  life  in  1880  on  the 
Michigan  Central  Railroad  at  Taylor,  Ontario, 
as  pumper  at  a  gravel  pit,  taking  up  the  study  of 
telegraphy  at  the  same  time.  In  1882  he  was  a 
competent  operator,  and  was  employed  in  thai 
line  at  various  points  until  April  1884,  when  he 
went  to  North  Dakota  for  a  change  of  climate, 
remaining  there  until  November  of  that  year. 
He  then  returned  to  the  service  of  the  Michigan 
Central  as  operator  at  Comber,  Ontario,  holding 
that  position  until  July  27.  1885,  when  he  re- 
signed to  enter  the  employ  of  the  Milwaukee, 
Lake  Shore  &  Western  R.  R.  He  was  with  the 
latter  road  as  operator  until  August  14,  1886, 
when  he  was  called  to  Ashland,  Wisconsin,  and 


promoted  to  train  despatcher,  occupying  that  po- 
sition until  July  1892.  On  August  6,  1892, 
he  became  identified  with  the  Northern  Pacific 
R.  R.  as  train  despatcher  at  Dickinson,  North 
Dakota,  where  he  remained  until  December  i, 
1893,  when  the  Missouri  and  Yellowstone  di- 
visions were  consolidated,  with  headquarters  at 
Glendive,  Montana,  to  which  place  he  was  trans- 
ferred and  remained  there  until  December  18, 
1898. 

On  the  latter  date  he  resigned  to  accept  his 
present  position  with  the  Illinois  Central.  Jan- 
uary 26,  1895,  Miss  Mary  Agnes  Gillespie,  of 
Glendive,  Montana,  became  the  wife  of  Mr. 
Campbell.  She  was  born  at  Wheeling,  West 
Virginia,  February  8,  1873.  Two  children  are 
the  result  of  their  union :  Archibald  A.,  born 
November  20,  1896,  and  Grace  C,  born  Sep- 
tember 11,  1898.  Mr.  Campbell  belongs  to  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  Knights  of  Maccabees. 
His  religious  connection  is  with  the  Presbyterian 
church,  and  in  politics  he  votes  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party. 


HARLES  L.  JORDAN,  a  conductor  in 
the  freight  service  of  the  Yazoo  &  Mis- 
sissippi Valley  R.  R.  on  the  Vicksburg 
division,  was  born  in  Macon,  Tennes- 
see, December  18,  1871.  His  parents  were  C. 
W.  and  Caroline  (Boswell)  Jordan,  respected 
farmers,  both  now  deceased;  the  former  in  1899, 
and  the  latter  in  1882.  The  grandfather  of  our 
subject.  Rev.  T.  L.  Boswell,  was  a  prominent 
Methodist  minister  and  for  many  years  a  presid- 
ing elder.  Mr.  Jordan  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Oakland,  Tennessee,  and  began  life 
as  a  newsboy  on  the  Tennessee  Midland  R.  R., 
running  between  Memphis  and  Perryville,  Ten- 
nessee, where  he  remained  about  eight  months. 
He  then  came  to  the  Louisville,  New  Orleans  & 
Texas  R.  R.  (now  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Val- 
ley R.  R.),  and  was  a  newsboy  there  between 
Memphis  and  Vicksburg.  He  then  secured  a 
position  as  flagman  on  a  passenger  train,  and 


218 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


after  three  months  service,  not  being  of  age,  had 
to  give  up  his  position.  He  returned  to  his  for- 
mer position  on  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  R.  R., 
running  between  Memphis  and  Bowling  Green, 
Kentucky.  Returning  to  the  Louisville,  New 
Orleans  &  Texas  R.  R.,  he  was  employed  there 
as  flagman  and  baggageman  for  one  year,  and 
was  also  flagman  in  the  freight  service  of  the 
road.  In  October  1896,  he  was  promoted  to  con- 
ductor, and  is  now  in  the  freight  service  between 
Memphis  and  Vicksburg,  where  he  is  a  worthy 
and  capable  employe.  Miss  Mary  F.  Perkins, 
of  Memphis,  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Jordan  on 
July  8th,  1895.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the 
O.  R.  C.  The  Methodist  church  finds  in  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Jordan  valued  members.  Politically 
he  is  a  Democrat.  P>eing  essentially  a  self-made 
man,  Mr.  Jordan  may  well  be  proud  of  his  suc- 
cess in  life. 


F.  MIXON  is  a  popular  engineer  in 
the  freight  service  on  the  Louisiana 
Q  division  of  the  Illinois  Central.  He 
first  became  connected  with  the  I. 
C.  in  1889  as  a  car-repairer  in  the  shops  of  the 
company  at  McComb  City,  and  was  later  trans- 
ferred to  the  carpenter  shops,  working  until  1891. 
He  then  embarked  in  the  livery  business  at  Mag- 
nolia, Mississippi,  but  remained  there  only  one 
year,  when  he  returned  to  McComb  City  and  for 
a  time  clerked  in  a  large  mercantile  house  there. 
On  October  16,  1895,  he  re-entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  I.  C.,  as  fireman  on  engine  No.  718, 
with  Engineer  Ed  Forclish.  Serving  in  this  ca- 
pacity until  September  16,  1899,  he  was  then 
examined  and  promoted  to  engineer  in  the  freight 
service,  between  McComb  City  and  New  Orleans, 
which  position  he  is  filling  at  the  present  time 
with  eminent  satisfaction. 

Mr.  Mixon  is  a  native  of  McComb  City, 
having  been  born  September  i,  1871.  His 
father.  Abner  J.  Mixon,  is  a  mechanic  in  the 
shops  there,  and  is  a  valued  employe  of  the 
company. 


Our  subject  married  Miss  Alice  Andrews, 
of  McComb  City,  and  they  have  one  child,  Wil- 
liam Bernard,  a  fine  boy.  Socially  he  is  con- 
nected with  Division  No.  411,  B.  of  L.  F.  and 
is  also  a  member  of  Myrtle  Lodge,  No.  36, 
Knights  of  Pythias.  In  religious  views  both  he 
and  his  wife  are  adherents  of  the  Baptist  faith. 
They  reside  in  a  pretty  and  well-furnished  home 
on  Fourth  street,  in  McComb  City,  where  Mr. 
Mixon  is  a  useful  and  popular  citizen. 


T.  HOSKINS,  a  conductor  in  the 
freight  service  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
Q  tral  on  the  Grenada  district  of  the 
Memphis  division,  was  born  in 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  November  8,  1856.  His 
parents  were  C.  W.  and  Susan  (Williams)  Hos- 
kins,  both  deceased.  Mr.  Hoskins  Sr.  being  a 
fanner,  the  early  life  of  our  subject  was  spent 
like  that  of  most  fanners'  sons,  working  on  the 
farm  and  attending  school.  He  was  educated  in 
the  public  and  private  schools  of  Corydon,  Ken- 
tucky, and  was  occupied  with  rural  pursuits  until 
reaching  manhood.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two 
he  went  to  Louisville,  Kentucky,  and  there  be- 
gan his  railroad  career  in  the  shops  of  the  Pa- 
ducah  &  Elizabethtown  R.  R.,  working  until  the 
road  was  sold.  He  then  went  to  the  St.  Louis 
&  South-Eastern  R.  R.  (L.  &  N.),  securing  a 
position  as  brakeman  between  Nashville,  Tennes- 
see, and  Henderson,  Kentucky,  when  after  a 
short  service,  he  was  appointed  yard  master  at 
Earlington,  Kentucky.  He  occupied  the  latter 
position  about  eighteen  months,  when  he  was 
promoted  to  conductor  in  the  freight  service,  and 
afterward  in  the  passenger  department,  between 
Nashville  and  St.  Louis.  He  resigned  in  1886 
to  embark  in  the  grocery  business  in  St.  Louis, 
and  was  in  business  there  for  one  year  when  he 
sold  out  and  went  to  Memphis.  He  there  be- 
came identified  with  the  Illinois  Central,  work- 
ing first  in  the  yards,  then  as  brakeman,  and  fi- 
nally as  conductor.  He  is  very  acceptably  filling 


ELI  W.   PERKINS. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


the  latter  position  at  the  present  time,  being  in 
charge  of  a  run  between  Memphis,  Tennessee, 
and  Grenada,  Mississippi.  When  a  young  man 
of  twenty-four,  Mr.  Hoskins  married  Miss  Bet- 
tie  Henton  of  Sedalia,  Missouri,  a  lady  of  excel- 
lent qualities  of  mind  and  heart,  who  died  in 
1882.  Two  children  were  born  to  them,  viz: 
Minnie,  the  wife  of  M.  H.  McLean,  and  Charles, 
a  flagman  in  the  I.  C.  service,  all  residing  at 
Memphis.  Mr.  Hoskins  belongs  to  the  Masonic 
order,  and  the  O.  R.  C.  He  is  a  Methodist  in 
belief  and  a  Democrat  in  politics. 


and  in  1896  he  was  changed  to  the  Daylight 
Special,  with  engine  No.  905.  On  Decoration 
Day,  1885,  engine  No.  119  blew  up  with  him  at 
Wildwood,  and  our  subject  received  injuries 
which  came  near  costing  him  his  life;  as  it  was 
he  escaped  with  five  months'  confinement  in  a 
hospital.  Mr.  Perkins  is  a  member  of  Division 
No.  10,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  which  he  was  former  sec- 
retary of  insurance,  and  is  also  a  member  of 
Blue  Lodge  No.  508,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Chicago. 
He  married  Miss  Lizzie  Downes,  of  Wells, 
Minn.,  and  has  two  children,  Eli  W.  Jr.,  who 
is  a  great  favorite  among  the  railroad  boys,  and 
Miss  Clara. 


LI  W.  PERKINS,  a  representative  loco- 
motive engineer  on  the  Illinois  Central, 
is  a  native  of  Bath,  Maine.  In  1876 
he  became  a  fireman  on  the  New  York 
&  New  England  Railway,  of  Massachusetts,  in 
freight  service,  running  from  Boston  to  Hart- 
ford, Conn.,  remaining  here  one  year,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  he  was  promoted  to  the  passenger 
service  where  he  fired  two  years.  He  was  then 
promoted  to  engineer  and  pulled  freight  on  the 
same  road  for  one  year  and  eight  months  when 
he  resigned  .and  went  to  Albuquerque,  N.  M., 
and  accepted  a  position  there  as  a  freight  en- 
gineer on  the  Atlantic  &  Pacific  Railroad.  This 
was  in  the  early  days  of  railroading  in  that  coun- 
try and  the  above  road  was  just  being  con- 
structed. He  had  only  been  there  seven  months 
when  smallpox  broke  out  and  he  left  and  came 
north.  His  next  position  was  pulling  freight  on 
the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  at 
Wells,  Minn.,  remaining  there  one  year  when  he 
resigned  and  on  February  2,  1883,  he  began  his 
services  with  the  Illinois  Central  pulling  freight 
with  engine  No.  170  on  the  Chicago  division, 
and  remained  in  that  service  until  January  1892, 
when  he  was  promoted  to  passenger  engineer; 
his  first  regular  run  was  pulling  what  was  then 
called  the  Riverview  Hotel  train.  During  1893 
his  run  was  extended  to  Champaign  and  in  Sep- 
tember he  began  pulling  the  Diamond  Special, 


GUIS  J.  FASS,  chief  clerk  at  the  Illi- 
nois Central  freight  office  at  Louisville, 
Kentucky,    was   born    in    Louisville   in 
1873.     His  father  is  Frank  Pass,  a  sta- 
tionary engineer,  who  resides  in  Louisville.     His 
mother  died  when  he  was  but  thirteen  years  of 
age. 

Our  subject  received  his  education  in  the 
public  schools.  Leaving  school  at  the  age  of 
fifteen,  he  went  to  work  in  a  wall  paper  store, 
remained  there  a  short  time  and  August  15,  1890, 
he  entered  the  service  of  the  C.  O.  &  S.  W.  in 
the  stationery  department,  working  there  one 
year,  and  was  then  promoted  to  a  position  in  the 
auditor's  office  in  which  department  he  held  va- 
rious positions,  until  February  1896,  when  he 
went  into  a  local  freight  office  as  revising  clerk 
where  he  remained  until  August  1896,  when  he 
was  appointed  assistant  chief  clerk,  and  in  Aug- 
ust 1898,  he  was  appointed  chief  clerk  of  the  local 
freight  office  to  succeed  L.  T.  Nash. 

Mr.  Fass  is  but  twenty-seven  years  of  age, 
and  holds  a  very  responsible  position,  having 
nineteen  clerks  under  him  in  the  various  depart- 
ments, with  a  stenographer.  He  is  a  bright, 
successful  young  railroad  man,  and  in  his  ser- 
vice so  far  has  had  rapid  promotions.  He  re- 
sides at  1624  W.  Market  street,  Louisville,  Ken- 
tucky, 


222 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


JOHN  G.  JONES,  a  highly  popular  con- 
ductor in  the  passenger  service  of  the 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  on  the 
Vicksburg  division,  was  born  in  Jeffer- 
son county,  Mississippi,  August  26,  1869,  and 
is  the  son  of  Eli  R.  and  Mary  L.  (West)  Jones, 
residing  in  Harriston,  Mississippi.  Eli  R.  Jones 
is  a  lawyer  by  profession,  and  a  man  of  promi- 
nence in  his  district,  having  twice  represented 
its  citizens  in  the  legislature.  John  G.  Jones, 
attended  the  public  schools  of  Fayette,  Missis- 
sippi, and  in  1885,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  took  a 
contract  to  carry  the  U.  S.  mails,  between  Har- 
riston and  Union  Church,  Mississippi,  a  distance 
of  twenty  miles.  He  was  in  the  government  ser- 
vice nearly  a  year,  when  he  decided  to  enter  rail- 
road life,  and  entered  the  service  of  what  is 
now  a  part  of  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley 
R.  R.  as  a  bridge  carpenter.  After  working  for 
two  months,  he  was  appointed  assistant  foreman 
of  a  construction  gang,  and  held  that  position 
six  months.  Receiving  an  offer  from  the  Pa- 
cific Express  Company,  to  act  as  their'  agent  at 
Harriston,  he  accepted,  but  remained  there  but 
a  short  time.  He  then  entered  the  service  of 
the  Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Texas  R.  R.  as 
express  messenger,  between  Leland  and  Glen  Al- 
len, Mississippi,  where  after  a  service  of  two 
years,  he  became  baggage  master  on  the  same 
run,  occupying  the  latter  position  until  the  spring 
of  1889.  About  that  time,  he  became  identified 
with  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  as 
brakeman  on  the  New  Orleans  division,  between 
Vicksburg  and  New  Orleans,  and  in  Septem- 
ber of  that  year,  was  promoted  to  conductor  in 
the  freight  service  of  that  road. 

In  1891  he  was  given  charge  of  a  mixed 
train  between  Leland  and  Arkansas  City,  and 
in  1896  took  charge  of  the  local  freight  between 
Memphis  and  Clarksdale  Mississippi.  In  1897 
he  had  a  through  freight  run,  and  acted  also  as 
extra  passenger  conductor,  and  in  September 
1898,  was  promoted  to  conductor  in  the  passenger 
service,  where  he  has  since  remained,  having  a 
run  between  Memphis,  Tennessee,  and  Vicks- 
burg. Mississippi.  On  October  3.  1893,  Mr. 
Jones  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Euphemia 


Melchior,  of  Rosedale,  Mississippi,  her  native 
place.  They  are  the  parents  of  three  fine  chil- 
dren, Evelyn,  born  December  i,  1894,  John  M., 
born  January  i,  1897,  ancl  Charles,  born  April 
25,  1900.  Mr.  Jones  is  connected  socially,  with 
Masonic  Lodge  No.  206,  Royal  Arch  Chapter, 
Delta  Commandery  No.  16,  and  Alchymia  Shrine. 
and  Greenville  Lodge  No.  148,  B.  P.  O.  E.  of 
Greenville,  Mississippi,  also  the  O.  R.  C.  of 
Memphis. 

His  family  attend  the  Hernando  Street 
Methodist  church  of  Memphis.  In  his  political 
views  Mr.  Jones  is  a  Democrat.  Mr.  Jones  dis- 
charges his  duties  in  such  a  manner  as  to  win 
the  confidence  of  his  employers,  and  the  good 
will  and  respect  of  the  traveling  public.  As  a 
citizen  he  stands  high  in  the  city  of  Memphis, 
where  he  resides  in  a  nice  home  on  McLamorc 
street. 


gms, 


jHAKLES  J.  QUIGGINS,  freight  agent 
at  Elizabethtown,  Kentucky,  first  saw 
the  light  of  day  in  Elizabethtown  in 
1868.  His  father  was  C.  W.  Quig- 
a  merchant  of  Elizabethtown.  At  this 
place  our  subject  received  his  early  education, 
and  afterwards  learned  the  printer's  trade,  after 
which  he.  entered  the  service  of  the  L.  &  N. 
Railroad  around  the  station  at  Elizabethtown, 
learning  telegraph  operating.  In  1888  he  began 
his  occupation  as  operator  with  Agent  C.  G. 
Wintersmith,  remaining  there  seven  years,  until 
1895,  when  he  began  working  for  the  C.  O.  & 
S.  W.  as  operator,  afterward  serving  as  relief 
agent.  In  the  year  1895  he  was  made  agent  to 
succeed  F.  G.  Corlev,  now  county  clerk  of  Har- 
clin  county.  Our  subject's  assistants  are  H.  W. 
Mahall,  chief  clerk  and  operator;  Ben  Skees, 
freight  clerk :  and  A.  M.  Ramey,  warehouse  man. 
At  this  station  there  is  a  Postal  Telegraph,  and 
our  subject  is  the  American  Express  agent. 

Elizabethtown  is  the  seat  of  Hardin  county, 
and  has  a  population  of  three  thousand  people. 
It  was  at  one  time  the  site  of  the  Paducah  &  Eliz- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


223 


abethtown  shops,  which  employed  five  hundred 
men.  The  station  shipments  are  fruit  and  they 
have  large  shipments  of  peaches ;  also  horses, 
mules,  grains  and  flour.  Mr.  Quiggins  does  a 
great  deal  of  soliciting  and  through  his  tireless 
efforts  has  increased  the  business  of  the  station 
in  a  great  measure,  making  it  necessary  to  en- 
large the  freight  house  to  twice  its  former .  ca- 
pacity, and  it  is  now  too  small.  Our  subject  is 
a  great  worker,  and  has  much  opposition  on  the 
L.  &  N.,  but  he  is  a  young  man  who  is  sure  to 
advance  in  the  work  he  has  to  do.  He  married 
Miss  Stark,  a  daughter  of  J.  W.  Stark,  of  Coles- 
burg,  Kentucky,  and  has  two  small  children. 
He  belongs  to  the  Blue  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  also  the  K.  of  P.  of  Elizabethtown.  He  is 
now  living  on  Main  street,  Elizabethtown,  Ken- 
.  tucky. 


1CHAEL  J.  KEIRCE,  a  popular  pas- 
senger conductor,  was  -born  in  Louis- 
ville,   Kentucky,    in    January     1863. 
His  father  was  an  old  railroad  man 
who  worked  on  the  construction  of  the  B.  &  O. 
He  died  in  1891,  while  the  mother  died  in  Janu- 
ary 1899. 

Our  subject  began  railroad  life  when  twen- 
ty-two years  of  age  as  brakeman  on  a  work  train 
on  the  Ohio  Valley  Railroad  between  Henderson 
and  Morganfield,  in  1886.  He  continued  as 
brakeman  eighteen  months  and  was  then  given 
charge  of  a  local  freight  train  for  two  years,  when 
he  was  promoted  to  the  passenger  service  July 
25,  1889.  During  all  these  years  he  has  escaped 
personal  injury. 

Mr.  Keirce  has  noticed  the  great  civilizing 
influence  of  the  railroad  in  the  people  along  his 
own  run.  When  the  road  first  ran  through,  the 
old  people  went  bare-footed,  now  they  are  well 
dressed  and  live  in  better  houses.  He  has  also 
seen  many  thriving  towns  spring  up.  Our  sub- 
ject belongs  to  Howell  division  No.  381,  O.  R. 
C.,  in  which  he  has  been  Assistant  Chief,  and 
has  also  held  various  other  offices.  He  is  at 


present  chairman  of  the  Local  Grievance  Board. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  Lodge  No.  343,  A.  O. 
t".  W.,  at  Evansville,  Indiana.  Mr.  Keirce  mar- 
ried Miss  Glen,  of  Louisville,  and  they  have  a 
daughter,  Miss  Nellie.  Three  children  died 
when  very  young. 


ENJAMIN  T.  LAWRENCE,  a  popular 
conductor  in  the  passenger  service  on 
the  New  Orleans  division  of  the  Ya- 
zoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.,  is  a 
native  of  Ohio  county,  Kentucky,  born  April  2, 
1859.  His  parents,  Jonathan  and  Margaret  E. 
(Coates)  Lawrence,  were  respected  farmers  of 
that  county,  and  departed  this  life  in  1872  and 
1873  respectively.  Mr.  Lawrence  attended  the 
schools  of  his  native  county,  assisting  in  the  work 
on  his  father's  farm,  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
began  life  as  a  clerk  and  followed  other  pursuits 
until  nineteen  years  old.  He  then  entered  rail- 
road life  on  the  Elizabethtown  &  Paducah  R.  R., 
assisting  in  constructing  a  telegraph  line  be- 
tween Central  City  and  Paducah,  six  months  be- 
ing occupied  in  that  work.  He  was  next  em- 
ployed as  a  brakeman  on  that  road  between  the 
same  points,  and  held  the  position  for  eighteen 
months.  In  the  meantime  the  road  had  acquired 
control  of  a  branch  between  Cecelia  and  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky,  and  Mr.  Lawrence  was  promot- 
ed to  conductor  in  the  freight  service  on  that 
branch,  and  ran  between  Louisville  and  Central 
City.  Soon  after  the  road  was  known  as  the 
Chesapeake,  Ohio  &  South-Western  R.  R.  (now 
part  of  the  I.  C.  system),  and  he  remained  with 
the  new  company  until  1883.  He  then  went  to 
Texas,  securing  a  position  as  brakeman  with  the 
Missouri  Pacific  R.  R.,  serving  afterward  as 
yard  master  at  Victoria,  Texas,  for  the  New 
York,  Texas  &  Mexican  R.  R.  Becoming  ser- 
iously ill  about  this  time,  he  was  obliged  to 
go  to  a  hospital,  where  he  remained  several 
months,  and  upon  his  recovery  went  north  to 
Brazil,  Indiana.  He  there  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Chicago  &  Indiana  Coal  Company  as  a 


224 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


conductor  between  Brazil  and  Fairbanks,  hold- 
ing that  position  two  years.  In  1887  he  went  to 
.Memphis,  Tennessee,  and  from  that  city  to  New 
Orleans,  where  he  became  identified  with  the 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  as  a_ conduc- 
tor in  the  freight  service  between  Memphis  and 
Vicksburg.  After  eight  months  successful  work 
in  that  service  he  was  promoted  to  the  extra  pas- 
senger service,  and  in  September  1892  was  again 
promoted  to  the  regular  passenger  service,  and 
is  now  in  charge  of  a  run  between  New  Orleans 
and  Vicksburg.  On  September  17,  1894,  Mr. 
Lawrence  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  G.  Mc- 
Gregor, who  was  born  in  Vicksburg,  Mississippi, 
September  19,  1875,  and  educated  in  the  schools 
of  New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  and  Seattle,  Wash- 
ington. Thomas  Gordon  Lawrence,  born  July 
14,  1895,  is  the  result  of  their  union.  Mr.  Law- 
rence is  a  member  of  Vicksburg  Division  No. 
231,  O.  R.  C.  Politically  he  is  a  staunch  Demo- 
crat. Mr.  Lawrence  finds  time  during  his  leis- 
ure moments  to  cultivate  his  taste  for  fine  lit- 
erature, being  especially  fond  of  historical  works 
and  the  higher  English  writings.  He  is  a  very 
popular  man  on  the  road,  and  his  friends  in  his 
home  city  of  New  Orleans  are  many  and  sincere. 


'ILLIAM  GARNER  BEANLAND, 
a  popular  conductor  in  the  freight 
service  on  the  Vicksburg  division 
of  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley 
R.  R.,  is  a  native  of  Batesville,  Mississippi, 
where  he  was  born  February  21,  1871.  He  is 
a  son  of  Dr.  E.  D.  and  Elizabeth  (Archibald) 
Beanland.  Dr.  Beanland  was  a  medical  prac- 
titioner of  thirty-nine  years  standing  in  the  south 
and  was  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  state 
board  of  health  in  Mississippi.  He  departed 
this  life  on  March  28,  1897.  His  wife  was  of 
Scotch  lineage,  but  born  in  Mississippi.  She  re- 
sides at  Batesville. 

Mr.  Beanland  graduated  from  the  Batesville 
high  school  in  June  1890,  and  in  December  of 


that  year  entered  the  service  of  the  United  States 
Express  company  as  a  messenger  on  the  Louis- 
ville &  Nashville  R.  R.  between  Anniston  and 
Gadsden,  Alabama,  serving  until  1895,  when  he 
was  appointed  a  conductor  in  the  freight  service 
of  that  road  and  on  the  same  run.  He  held  the 
position  of  conductor  until  April  1897,  when  he 
resigned  to  embark  in  the  hotel  business  at  Tal- 
ladega  Springs,  a  health  resort  of  note  in  Ala- 
bama. He  conducted  the  hotel  until  January 
1898,  when  he  disposed  of  it  and  went  to  Mem- 
phis and  secured  the  position  of  chief  clerk  for 
the  American  Express  company,  where  he  re- 
mained until  December  1898.  Entering  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R. 
on  that  date  as  conductor  in  the  freight  service, 
between  Memphis  and  Vicksburg,  he  has  since 
successfully  filled  that  position.  On  the  2ist  of 
April,  1897,  Mr.  Beanland  married  Miss  Stella 
Onderdonk,  a  native  of  Brooksburg,  Ind.,  but 
residing  at  Calera,  Alabama.  She  is  a  popular 
lady  of  fine  musical  attainments.  They  have  one 
child,  Dorothy,  born  September  14,  1898. 

Socially  our  subject  is  connected  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  also  the  Uniform  Rank, 
of  Gadsden,  Alabama.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  the  World,  and  of 
the  O.  R.  C.  In  religious  affairs  his  family 
united  with  the  Presbyterian  church,  but  Mrs. 
P>eanland  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church. 
Politically  he  is  a  Democrat. 


C.  HALL  is  a  popular  engineer  in 
the  freight  service  on  the  Louis- 
Q  iana  division  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral. He  entered  the  service  of 
the  I.  C.  in  1897  as  engineer,  and  was  at  once 
given  charge  of  a  run  between  Canton,  Missis- 
sippi, and  New  Orleans,  which  he  still  holds. 
His  first  knowledge  of  railroad  work  was  ac- 
quired on  the  L.  &  N.  R.  R.,  where  he  worked  in 
1889  as  brakeman.  After  eighteen  months  ser- 
vice with  that  road  he  went  to  the  Georgia  Pa- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


225 


cific  R.  R.  as  fireman,  at  which  he  served  five 
years,  being  then  promoted  to  engineer.  As  en- 
gineer he  worked  with  that  company  for  three 
years,  or  until  1897,  when  he  came  to  the  I.  C. 
Mr.  Hall  was  horn  in  Florence,  Alabama, 
November  8,  1866,  his  father,  George  W.  Hall, 
now  deceased,  having  been  a  prominent  farmer 
of  that  vicinity.  A  brother  of  our  subject,  Jos- 
eph J.  Hall,  is  an  employe  of  the  I.  C.,  being  a 
brakeman,  and  residing  at  McComb  City.  W. 
C.  Hall  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Yolande 
Kennedy,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  two  fine 
children.  Socially  he  is  a  member  of  Division 
Xo.  196,  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  he  and  his  estimable 
wife  are  attendants  of  the  Methodist  church  in 
East  McComb  City,  where  they  reside  in  a  com- 
fortable home.  • 


JOHN  HARPER,  foreman  of  the  foundry 
at  the  shops  of  the  Illinois  Central  at 
McComb  City,  Mississippi,  is  an  old  and 
faithful    employe    of   the   company,    re- 
spected alike  by  the  officials  of  the  road  and  his 
fellow-employes.     When  the  N.  O.  J.  &  G.  N. 
R.  R.  was  bought  by  the  I.  C.,  he  was  with  the 
former,  and  has  remained  with  the  latter  ever 
since,  having  lost  only  one  month  during,  his  en- 
tire service. 

Born  in  the  city  of  Belfast,  Ireland,  on  Feb. 
2,  1835,  Mr.  Harper  emigrated  to  America  in 
1858,  and  landing  in  New  York  City,  at  once 
found  employment  at  his  trade,  that  of  a  moul- 
der. He  afterward  went  west  to  Chicago.  Illi- 
nois, working  there  for  a  time,  and  from  that 
city  to  Ottawa,  in  the  same  state,  as  foreman  in 
a  foundry.  From  the  latter  place  he  went  to 
La  Salle,  Illinois,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade 
for  three  years.  He  then  went  to  New  Orleans 
and  was  with  the  N.  O.  J.  &  G.  N.  R.  R.  in  the 
warehouse  there,  and  was  also  a  fireman  on  the 
old  engine  "  The  Creole."  He  then  found  em- 
ployment at  his  trade  in  that  city,  and  in  1861 
went  to  Selma,  Alabama,  where  he  remained  one 
vear.  From  Selma  he  went  to  Athens,  Georgia, 


working  there  at  his  trade  until  1867,  when  he 
returned  to  New  Orleans,  and  re-entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  N.  O.  J.  &  G.  N.  R.  R. 

In  1872  Mr.  Harper  took  up  his  residence  in 
McComb  City,  and  was  appointed  foreman  of 
the  foundry  in  the  I.  C.  shops  which  position  he 
holds  at  the  present  time.  Since  becoming  iden- 
tified with  the  I.  C.  he  has  worked  satisfactorily 
under  eleven  master  mechanics.  Eighteen  men 
are  at  present  under  his  supervision. 

Mr.  Harper  was  married  in  New  Orleans, 
to  Miss  Eliza  Anne  Healy,  and  they  are  the  pa- 
rents of  an  interesting  family  of  five  children, 
viz :  Sidney  J.  who  occupies  the  position  of  day- 
foreman  of  the  1.  C.  round-house,  at  McComb 
City ;  Sarah,  wife  of  Mr.  Livingstone,  an  I.  C. 
engineer ;  Matthew,  employed  in  a  mercantile 
house;  Rachel,  who  is  at  home,  and  Robert,  a 
machinist  in  the  I.  C.  shops. 

Socially  our  subject  is  connected  with  Ma- 
sonic Lodge  No.  382,  of  McComb  City,  and  is 
a  life-member  of  Concord  Chapter  of  New  Or- 
leans. He  is  also  a  Knight  of  Honor,  which  or- 
ganization he  joined  in  1878. 

In  his  religious  views  he  is  liberal,  but  in- 
clined toward  the  principles  of  Free-thought. 

Mr.  Harper  is  one  of  the  substantial  citizens 
of  McComb  City,  owning  a  comfortable  home  on 
Railroad  avenue,  besides  much  other  valuable 
property. 


J      WESLEY  BROWN,  a  popular  young 
conductor  on  the  Louisiana  division  of 
Q    the  Illinois  Central,  acquired  his  first 
knowledge    of    railroad    work    on    the 
Mobile  &  Ohio  R.  R.     He  was  in  the  employ  of 
that   road    as   brakeman    for   three   years,    with 
headquarters  at  Meridian,  Mississippi.     Going  to 
McComb  City  in  February  1896,  he  entered  the 
service  of  the  I.  C.  as  brakeman  on  the  Louisiana 
division  of  the  road,  and  in  November  1899  was 
promoted   to   conductor   in   the    freight   service, 
which  position  he  now  holds.     He  has  been  in  a 
few  small  wrecks,  and  was  once  injured  and  tin- 


226 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


able  to  work  for  a  few  weeks.  Mr.  Brown  was 
born  at  Lockhart,  Mississippi,  on  February  7, 
1872.  J.  Wesley  Brown  Sr.,  his  father,  deceased, 
was  a  prominent  farmer  and  planter  of  that  place. 
Of  the  social  orders  Mr.  Brown  belongs  to  Di- 
vision No.  264  B.  of  R.  T.,  and  is  also  a  member 
of  the  K.  O.  T.  M.,  of  McComb  City,  where  he 
makes  his  home. 


AVID  C.  MORTHLAND,  who  holds 
the  responsible  position  of  general 
yardmaster  for  the  Illinois  Central  at 
Memphis,  Tennessee,  was  born  in 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  November  24,  1866.  He  is  a 
son  of  Abraham  and  Louise  (Whitacre)  Morth- 
land,  the  latter  having  died  in  1869.  Mr.  Morth- 
land  Sr.  is  a  conductor  in  the  service  of  the 
Pennsylvania  R.  R.,  residing  at  Alliance,  Ohio. 
Our  subject  attended  the  public  schools  of  Al- 
liance and  Steubenville,  Ohio,  and  in  1881  served 
on  the  Pennsylvania  R.  R.  as  water-boy  on  a 
work  train ;  soon  he  became  a  brakeman  on  the 
same  train.  He  was  in  that  service  about  one 
year,  when  transferred  to  Steubenville  as  switch- 
man in  the  yards  of  that  place,  and  from  the  lat- 
ter work  went  as  brakeman  on  the  local  freight, 
between  Steubenville  and  Dennison,  Ohio,  re- 
maining in  that  capacity  about  four  months.  He 
resigned  from  the  road  to  engage  in  business  at 
Orrville,  Ohio,  and  was  in  the  -mercantile  line 
there  until  January  1886,  when  he  entered  the 
service  of  the  Chesapeake,  Ohio  &  South  Western 
R.  R.  at  Paducah,  Kentucky,  as  brakeman. 
Early  in  1887  he  was  promoted  to  conductor, 
and  soon  afterward  to  yardmaster,  at  Memphis. 
In  March  1894,  he  went  to  the  Cotton  Belt  R. 
R.  at  Commerce,  Texas,  as  conductor  in  the 
freight  service  and  extra  passenger,  and  re- 
mained with  that  road  two  years.  He  then  re- 
turned to  the  T.  C.  at  Memphis,  and  was  ap- 
pointed general  yardmaster  at  that  place,  retain- 
ing the  position  and  satisfactorily  filling  it  at 
the  present  time.  The  entire  yards  of  the  Illi- 


nois  Central  and  the  Yazoo  &  Missisippi  Valley 
R.  R.  at  Memphis,  are  under  his  supervision. 

Mr.  Morthlancl  was  on  December  27,  1887, 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mollie  Foley,  of 
Memphis,  who  was  born  in  that  city  October 
12.  1868.  They  are  the  parents  of  two  children, 
Margaret  and  Mary ;  the  former's  birth  occuring 
in  1890.  and  the  latter's  in  1893.  Of  the  social 
orders,  Mr.  Morthland  belongs  to  the  O.  R.  C., 
Knights  and  Ladies  of  Honor,  and  the  Masonic 
organization.  His  family  attend  the  Catholic 
church.  In  politics  he  is  a  staunch  Democrat. 


L.  MUNN,  a  well-known  engineer 
in  the  freight  service  of  the  Illi- 
Q  nois  Central,  on  the  Louisiana 
division,  was  born  in  Kendall- 
ville,  Ind.,  March  19,  1870,  but  was  reared  and 
educated  at  Big  Rapids,  Mich.  He  is  the  son 
of  Rev.  Charles  A.  and  Anna  (McLain)  Munn, 
the  former  a  native  of  Ohio  and  the  latter  of 
Pittsburg,  Pa.,  both  of  whom  are  now  residing 
at  Fresno,  Cal.,  where  Mr.  Munn  is  the  pastor 
of  a  Presbyterian  church.  Charles  B.,  a  brother 
of  our  subject,  was  a  valued  employe  of  the  I.  C. 
and  lost  his  life  in  a  wreck  near  New  Orleans  in 
1892. 

W.  L.  Munn  acquired  a  good  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  his  native  city,  and  at 
the  age  of  fifteen  began  to  learn  the  trade  of  a 
printer  in  the  office  of  The  Current,  at  Big  Rap- 
ids. From  there  he  went  to  Muskegon,  Mich., 
and  was  employed  on  the  Morning  Nnvs  and 
Chronicle,  and  later  on  the  Inland  Printer. 
of  Chicago.  Compelled  to  seek  more  active  em- 
ployment on  account  of  failing  health,  he  went 
south  to  Jackson,  Miss.,  and  on  October  19, 
1890,  secured  a  position  as  fireman  on  the  Yazoo 
branch  of  the  I.  C.  with  Engineer  E.  Fordish. 
Four  months  later  he  went  to  McComb  City, 
Miss.,  and  entered  the  service  of  the  company 
there  as  fireman  on  the  Louisiana  division  under 
Engineers  Ford  and  Burke.  He  was  engaged 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


227 


in  that  branch  of  the  service  three  years,  and 
in  1893  was  examined  and  received  his  creden- 
tials as  locomotive  engineer.  On  January  21, 
1894,  he  took  charge  of  Engine  No.  1338,  in  the 
freight  service,  and  has  since  been  employed  on 
the  Louisiana  division  in  that  capacity.  He  now 
has  charge  of  a  regular  run  on  engine  No.  717. 
He  has  never  been  injured,  although  in  two  acci- 
dents, in  both  of  which  his  engine  was  over- 
turned. 

Mr.  Munn  was  married  to  Miss  Charlotte 
\V.  Waring,  of  Liberty,  Miss.,  and  they  have  one 
child,  Charles  Thomas,  a  fine  boy.  He  is  con- 
nected with  Division  No.  196,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of 
McComb  City,  and  during  his  old  printing  days, 
to  which  he  looks  back  with  pleasure  and  satis- 
faction, was  a  member  of  the  Typographical 
Union.  Mr.  Munn  resides  with  his  family  in  a 
pretty  home  in  the  western  part  of  McComb 
City,  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  the  affairs 
of  the  town. 


O.  WHITE,  a  well-known  conduc- 
tor in  the  freight  service  of  the 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R. 
on  the  Vicksburg  division,  was 
born  May  13,  1866,  in  Tate  county,  Mississippi. 
His  parents,  T.  B.  and  Virginia  (Jennings) 
White,  are  now  residents  of  Memphis,  Tennes- 
see. Mr.  White  received  his  educational  train- 
ing in  the  public  schools  of  Senatobia,  Missis- 
sippi, and  at  Oxford  in  that  state.  At  the  age 
of  seventeen  he  entered  a  general  store  at  Sena- 
tobia as  salesman,  working  there  for  about  nine 
months,  and  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  mercan- 
tile life.  Going  to  Memphis,  he  became  connec- 
ted with  F.  .Ozane  in  the  stove  and  mantle  busi- 
ness, but  after  one  year  went  tp  the  dry  goods 
firm  of  Hunter  Bros.,  and  was  for  six  years  in 
their  employ.  In  1891  he  entered  the  service  of 
the  Kansas  City,  Memphis  &  Birmingham  R.  R. 
as  fireman  and  engineer,  between  Memphis  and 
Birmingham,  and  was  in  the  employ  of  that 
company  for  three  years.  Returning  to  his  for- 


mer position  with  Hunter  Bros.,  of  Memphis,  he 
remained  there  nine  months  and  again  entered 
railroad  life  as  fireman  on  the  Yazoo  &  Missis- 
sippi Valley  R.  R.  He  resigned  after  a  short 
service,  and  for  the  next  year  was  a  stationary 
engineer  in  the  employ  of  the  Memphis  Compress 
Company. 

He  then  returned  to  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  R.  R. 
as  flagman  on  the  Vicksburg  division,  and  after 
three  years  service  as  flagman  was  promoted  to 
conductor,  and  is  now  in  that  branch  of  the  ser- 
vice, giving  eminent  satisfaction.  Mr.  White 
was,  on  April  25,  1897,  united  to  Miss  Mamie 
Kerr,  of  Byhalia,  Mississippi,  a  native  of  Tate 
county,  born  July  30,  1874,  and  a  very  estimable 
lady.  He  is  a  member  of  the  O.  R.  C.,  and  of 
the  Odd  Fellows.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  White  are 
members  of  the  Baptist  church.  In  politics  he 
votes  with  the  Democratic  party 


OARRY  C.  BENWELL,  a  rising  young 
conductor  in  the  Grenada  district, 
j_l  ]\  Memphis  division,  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, entered  the  service  of  the  com- 
pany in  February  1895  as  store-keeper  at  the 
Memphis  round-house.  He  was  employed  there 
until  May  12,  1896,  when  he  became  a  flagman 
on  a  passenger  train  between  Memphis  and  Can- 
ton, Mississippi.  He  soon  afterward  secured 
a  position  as  brakeman  in  the  freight  service, 
and  on  May  12,  1899,  was  promoted  to  conductor 
on  the  same  division,  where  he  still  remains.  Mr. 
Benwell  was  born  in  Canton,  Mississippi,  No- 
vember 25,  1875.  His  parents  were  Harry  R. 
C.  and  Medora  (Wood)  Benwell,  the  latter  liv- 
ing in  Memphis.  Mr.  Benwell  Sr.  was  chan- 
cery clerk  of  Madison  county,  Mississippi,  and 
died  of  yellow  fever  in  1878.  The  early  train- 
ing of  our  subject  was  acquired  in  a  private 
school  in  his  native  city.  In  1892,  he  was  ap- 
pointed a  page  in  the  Mississippi  state  legisla- 
ture and  served  through  two  sessions.  In  1893 
he  entered  the  drug  business,  and  remained  in 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


that  line  until  his  connection  with  the  I.  C.  in 
1895.  Mr.  Benwell  is  a  Catholic  in  faith,  and 
a  Democrat  in  politics.  He  is  a  young  man  of 
fine  abilities,  destined  to  make  his  mark  in  any 
line  where  he  may  decide  to  operate.  He  is 
one  of  the  youngest  conductors  in  the'  service  of 
the  Illinois  Central  road. 


JOHN  MULVIN,  familiarly  known  as 
"Trilby,"  began  his  railroad  career 
in  1877,  on  the  Paducah  &  Memphis 
Railroad  as  a  wiper  under  foreman  G. 
M.  Taylor.  October  i,  1879,  he  began  firing 
and  occupied  the  left  side  of  the  engine  three 
years  when  he  was  promoted,  running  through 
freight  to  Memphis.  In  1888  he  went  to  the 
Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Texas,  now  the 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  branch  of  the  Illinois 
Central  road.  He  remained  there  from  1888 
to  1891,  running  in  passenger  and  freight  ser- 
vice all  over  the  line.  It  was  during  his  service 
on  this  line  that  Mr.  Mulvin  was  injured  in  a 
rear  end  collision  at  Hollywood,  running  a  spe- 
cial train.  With  no  flag  out,  he  struck  the  local, 
going  at  the  rate  of  thirty  miles  an  hour.  The 
engine  was  demolished,  the  caboose  and  ten  cars 
wrecked,  and  he  was  laid  up  one  year  with  two 
broken  ankles  and  numerous  bruises 

In  1894  he  went  to  the  Chesapeake,  Ohio  & 
Southwestern  Railroad  and  was  given  a  freight 
run  between  Paducah  and  Louisville,  and  in 
1895,  when  the  division  was  divided,  he  was 
given  a  run  between  Paducah  and  Central  City. 
Our  subject's  present  engine  is  a  new  Brooks, 
No.  21,  and  his  fireman  is  W.  Evitti. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Paducah,  his  father 
James  Mulvin.  who  was  at  one  time  a  fireman 
on  the  C.  O.  &  S.  W.,  died  July,  1890.  Our 
subject  has  a  brother,  James,  who  runs  out  of 
Memphis.  Mr.  John  Mulvin  married  Molly 
Rock  and  has  three  children,  John,  James  and 
Kate,  at  school.  He  resides  in  a  comfortable 
home  on  Broadway,  Paducah. 


LEON  FORD  is  a  well-known  engineer 
in  the  freight  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central  on  the  Louisiana  division.  His 
connection  with  the  I.  C.  dates  from 
1892,  when  he  began  as  engine- wiper  in  the 
round-house  at  McComb  City,  under  Master 
Mechanic  William  B.  McKenna.  He  worked 
in  this  capacity  for  two  years,  when  he  received 
an  appointment  as  fireman  with  engineer  Charles 
J.  Swett.  Following  the  occupation  of  fireman 
for  a  period  of  three  and  one  half  years,  he  was 
examined  for  promotion  to  engineer,  in  which 
he  was  successful,  and  since  then  has  held  a 
regular  run  in  the  service  between  Canton,  Mis- 
sissippi, and  New  Orleans. 

Mr.  Ford  was  born  in  Sumter  county,  Ala- 
bama, on  October  17,  1873,  and  is  a  son  of  Leon 
E.  and  Jennie  (Eskridge)  Ford,  both  deceased. 
Leon  E.  Ford,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  the 
inventor  of  the  Ford-Whitworth  car-coupler, 
and  was  for  many  years  in  the  employ  of  the  I. 
C.  as  a  conductor.  He  also  helped  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  M.  &  O.  R.  R. 

Mr.  Ford,  of  this  sketch,  was  married  dur- 
ing the  present  year  (1900)  to  Miss  Ella  Har- 
rell,  of  Osyka,  Mississippi.  They  reside  at 
present,  with  Engineer  and  Mrs.  Long,  in  the 
south-west  part  of  McComb  City.  Sociallv  Mr. 
Ford  is  connected  with  Division  No.  196,  B.  of 
L.  E.  of  which  he  was  recentlv  elected  Guide. 


BEN     HERRING,     the     popular    young 
cashier   at  the   local    freight   office   at 
Louisville,    Kentucky,    is   a   native   of 

Paducah,  having  been  born  there  in 
the  year  1874.  His  father  was  Rowland  Her- 
ring. Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  until  the  age  of  sixteen,  when  he  entered 
the  office  of  the  Paducah,  Tennessee  &  Alabama 
Railroad  where  he  worked  sixteen  months,  and 
then  he  accepted  a  position  as  clerk  in  the  mas- 
ter mechanic's  office  of  the  C.  O.  &  S.  W.  at  Pa- 
ducah. He  was  then  promoted  to  time  keeper 


THOMAS  F.  SHANNON. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


231 


and  later  appointed  clerk  at  the  Paducah  freight 
office. 

Mr.  Herring  was  next  transferred  to  Louis- 
ville as  clerk  in  the  freight  office,  and  was  soon 
promoted  to  cashier  to  succeed  W.  J.  Rye.  His 
promotions  have  been  rapid,  and  he  has  great 
responsibility,  as  there  are  large  sums  of  money 
to  handle.  His  office  force  consists  of  two  clerks. 
Mr.  Herring  is  well  up  in  Masonry,  being  a 
member  of  the  Plain  City  Lodge  No.  449,  at  Pa- 
ducah, Kentucky.  He  resides  at  1719  West  Jef- 
ferson street. 


F.    SHANNON,    foreman   in 

U  charge  of  the  Illinois  Central  shops  at 
Cherokee,  Iowa,  entered  the  service  of 
the  company  at  Dubuque,  Iowa,  in 
September  1868,  as  a  locomotive  fireman.  At 
that  time  wood  was  used  as  fuel,  and  it  was  on 
one  of  the  old  wood  burners,  engine  No.  160,  in 
charge  of  Engineer  Moses  Arquetti,  that  he 
made  his  first  trip  between  Dubuque  and  Charles 
City.  He  continued  in  this  service  for  two  years, 
when  he  was  appointed  engine  dispatcher  at  Du- 
buque, and  from  the  latter  position  was  trans- 
ferred to  Ft.  Dodge,  Iowa.  For  a  period  of 
nine  months  he  was  in  charge  of  two  engine 
houses  at  the  latter  city,  running  switch  engines 
and  moving  trains  in  the  yards  there.  He  was 
then  promoted  to  engineer  in  the  freight  service, 
and  worked  in  the  yards  at  Waterloo  and  Du- 
buque for  about  one  year,  when  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  regular  road  service.  His  first 
trip  in  this  branch  of  the  service  was  made  in 
the  spring  of  1872,  on  engine  No.  51,  passenger 
train  No.  4,  from  Dubuque  to  Waterloo.  He 
continued  in  the  freight  service  until  1883,  when 
by  right  of  seniority  he  received  a  regular  pas- 
senger run  between  Waterloo  and  Sioux  City. 
Remaining  in  that  branch  of  the  service  until 
May  ist,  1888,  he  was  then  promoted  to  the  po- 
sition of  trainmaster  at  Ft.  Dodge,  where  he 
served  until  May  ist,  1891,  when  at  his  own  re- 
quest he  was  transferred  to  Cherokee  and  took 


charge  of  the  Sioux  Falls  and  Onawa  districts 
as  trainmaster,  holding  that  position  until  Sep- 
tember ist,  1893,  when  the  office  was  abolished. 
He  was  then  assigned  to  his  present  position. 
During  the  seventeen  years  that  Mr.  Shannon 
served  as  engineer,  he  was  remarkably  success- 
ful, never  having  had  a  wreck  or  collision  of 
any  kind,  nor  so  much  as  being  off  the  track. 

He  was  never  dismissed  or  suspended,  a 
record  of  which  any  railroad  man  might  be  just- 
ly proud.  Always  disposed  to  be  conservative, 
he  took  an  active  part  in  the  settlement  of  dif- 
ficulties between  the  company  and  the  engineers. 
He  was  elected  assistant  general  chairman  of 
the  General  Grievance  Committee  of  the  I.  C. 
system  at  Centralia,  in  1887,  which  position  he 
occupied  during  the  great  strike  on  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  road  in  1888.  Believing 
that  the  I.  C.  was  in  no  way  responsible  for  the 
trouble  which  prevailed,  he  used  his  efforts  in 
breaking  up  the  boycott  against  the  latter  road, 
and  was  eminently  successful.  Mr.  Shannon 
has  taken  an  active  part  in  politics  since  1876. 
He  is  a  strong  Republican,  and  has  the  faculty 
of  making  friends  among  the  prominent  men  of 
his  party.  During  the  administration  of  Gov- 
ernor Larrabee  he  was  appointed  Special  Aid- 
de-Camp,  with  the  rank  of  Lieutenant  Colonel. 
At  the  present  time  he  is  being  urged  by  his 
friends  to  become  a  candidate  for  the  legislature, 
but  for  business  reasons  he  is  obliged  to  decline. 
During  the  fall  and  winter  of  1887  and  1888, 
Mr.  Shannon  organized  what  is  known  as  the 
legislative  1x>ard  (an  organization  of  railway  em- 
ployes) for  the  purpose  of  defeating  the  two- 
cent  fare  bill,  and  also  for  the  purpose  of  taking 
issue  with  the  legislature  on  other  matters  per- 
taining to  the  interests  of  railway  employes.  It 
was  generally  conceded  that  the  defeat  of  the 
two-cent  fare  bill  was  due  to  the  influence  of 
this  organization. 

Mr.  Shannon  was  born  in  Ireland  on  Jan- 
uary 6,  1845,  and  with  his  parents  emigrated  to 
America  in  1850,  settling  in  Grant  county,  Wis- 
consin, from  whence  in  1856  they  removed  to 
Fayette  county,  Iowa.  In  1871  he  was  married 
to  Miss  Annie  E.  Kirby,  in  Dubuque,  and  they 


232 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


have  three  sons :  Kirby  E.  and  Herbert  J.,  both 
in  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central,  and  George 
F.,  who  is  attending  school.  In  1863,  during 
the  Civil  war,  Mr.  Shannon  enlisted  as  a  private 
in  the  Ninth  Iowa  Cavalry,  under  Col.  M.  M. 
Trumbull,  and  was  honorably  discharged  at  Da- 
venport, Iowa,  in  February  1866.  Socially  he 
is  connected  with  Division  No.  226,  B.  of  L.  E., 
of  Ft.  Dodge,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic  at  Waterloo,  Iowa. 


=x^DGAR  F.  STOVALL,  freight  agent  at 
the  Illinois  Central's  extensive  depots 
at  Louisville,  Kentucky,  was  born  in 
McNairy  county,  Tennessee  December 
18,  1865.  '  His  father,  Dr.  W.  W.  Stovall,  a 
well  known  physician  who  practiced  medicine 
in  McNairy  and  the  adjoining  counties  fifty 
years,  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years. 
The  mother  lives  with  her  daughter  at  Bethel 
Springs. 

Our  subject  received  his  education  in  the 
country  schools  and  worked  on  a  farm  up  to  the 
age  of  nineteen  years  when  he  became  a  clerk 
in  his  brother's  store  and  studied  telegraphy  at 
odd  times.  In  1887,  he  entered  the  service  of  the 
Mobile  &  Ohio  railroad  as  operator  at  Jackson, 
Tennessee,  worked  four  months,  when  he  was 
transferred  to  Cairo,  Illinois,  as  operator.  He 
worked  here  five  months  and  then  went  to  East 
St.  Louis  as  copying  operator  in  the  despatcher's 
office.  He  left  the  despatcher's  office  to  accept 
a  position  as  agent's  operator  at  E.  St.  Louis, 
worked  eight  months  and  was  made  revising 
clerk,  occupied  this  position  two  years  and  a 
half  and  was  then  promoted  to  cashier.  He  re- 
tained this  office  a  few  months,  when  he  was 
offered  a  position  with  the  C.  O.  &  S.  W.,  at 
Memphis,  Tennessee,  acting  as  cashier,  was 
afterward  chief  clerk  and  in  January  1896,  was 
appointed  agent  at  Paducah,  Kentucky.  In 
August  1897,  he  was  transferred  to  Owensboro, 
Kentucky,  as  agent,  and  in  August  1898,  he  was 


again  transferred  to  Louisville  as  agent  to  suc- 
ceed G.  T.  Fuller.  Mr.  Stovall's  ability  has  been 
recognized  as  his  rapid  promotion  will  show. 

A  fair  idea  of  Mr.  Stovall's  responsibility 
may  be  formed  when  considering  his  office  force 
numbering  twenty-three  office  clerks,  eleven 
ware-house  clerks  and  forty  laborers.  Mr. 
Stovall  has  entire  charge  of  the  three  freight 
depots  at  Louisville,  and  his  assistants  are  Mr. 
Klinger  at  Fourteenth  and  Kentucky  streets,  L. 
J.  Fass,  chief  clerk,  and  Ben  Herring,  cashier, 
Mr.  Gunther,  assistant  agent  at  First  Street: 
station.  Mr.  Stovall  also  has  charge  of  the 
freight  of  the  Louisville,  Henderson  &  St.  Louis, 
and  Louisville,  Evansville  &  St.  Louis  roads. 
Louisville's  freight  house  was  at  one  time  an  old 
tobacco  warehouse  remodelled.  Now  there  is  a 
new  house  at  the  corner  of  Twelfth  and  Rowan, 
probably  the  most  modern  in  the  country,  being 
seven  hundred  feet  long  and  having  scales  be- 
fore each  door.  The  receiving  house  across  the 
track  is  probably  one  of  the  best  in  the  city. 

Mr.  Stovall  is  a  popular  member  of  the  Elks, 
belonging  to  Paducah  Lodge  No.  217,  also  of 
the  Concatinated  Order  of  Hop  Hoos.  He  re- 
sides at  1719  West  Jefferson  street,  Louisville, 
Kentucky. 


A.  LONG,  a  popular  and  high- 

Uly  esteemed  engineer  in  the  freight  ser- 
.  vice  on  the  Louisiana  division  of  the 
I.  C.,  entered  the  service  of  the  com- 
pany about  ten  years  ago  at  McComb  City,  as  a 
locomotive  fireman,  with  Engineer  Clark  Bagley. 
He  was  for  several  years  in  this  branch  of  the 
service,  and  on  examination  was  found  capable, 
and  promoted  to  engineer,  since  which   he  has 
had  a  regular  run  in  the  freight  service  between 
Canton,  Mississippi,  and  New  Orleans. 

Mr.  Long  was  born  at  Kenner,  Louisiana, 
October  i,  1868.  His  father,  now  deceased,  was 
a  merchant  of  that  place.  Judge  Henry  Jacob 
Long,  a  brother,  who  died  in  1899,  was  a  promi- 
nent citizen  of  Jefferson  Parish,  in  the  same 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


233 


state,  and   was   for  many  years  assessor  of  the 
parish. 

Mr.  Long  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Mollie  Ford,  of  McComb  City,  wher,e  they  re- 
side in  a  pretty  home  on  Michigan  avenue.  In 
his  social  connections  he  affiliates  with  the  K.  of 
i'.,  and  Division  No.  196,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  his 
home  city. 


ARRY  W.  BLADES,  local  freight  and 
ticket  agent  at  Henderson,  Kentucky, 
was  born  in  the  state  of  Illinois.  His 
ancestors  are  of  Scotch  descent,  and  on 
coming  to  this  country  settled  in  Virginia.  The 
grandfather  came  to  the  Blue  Grass  region  and 
later  settled  in  Illinois.  The  father  is  a  promi- 
nent citizen  of  McLeansboro,  Illinois,  having 
held  all  offices  from  mayor  dowrr.  Our  subject 
received  his  education  in  the  common  schools 
and  college,  and  on  completing  his  course  went 
in  the  grocery  business  as  clerk.  At  the  age  of 
eighteen  he  secured  work  on  the  L.  &  N.  road  as 
brakeman  between  Evansville  and  St.  Louis.  He 
learned  telegraphy  and  was  soon  made  extra  op- 
erator, supplying  stations  all  over  the  road.  He 
quit  telegraphing  and  began  firing  on  the  same 
road.  Shortly  after  he  went  to  the  Ohio  Valley 
road  in  the  same  capacity.  He  then  worked  a 
while  at  Morganfield  as  operator,  and  later  at 
Princeton  and  Northville ;  then  went  to  the  Pa- 
ducah  shops  and  began  his  service  there  as  oper- 
ator, from  which  he  was  transferred  to  the  su- 
perintendent's office.  He  was  next  appointed 
agent  at  Kuttawa,  Kentucky,  and  afterwards  left 
for  Memphis  where  he  served  as  baggage  agent 
and  assistant  ticket  agent. 

In  1893  he  was  sent  to  Sturgis  as  freight 
and  ticket  agent,  at  which  place  he  remained  six 
full  years,  performing  a  large  amount  of  work. 
August  TO,  1899,  he  was  appointed  freight  and 
ticket  agent  at  Henderson  to  succeed  G.  H. 
Waltz.  Mr.  Blades  is  becoming  very  popular 
with  the  commercial  public  and  is  making  a 
grand  showing,  as  he  has  two  rival  roads  to  con- 


tend with.  Besides  his  duties  at  the  station  he 
acts  as  commercial  agent  around  the  city  and 
does  a  great  amount  of  soliciting.  Through  his 
accommodating  ways  he  has  built  up  a  large  in- 
crease. Mr.  Blades  has  as  his  office  force,  chief 
clerk,  E.  B.  Caldwell ;  ticket  clerk  and  cashier, 
Walter  Albritten ;  W.  G.  Hancock,  day  operator 
and  bill  clerk;  George  Hixon,  night  operator; 
W.  G.  Hammond,  yard  clerk ;  L.  L.  Long,  check 
clerk,  and  Van  Miller,  messenger. 

Henderson's  principal  shipments  are  tobac- 
co, grain  (three  elevators),  cotton  goods,  woolen 
goods,  whiskey,  furniture,  and  canned  goods. 
Tobacco  shipments  often  reach  15,000  hogsheads 
a  year.  Henderson  has  fourteen  tobacco  steme- 
ries,  two  distilleries,  brewery,  cotton  mill,  woolen 
mill,  furniture  factory,  and  a  canning  factory. 
Mr.  Blades  married  Miss  Green,  daughter  of 
W".  H.  Green,  ex-representative  of  Kuttawa,  Ky., 
who  now  conducts  a  hotel.  Our  subject  has  one 
child,  a  boy  of  four  years  of  age.  Besides  his 
duties  as  agent  Mr.  Blades  acts  as  yard  master, 
and  is  a  man  capable  of  a  great  amount  of  work. 


F.  WHEELER,  an  efficient  and  pop- 
ular conductor  on  the  Memphis  divi- 
'  Q  sion  of  the  Illinois  Central,  in  the 
Fulton  district,  is  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  was  born  in  Graves  county,  Septem- 
ber 18,  1857.  He  is  the  son  of  Benjamin  and 
Martha  (Pegram)  Wheeler,  the  former  a  mill- 
wright by  trade,  who  died  on  April  25,  1899, 
and  the  latter  resides  in  Martin,  Tennessee.  Mr. 
Wheeler  acquired  his  education  privately,  and 
moved  with  his  family  in  1873  to  Weakly  coun- 
ty, Tennessee.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  began 
working  at  the  carpenter  trade,  and  remained  at 
that  work  three  years.  When  twenty-one  he  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  Mobile  &  Ohio  R.  R.  as 
a  brakeman  between  Okalona,  Mississippi,  and 
Columbia,  Kentucky,  where,  after  fourteen 
months  service  as  brakeman,  he  was  promoted  to 
conductor  in  the  freight  department.  He  was  in 


234 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


that  branch  of  the  service  four  years  when  pro- 
moted to  the  passenger  service,  serving  two  years 
in  the  latter  capacity.  He  then  severed  his  con- 
nection with  that  road  and  spent  two  years  in 
various  pursuits.  His  next  railroad  work  was 
on  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  as  con- 
ductor in  the  freight  service  between  Vicksburg 
and  New  Orleans,  when  after  one  year's  service 
he  went  to  Memphis  to  the  Chesapeake,  Ohio  & 
South-Western  R.  R.  (now  the  I.  C.),  in  the 
freight  service  between  Paducah  and  Memphis. 
After  ten  years'  faithful  work  he  was,  on  Decem- 
ber 24,  1896,  promoted  to  the  passenger  service, 
where  he  is  at  present  employed,  and  is  consid- 
ered an  efficient  and  capable  official.  Mr.  Wheel- 
er married  Miss  Grace  Myers,  of  Covington, 
Tennessee,  July  23,  1895,  and  they  have  one 
child,  Martha  C,  born  July  15,  1896.  Socially 
Mr.  Wheeler  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity, and  of  the  O.  R.  C.  He  is  an  adherent 
of  the  Methodist  church,  and  in  politics  is  a 
staunch  Democrat. 


C.  HAYNIE  is  an  engineer  in  the 
freight  service,  on  the  Louisiana 
Q  division  of  the  I.  C.  He  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  I.  C.  in 
1887, 'as  fireman  under  engineer  C.  L.  Smith. 
Serving  in  the  capacity  of  fireman  for  three 
years,  he  was  then  examined  and  promoted  to 
engineer,  being  immediately  placed  in  the  freight 
service  on  a  regular  run  between  Canton,  Mis- 
sissippi, and  New  Orleans. 

His  first  experience  in  railroad  work,  was 
acquired  in  the  shops  of  the  A.  T.  &  S.  F.  R.  R. 
at  Galveston,  Texas,  where,  after  a  short  ser- 
vice, he  obtained  a  position  as  fireman  on  the 
road,  and  two  years  later,  was  promoted  to  en- 
gineer. He  remained  with  the  Sante  Fe  until 
1887,  when  he  entered  the  employ  of  I.  C.  and 
has  been  with  the  latter  road  to  the  present 
time. 

Mr.  Haynie  was  born  on  March  15,  1863, 
in  Washington  county,  Texas.  His  father,  John 


A.  Haynie,  now  deceased,  was  an  extensive  cot- 
ton buyer,  and  well-known  throughout  the 
South. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  married  at 
Houston,  Texas,  to  Miss  Paralee  Mount,  of  New 
Orleans,  whose  father,  William  S.  Mount,  was 
engaged  in  the  banking  business  there.  To  this 
marriage,  four  sons  were  born,  Kell  and  Homer 
are  living,  and  at  home,  and  William  and  Wal- 
ter, are  dead.  Mr.  Haynie  has  a  commodious 
home  on  Minnesota  avenue,  one  of  the  best  resi- 
dence portions  of  McComb  City. 


C.  CAMERON,  a  freight  conductor 
on  the  Memphis  division  of  the  Illi- 
Q  nois  Central,  is  a  native  of  Ononda- 
ga  county,  New  York,  born  Septem- 
ber 25,  1851.  He  is  the  son  of  Alden  and  Mar- 
garet (Guillies)  Cameron,  of  whom  the  latter 
survives,  and  is  residing  in  Scranton,  Pennsyl- 
vania. Alden  Cameron,  who  died  in  1898,  was 
a  graduate  of  the  medical  department  of  the 
Abbey  College,  of  Boston,  Massachusetts,  but 
followed  agricultural  pursuits.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  attended  the  common  schools  of  his 
native  place,  afterward  taking  a  college  course 
at  the  Monroe  Collegiate  Institute,  working  on 
his  father's  farm  during  vacations.  In  1870  he 
began  railroad  life  on  the  Syracuse  &  Northern 
R.  R.  as  brakeman  in  the  passenger  service  be- 
tween Syracuse  and  Sandy  Creek,  in  New  York 
State,  remaining  in  that  position  about  eight 
months.  He  then  went  to  Michigan  and  worked 
on  the  Michigan  Central  R.  R.  as  fireman  be- 
tween Detroit  and  Jackson,  occupying  that  posi- 
tion three  months,  when  he  became  a  brakeman 
on  the  same  road  between  Michigan  City  and 
Pentwater.  After  spending  a  winter  in  the  pin- 
eries of  that  state,  he  went  to  Meadville,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  secured  a  position  as  brakeman  on  the 
Atlantic  &  Great  Western  (now  the  Erie  Rail- 
road), and  from  June  1873  to  July  14,  1878,  was 
in  that  branch  of  the  service  on  that  road,  a 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


235 


period  of  five  years.  He  was  then  promoted  to 
conductor  and  remained  with  the  road  until  June 
1 88 1.  From  1881  until  November  25,  1885,  he 
\vas  a  conductor  in  the  service  of  the  Louisville 
&  Nashville  R.  R.,  and  resigned  to  go  to  Colo- 
rado on  account  of  ill  health  of  his  wife. 

In  that  state  he  remained  two  years  in  the 
employ  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  R.  R.,  and 
then  returned  to  New  York,  and  from  there  went 
to  Kentucky.  A  short  period  was  spent  with  the 
Louisville  &  Nashville  as  brakeman,  when  he 
entered  the  service  of  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio 
R.  R.  (now  the  Illinois  Central),  and  from  that 
time  has  been  with  the  latter  road  in  his  present 
capacity  between  Memphis  and  Paducah.  On 
November  13,  1878,  Mr.  Cameron  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Eliza  Nicholson,  of  Meadville, 
Pennsylvania,  and  they  have  one  son,  Robert  A., 
an  employe  of  the  I.  C.  at  Memphis.  Mr.  Cam- 
eron has  also  two  stepsons,  James  L.  and  Wil- 
liam Walters,  both  connected  with  the  I.  C.  Mr. 
Cameron  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 
His  family  attends  the  Methodist  church,  and 
in  politics  he  is  a  Democrat.  He  is  noted  as  a 
careful  and  prudent  employe,  and  has  had  a 
highly  successful  railroad  career,  having  no  ac- 
cidents of  any  consequence,  and  losing  no  rolling 
stock  under  his  care.  Mrs.  Cameron  died  Feb- 
ruary 5,  1886.  He  was  married  a  second  time, 
June  23,  1889,  to  Mrs.  Nannie  Walters,  of  Fay- 
ette  Co.,  Tenn.,  who  is  the  mother  of  the  two 
stepsons  above  mentioned. 


,DWARD  DONOGHUE  is  the  well- 
known  supervisor  of  track  and  trains 
on  the  tenth  section,  Rantoul  district, 
of  the  Illinois  Central.  He  became 
identified  with  the  I.  C.  in  1853  as  a  laborer  on 
the  Chicago  division,  working  northward  from 
Cairo,  111.  He  remained  on  that  division  for 
several  years,  and  on  the  acquisition  of  the 
Springfield  division  by  the  I.  C.  he  came  north 
to  the  latter  place,  remaining  there  until  1880, 


when  he  went  to  Centralia  as  supervisor  of  tracks 
on  the  Chicago  division.  From  Centralia  he 
was  transferred  and  in  1887  came  to  Rantoul, 
111.,  to  take  charge  of  the  reconstruction  of  that 
division,  changing  the  road  from  a  narrow  to  a 
broad  gauge.  He  has  since  remained  at  Rantoul 
and  fills  his  present  responsible  position  with  sat- 
isfaction. 

Mr.  Donoghue  was  born  near  Dublin,  Ire- 
land, August  15,  1829,  but  came  to  America  in 
March  1846,  becoming  a  resident  of  Illinois  in 
January  1847,  which  state  he  has  ever  since  made 
his  home. 


3,  1861. 


J.  JACOWAY,  a  popular  conductor 
on  the  Memphis  division  of  the  Illi- 
Q  nois  Central,  is  a  native  of  Dallas, 
Texas,  his  birth  occurring  August 
His  parents  were  John  A.  and  Lucy  A. 
(Holland)  Jacoway,  both  deceased.  Mr.  Jaco- 
way  Sr.  was  a  railroad  contractor,  and  had 
charge  of  the  reconstruction  of  the  Selma,  Rome 
&  Dalton  R.  R.  after  the  Civil  war.  Our  sub- 
ject was  educated  in  the  state  university  of  Fay- 
etteville,  Arkansas,  working  on  his  father's  farm 
during  his  vacations.  After  graduating  he  en- 
tered the  office  of  the  Dardanelle  Post,  at  Dar- 
danelle,  Arkansas,  where  he  served  one  year  as 
a  printer.  He  then  studied  civil  engineering 
and  was  later  engaged  in  the  house  and  sign 
painting  business.  Compelled  to  abandon  the 
latter  work  on  account  of  his  health,  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  Memphis  &  Charleston  R.  R., 
on  March  10,  1877,  as  a  news  agent,  between 
Memphis  and  Chattanooga.  One  year  later  he 
went  to  the  Mississippi  &  Tennessee  R.  R.  (now 
part  of  the  I.  C.)  as  a  brakeman,  and  afterward 
was  employed  as  a  baggageman  on  that  road. 
In  1881  he  was  promoted  to  conductor  between 
Memphis  and  Grenada,  and  held  that  position 
ten  years,  or  until  1891.  In  the  latter  year  he 
went  to  the  Newport  News  &  Mississippi  Valley 
R.  R.  as  receiving  clerk  in  the  freight  department 
of  that  road,  serving  there  one  year.  He  then 


236 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


declined  positions  as  conductor  with  the  Mem- 
phis &  Little  Rock  R.  R.,  and  Nashville  &  Chat- 
tanooga R.  R.  respectively,  to  enter  the  employ 
of  the  St.  Louis,  Iron  Mountain  &  Southern  R. 
R.,  but  remained  there  only  two  weeks.  In  1893 
he  went  to  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  ro'ad  (now 
part  of  the  I.  C.)  as  conductor  in  the  freight  ser- 
vice, soon  after  being  promoted  to  the  passenger 
service,  where  he  has  since  remained,  having  a 
regular  run  between  Cairo,  Illinois,  and  Mem- 
phis, Tennessee.  Mr.  Jacoway  was,  on  May  14, 
1890,  united  to  Miss  Mary  H.  Campbell,  of  Sen- 
atobia,  Mississippi,  but  a  native  of  Memphis. 
She  was  born  at  the  latter  city  July  nth,  1871, 
and  educated  in  Ward's  Seminary  at  Nashville, 
and  is  a  lady  of  fine  attainments.  They  have  a 
bright  little  daughter,  Mamie  E.,  born  June  13, 
1894.  Mr.  Jacoway  is  a  Scottish  Rite  Mason, 
Knight  of  Pythias,  and  is  connected  with  the  O. 
R.  C.  and  the  Hoo  Hoos.  His  family  are  ac- 
tive members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
In  politics  he  votes  with  the  Democratic  party. 


JOSEPH  H.  MULHALL,  a  popular  young 
freight  conductor  on  the  Louisville  div- 
ision of  the  Illinois  Central,  was  born  in 
Hardin  county,  Kentucky.  His  father, 
Thomas  K.  Mulhall,  who  was  a  farmer,  still  re- 
sides at  Grayson  Springs  where  John  H.  received 
his  early  education.  Our  subject  began  working 
in  a  tobacco  house  and  later  worked  in  a  dry 
goods  store.  In  1887  he  secured  a  place  on  the 
C.  O.  &  S.  W.  Railroad  in  track  service,  and  in 
1888  commenced  in  train  service,  running  out 
of  Louisville,  braking  in  the  passenger  service 
with  Conductor  Connors.  He  was  later  pro- 
moted to  baggageman  and  worked  at  this  five 
years  when  in  June  1896  he  was  promoted  to 
freight  conductor,  running  between  Louisville 
and  Central  City.  Our  subject  has  at  present  a 
preferred  run  between  Louisville  and  Paducah 
on  caboose  98,481.  He  has  never  suffered  any 
serious  mishaps,  but  in  1889  he  fell  from  a  car 


and  sprained  his  ankle,  falling  with  such  force 
as  to  bend  a  switch  rod,  and  was  laid  up  for  three 
weeks.  Mr.  Mulhall  is  very  well  liked  by  his 
men,  and  is  noted  for  telling  very  droll  stories. 
He  belongs  to  Monon  Division  No.  89,  O.  R.  C. 
He  resides  at  1114  W.  Broadway,  Louisville, 
Kentuck. 


£"J-[xiHOMAS   D.   RUFFIN,  a  conductor  in 

Uthe  passenger  service  on  the  Memphis 
division  of  the  Illinois  Central,  in  the 
Fulton  district,  was  born  at  Jackson, 
Tennessee,  April  16,  1863.  His  parents  were 
Robert  J.-ancl  Melissa  (Williamson)  Ruffiii. 
Mr.  Ruffin  Sr.  is  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  re- 
sides in  Jackson.  His  wife  departed  this  life 
January  25,  1895.  The  immediate  family  of 
our  subject  included  a  brother,  William  R.  Ruf- 
fin, an  engineer  in  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  on  the 
Mississippi  division,  and  three  sisters,  Mrs.  J. 
G.  Carter,  Mrs.  E.  B.  Curtis,  and  Miss  Mary  D. 
Ruffin,  all  residing  in  Jackson,  Tennessee.  Af- 
ter attending  the  public  schools  of  Jackson  un- 
til thirteen  years  of  age,  Thomas  D.  Ruffin  be- 
came an  apprentice  at  the  carpenter  trade,  under 
his  father,  and  worked  at  that  trade  until  Decem- 
ber 24,  1880.  He  then  secured  a  position  with 
the  Mobile  &  Ohio  R.  R.  as  brakeman,  between 
Columbus,  Kentucky,  and  Tupelo,  Mississippi, 
where  he  worked  about  two  years,  and  was  then 
promoted  to  conductor  in  the  freight  service  of 
the  road.  He  remained  with  that  company  un- 
til December  1883,  when  he  entered  the  service 
of  the  Illinois  Central  as  conductor  in  the  freight 
service  on  the  Mississippi  division,  between 
Jackson,  Tennessee,  and  Canton,  Mississippi. 
On  June  6,  1890,  he  resigned  and  went  to  the 
Chesapeake,  Ohio  &  South-Western  R.  R.  (now 
part  of  the  I.  C.  system)  as  conductor  in  the 
freight  department  between  Paducah,  Kentucky, 
and  Memphis,  Tennessee.  He  was  soon  given 
an  extra  passenger  run,  and  in  1892  was  given 
a  regular  passenger  run  where  he  continues  at 
the  present  time.  On  December  26,  1895,  Miss 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


237 


Minnie  Markette,  of  Water  Valley,  Mississippi, 
became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Ruffin.  Of  the  social 
orders  Mr.  Ruffin  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Ma- 
son, a  Knight  Templar,  an  Elk  and  a  Mystic 
Shriner.  He  is  Assistant  Chief  of  Division  No. 
175,  O.  R.  C,  and  was  a  charter  member  of  No. 
217,  of  Paducah.  His  family  attends  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  and  politically  he  is  a 
strong  advocate  of  the  principles  of  Democracy. 


baggage  handled  per  month  is  sixteen  thousand. 
Besides  taking  charge  of  this  force  Mr.  Jordan 
looks  after  the  large  amount  of  writing  and  office 
work  which  demands  his  attention.  He  is  well 
liked  by  the  traveling  public,  always  having  a 
courteous  answer  for  the  many  questions  asked. 
Mr.  Jordan  married  Miss  Emma  Warrington, 
of  Covington,  Kentucky,  and  resides  at  320  E. 
Jacob  street,  Louisville. 


EORGE  JORDAN,  the  popular  and  ac- 
commodating baggage  agent  of  the 
Union  depot  at  Louisville,  Kentucky, 
first  saw  the  light  of  day  at  Cincinna- 
ti, Ohio,  March  5,  1873.  His  father  was  George 
W.  Jordan,  who  died  when  George  was  a  small 
boy,  leaving  him  in  care  of  an  aunt.  The  boy 
received  his  education  in  Cincinnati,  but  left 
school  at  fourteen  years  of  age  and  entered  a 
machine  shop  to  learn  the  machinist  trade.  He 
worked  a  short  time  and  then  went  to  Nashville, 
Tennessee,  and  learned  the  trade  of  stone  carv- 
ing, working  there  at  his  trade  five  years,  after 
which  he  went  to  Cincinnati  and  carved  stone 
two  years. 

He  then  left  the  stone  business  to  enter  rail- 
road service  with  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  at 
Louisville  in  the  baggage  room.  He  then  went 
into  the  Union  depot  at  Louisville  as  checkman. 
Here  through  strict  attention  to  his  business,  he 
won  the  esteem  of  his  employers,  and  October  2, 
1898,  he  was  promoted  to  baggage  agent  to  suc- 
ceed Michael  Carroll.  The  responsibility  up- 
on Mr.  Jordan  is  great.  Besides  handling  the 
extensive  business  of  the  Illinois  Central,  he 
looks  after  baggage  of  the  six  other  roads  run- 
ning into  the  depot.  They  are  B.  &  O.  S.  W., 
Louisville,  Henderson  &  St.  Louis,  Big  Four, 
Southern  Railway,  C.  &  O.,  Louisville,  Evans- 
ville  &  St.  Louis. 

Mr.  Jordan's  large  force  consists  of  fourteen 
baggage  porters,  four  mail  porters  and  two 
checkmen.  The  average  number  of  pieces  of 


,OBERT  A.  GODWIN,  the  accommodat- 
ing city  ticket  agent  for  the  Illinois 
Central  at  Memphis,  Tennessee,  was 
born  in  that  city  on  April  nth,  1876. 
He  is  a  son  of  John  R.  and  Mary  Francis  (Mul- 
lins)  Godwin,  both  well  and  favorably  known 
residents  of  Memphis.  Mr.  Godwin  Sr.  was  a 
cotton  merchant.  He  was  a  member  of  the  state 
legislature  in  1893,  and  was  also  a  representa- 
tive to  the  national  Democratic  convention  that 
nominated  Cleveland.  He  held  the  responsible 
office  of  president  of  the  Mercantile  Bank  for 
ten  years,  of  which  he  was  the  original  organizer. 
Mr.  Godwin  and  his  estimable  wife  are  now  liv- 
ing a  retired  life  in  Memphis. 

Robert  A.  Godwin,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  educated  in  private  schools  in  his  na- 
tive city  until  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he  en- 
tered the  University  of  Virginia.  After  apply- 
ing himself  for  two  years  he  was  compelled,  on 
account  of  poor  health,  to  leave  college.  He 
spent  a  year  on  his  father's  farm  recuperating, 
and  then  took  a  position  on  the  Commercial  Ap- 
peal, as  a  reporter,  and  worked  there  six  months. 
He  then  went  to  the  I.  C.  ticket  office  as  assistant 
ticket  agent  in  Memphis,  occupying  that  position 
fourteen  months,  when  he  was  promoted  to  city 
ticket  agent,  a  position  he  now  holds  and  is  fil- 
ling with  the  greatest  satisfaction  to  all  con- 
cerned. Mr.  Godwin  is  a  member  of  the  Hoo 
Hoos,  an  organization  of  a  social  character.  His 
family  attends  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
In  politics  he  is  a  staunch  Democrat. 


238 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


nAMES  C.  GUNTHER,  the  agent  at  the 
First  Street  station,  Louisville,  Ken- 
tucky,  was  born  in  Louisville  July  10, 
1871.  His  father  is  Sebastian  Gunther, 
who  has  been  connected  with  the  Louisville  po- 
lice department  for  thirty  years,  and  is-  at  pres- 
ent assistant  chief  of  police.  Our  subject  left 
school  when  but  fourteen  years  of  age,  beginning 
as  messenger  boy  in  the  C.  O.  &  S.  W.  local 
freight  office,  remained  there  one  year  and  four 
months,  when  he  was  made  bill  clerk,  held  va- 
rious other  clerkships,  and  was  then  made  cash- 
ier at  Twelfth  and  Rowan  street  office,  which 
position  he  had  three  and  a  half  years.  Octo- 
ber 15,  1895,  he  came  to  the  First  Street  station 
as  agent,  and  his  station  is  one  of  importance  as 
freight  is  transferred  here  to  many  other  roads, 
among  them  the  B.  &  O.,  S.  W.,  Monon,  Louis- 
ville, Evansville  &  St.  Louis.  Our  subject's  of- 
fice force  are  Mr.  August  Goudex,  bill  clerk, 
L.  C.  Rose,  platform  clerk,  J.  S.  Malburn,  plat- 
form foreman,  and  M.  Brann,  clerk,  besides  six 
truckmen,  one  yard  clerk,  Joseph  McHugh. 

Mr.  Gunther  married  Miss  L.  E.  Liter,  a 
popular  Louisville  lady.  He  belongs  to  the  Blue 
Lodge  and  Chapter  of  the  Masonic  order,  and 
the  Red  Men.  He  is  very  popular  with  the  pa- 
trons of  the  road  as  well  as  with  all  his  associates 
in  the  service. 


AMUEL  M.  REAMES,  a  conductor  in 
the  freight  service  on  the  Louisiana 
division  of  the  Illinois  Central,  began 
life  on  his  own  account  when  only  six- 
teen years  of  age.  His  first  work  was  on  the 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  (now  the  I.  C. 
R.  R.)  where  he  was  employed  as  a  brakeman 
between  Vicksburg  and  New  Orleans.  When 
but  nineteen  years  old  he  was  promoted  to  con- 
ductor, and  was  in  the  freight  service  of  that 
road  until  1890.  He  then  went  to  New  Orleans 
and  worked  in  the  yards  of  the  New  Orleans  & 
North  Eastern  Railroad  until  1893.  In  the  lat- 
ter year,  he  was  appointed  yardmaster  for  the 


Illinois  Central,  at  McComb  City,  Mississippi, 
holding  that  position  for  eighteen  months,  and 
on  Feb.  i,  1897,  was  promoted  to  conductor  on 
the  Louisiana  division  where  he  is  at  the  present 
time.  Mr.  Reames  was  born  at  Baton  Rouge, 
Louisiana,  September  2,  1866,  and  is  a  son  of 
William  P.  and  Eliza  Reames.  Mr.  Reames,  Sr. 
now  deceased,  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  a 
highly  respected  man.  Robert  S.,  a  brother  of 
our  subject,  is  a  conductor  on  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral having  a  run  out  of  Vicksburg.  Samuel 
M.  Reames  married  Miss  Flora  Packwood,  a 
native  of  Louisiana,  and  with  her  occupies  a 
nice  home  in  the  western  part  of  McComb  City. 
He  is  a  valued  and  faithful  employe  of  the  com- 
pany, possessing  many  excellencies  of  character, 
which  command  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-men. 


R.  HARLAN,  is  an  engineer  in  the 
freight  service  on  the  Louisiana  di- 
'O  v's'on  °f  tne  Illinois  Central.  His 
first  experience  at  railroad  work  was 
acquired  in  1884,  on  the  St.  Louis  &  San  Francis- 
co R.  R.,  where  he  was  employed  at  Springfield, 
Missouri,  as  a  fireman.  He  was  afterward  trans- 
ferred to  the  Texas  division  of  that  road,  and  it 
was  while  there  that  he  was  examined  for,  and 
received  promotion  to  engineer.  Leaving  that 
road  in  1893,  he  went  to  New  Orleans,  and  in 
October  of  that  year  entered  the  service  of  the 
Illinois  Central  as  an  engineer  on  the  New  Or- 
leans Terminal.  In  1895  he  was  transferred  to 
McComb  City,  Mississippi,  and  has  since  had 
charge  of  a  run  in  the  freight  service  on  the 
Louisiana  division  of  that  road. 

During  the  year  1898  he  had  charge  of  the 
pay  car,  and  was  injured  in  a  small  wreck  on  the 
Grenada  division.  He  was  also  in  a  serious 
wreck  on  the  Louisiana  division  in  1896. 

Mr.  Harlan  was  born  in  Kosciusko,  Indiana, 
on  October  2,  1864.  His  father,  George  W. 
Harlan,  is  a  substantial  farmer  now  residing  in 
Oklahoma.  The  union  of  Mr.  Harlan  and  Miss 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


Rosa  Brooks,  of  Pittsburg,  Kansas,  has  been  a 
very  happy  one,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  two 
fine  children ,  Marie  and  Robert.  Of  the  social 
orders  Mr.  Harlan  is  connected  with  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity,  and  with  Division  No.  196,  B. 
of  L.  E.  of  McComb  City,  of  which  he  is  at 
the  present  time  Chief.  He  resides  in  East  Mc- 
Comb City,  where  he  has  a  nice  home. 


AVID  J.  CULTON  is  a  well  known  en- 
gineer in  the  passenger  service  on  the 
Sioux  Falls  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  and  is  one  of  the  old  and  re- 
spected employes  of  the  company.  He  entered 
the  service  of  the  I.  C.  in  1866,  as  an  engine 
wiper  in  the  round  house  at  Dunleith,  111.,  when 
that  place  was  a  great  central  point  of  the  com- 
pany. He  was  soon  promoted  to  fireman  and 
worked  as  such  until  1876,  when  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  Dubuque,  Iowa,  and  given  charge  of  an 
engine  on  what  was  then  known  as  the  Iowa 
division  of  the  I.  C.  In  1881  he  removed  to 
Waterloo,  Iowa,  and  was  given  a  regular  run  on 
the  western  division  of  the  road.  He  came  to 
Cherokee  in  1887,  when  the  Sioux  Falls  division 
was  being  built,  and  was  in  charge  of  the  engine 
which  laid  all  the  rails  on  the  new  division.  The 
completion  of  this  line  was  made  under  more  than 
ordinary  difficulties,  as  the  rails  were  laid  in 
a  terriffic  blizzard  of  wind,  cold  and  snow,  the 
thermometer  registering  twenty  degrees  below 
zero,  still  the  men  worked  with  a  will,  and  at 
ii  -.20  P.  M.,  December  19,  1887,  the  last  spike 
was  driven  in  the  presence  of  the  governor  of 
the  territory  of  Dakota,  Mayor  Norton,  of  Sioux 
Falls,  Mr.  E.  T.  Jeffery,  Mr.  Tucker,  Mr.  Dixon, 
and  other  officials  of  the  company.  He  also  ran 
the  first  train  over  that  division,  a  mixed  one, 
after  which  he  was  given  a  regular  run  in  the 
passenger  service  of  that  branch  of  the  road, 
which  he  still  holds.  Our  subject  is  a  native  of 
northern  Ireland,  and  was  born  in  1851.  His 


father,  William  Culton,  now  deceased,  was  also 
in  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  on  the  section  and  in 
the  round  house,  both  at  Dunleith,  111.,  and  Du- 
buque, and  a  brother,  James  Culton,  residing  at 
Bloomington,  111.,  is  now  traveling  freight  agent 
for  the  company.  Mr.  Culton  has  been  twice 
married.  His  first  wife  was  Miss  Esther  Girard, 
who  died,  and  later  he  was  united  to  Mrs.  Mary 
Hull.  ,  They  have  one  child,  Elva.  Both  he  and 
his  wife  are  prominent  members  of  the  Congre- 
gational church,  of  Cherokee.  He  is  a  member 
of  Division  No.  226,  B.  of  L.  E.,  at  Ft.  Dodge, 
and  was  a  delegate  from  Division  No.  114,  of 
Waterloo,  to  the  convention  at  Pittsburg,  Pa. 
He  is  also  connected  with  the  Masonic  order, 
Knights  Templar,  and  A.  O.  U.  W.,  of  Chero- 
kee, where  he  resides  in  a  fine  home  on  Elm 
street.  Mr.  Culton  has  never  been  in  a  wreck 
during  his  long  career  as  a  railroad  man,  and 
his  rise  in  his  chosen  work  marks  him  as  a  man 
of  sterling  worth  and  energy.  Since  writing  the 
above  Mr.  Culton  had  the  honor  to  make  the 
first  trip  over  the  Ft.  Dodge  &  Omaha  R.  R. 
This  was  made  November  i,  1899,  from  Council 
Bluffs,  leaving  there  at  7 145  A.  M.  on  that  date, 
arriving  at  Ft.  Dodge  at  6:20  P.  M.,  with  Vice- 
President  Wallace's  business  car. 


AVID  McKELLIP,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  engineers  on  the  west  end 
of  the  Central,  has  had  a  railroad  ex- 
perience extending  over  more  than 
forty  years.  He  was  born  on  his  father's  farm 
near  Bradford,  Vt.,  September  3,  1841.  His 
father,  Stephen  McKellip,  moved  later  to  New 
Hampshire,  where  he  passed  his  last  days.  Three 
of  his  other  sons  chose  a  railroad  career.  S. 
Horace,  after  learning  the  science  of  engineering 
on  the  Grand  Trunk,  then  ran  for  a  number  of 
years  on  the  lines  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  & 
St.  Paul,  later  settled  on  the  Pacific  coast,  and 
has  for  the  last  twenty  years  run  an  engine  on 


212 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


the  narrow  gauge  road  there,  residing  at  Antioch, 
Cal.  Daniel,  deceased,  was,  during  the  latter 
years  of  his  life,  on  one  of  the  roads  running  out 
of  San  Francisco.  Elbridge  L.  is  master  me- 
chanic for  the  Southern  Pacific  at  Carlin,  Nev. 
David  McKellip  began  his  railroad  career  as 
fireman  on  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul 
line  (then  the  Chicago  &  Prairie  du  Chien  Rail- 
road), in  1859,  and  in  a  short  time  was  promoted 
and  given  an  engine  running  between  Milwaukee 
and  Janesville.  On  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
war,  he  answered  his  country's  call  for  volun- 
teers and  enlisted  on  August  3,  1862,  in  Company 
D,  24th  Wisconsin  Infantry,  under  Captain  Phil- 
brick  and  Col.  Larabee.  After  passing  through 
nearly  three  years  of  campaigning,  during  which 
he  participated  in  sixteen  hard  fought  battles, 
he  was  discharged  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  June  25, 
1865,  having  been  fortunate  enough  to  escape 
wound  or  injury.  On  his  return  from  the  war 
he  was  given  his  old  place  and  soon  after  pro- 
moted and  assigned  to  a  run  on  the  Milwaukee- 
Janesville  line.  Resigning,  he  went  to  Waterloo, 
Iowa,  and  on  August  26,  1871,  was  engaged  on 
the  line  where  he  has  since  been  engaged.  For 
a  number  of  years  he  was  in  the  freight  service, 
but  the  latter  years  he  has  had  a  passenger  run 
between  Fort  Dodge  and  Sioux  City  on  engine 
No.  1304.  During  the  forty  years  of  life  on 
the  rail,  he  has  never  been  injured  from  accident. 
Mr.  McKellip  was  married  in  March  1866, 
at  Waukesha,  Wis.,to  Miss  Eliza  Rifford,  to 
whom  three  children  have  been  born :  Mary  B. ; 
Arthur  an  engineer  on  the  Southern  Pacific  road 
at  Ogden,  Utah ;  .and  Robert  D.,  at  home 
On  the  organization  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.,  Mr. 
McKellip  became  a  member  in  1866,  and  at 
present  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  226,  of  Ft. 
Dodge.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum, 
and  a  charter  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen,  of  Ft.  Dodge.  He  is  enrolled 
as  a  member  of  Fort  Donaldson  Post  No.  236, 
G.  A.  R.,  of  Ft.  Dodge.  He  is  one  o'f  the  veteran 
operatives  on  the  west  end,  and  one  of  the  great- 
est favorites  of  the  older  line  of  railroad  men. 
He  has  a  pleasant  home  at  444  South  Eighth 
street,  Ft.  Dodge. 


YINCENT  E.  OGDEN,  better  known  as 
"Colonel  Ogden,"  yardmaster  at  Ev- 
ansville,  Indiana,  was  born  in  Jefferson 
county,  Indiana,  in  1847.  At  the  age 
of  thirteen  years  he  entered  the  service  of  the 
J.  M.  &  I.  Railroad  as  train  boy,  served  a  few 
months,  when  he  ran  away  and  joined  the  army 
in  1862,  in  the  49th  U.  S.  Infantry.  He  served 
in  quartermaster's  department  and  was  in  sev- 
eral engagements,  served  all  through  the  war 
and  received  an  honorable  discharge.  He  then 
entered  the  service  of  the  J.  M.  &  I.  Railroad 
where  he  remained  fourteen  years,  then  worked 
for  the  Short  Line  fourteen  months  and  the 
Belt  Line  one  year,  the  Air  Line  two  years  and 
finally  served  as  conductor  and  yardmaster  for 
the  E.  &  T.  H.  seven  years.  In  1893  he  began 
on  the  Ohio  Valley  Railroad  as  switchman  and 
night  yardmaster,  remained  here  four  years  when 
he  became  day  yardmaster. 


O.  DAHL,  one  of  the  many  citizens 
of  foreign  birth  that  have  crossed  the 
LQ  ocean  to  find  a  home  in  the  states, 
was  born  in  Sweden,  October  9,  1871, 
and  came  with  his  parents  to  America  two  years 
later.  The  family  first  resided  at  Green  Bay, 
Wisconsin,  but  later  moved  to  Memphis  where 
the  father  entered  the  lumbering  business.  After 
attending  the  Memphis  schools  he  assisted  his 
father  several  years  and  for  three  years  was  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  then  entered  the  employ  of 
the  Georgia  Pacific  Railroad,  now  a  part  of  the 
Southern  system,  working  in  the  bridge  depart- 
ment eleven  months.  After  five  years  running 
a  saw  mill  for  his  father  he  went  to  Grenada, 
Mississippi,  working  in  a  planing  mill  two  years 
before  beginning  work  as  night  clerk  in  the 
freight  office  of  the  Illinois  Central  at  that  place. 
Remaining  in  the  office  some  eleven  months,  he 
was  employed  coaling  engines  about  three 
months,  and  then  secured  a  place  as  brakeman 
running  between  Memphis  and  Grenada.  After 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


243 


attaining  proficiency  he  was  promoted  to  freight 
conductor  on  the  same  run  and  April  4,  1899, 
received  a  further  advance  to  extra  passenger 
conductor,  and  is  in  line  for  a  regular  run.  On 
February  17,  1895,  Mr.  Dahl  was  married  to 
Miss  Annette  McCormack,  of  Torrance,  Missis- 
sippi. Their  one  child,  Alvin  K.,  was  born 
January  6,  1896.  Mr.  Dahl  is  a  member  of  the 
Memphis  Division,  No.  175,  O.  R.  C.  In  re- 
ligion he  is  of  the  Lutheran  faith  and  a  Democrat 
in  politics.  Although  still  a  young  man,  Mr. 
Dahl  has  made  rapid  progress  in  the  operation 
of  railroads,  especially  when  it  is  considered 
that  he  did  not  enter  the  service  as  a  boy  as  most 
railroad  men  have  done. 


'ILLIAM  P.  BONDS,  the  capable  and 
energetic  train  dispatcher,  for  the 
Illinois  Central  at  McComb  City, 
Mississippi,  has  been  connected  with 
the  company  since  1874.  He  was  in  that  year 
appointed  telegraph  operator,  at  Frenier  station, 
Louisiana,  where  he  worked  for  ten  months,  and 
afterward  at  various  small  stations  on  the  I.  C. 
in  a  similar  capacity,  until  1876.  In  the  latter 
year  he  was  appointed  agent  for'  the  company 
at  Bogue  Chitto,  Mississippi,  remaining  there 
until  1884.  He  then  went  to  McComb  City  as 
assistant  train  dispatcher,  and  from  there  was 
sent  to  Yazoo  City  as  the  first  station  agent  for 
the  I.  C.  at  that  place.  A  service  of  eight  months 
at  Yazoo  City  was  followed  by  a  transfer  to 
Vicksburg,  where  he  acted  as  train  dispatcher, 
thence  in  1889  to  McComb  City,  where  he  has 
since  been  employed  as  a  dispatcher,  under  Chief 
W.  L.  Oakley. 

Mr.  Bonds  was  born  near  Liberty,  Mississip- 
pi, on  September  13,  1857,  where  his  father  P. 
B.  Bonds,  deceased,  was  an  extensive  farmer, 
and  spent  most  of  his  life. 

Miss  Ella  Wilson,  of  Summit,  Miss.,  became 
the  wife  of  Mr.  Bonds,  in  1880,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  three  children,  viz;  William,  John, 


and  Eugenia.  Mr.  Bonds  affiliates  with  the  Ma- 
sonic order,  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  the 
Knights  of  Honor.  He  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and 
take  an  active  interest  in  church  matters.  He 
is  at  present  a  member  of  the  board  of  stewards 
of  the  church  in  McComb  City,  where  he  has  a 
beautiful  home,  and  is  a  substantial  and  progres- 
sive citizen. 


JT.    DONOVAN,    began    his    railroad 
career  in  1877  as  a  clerk  in  the  shops. 
O  He   was   afterward   made   time-keeper, 
at  the  same  time  doing  station   work. 
He  was  next  transferred  to  the  auditor's  office 
of  the  Memphis,  Paducah  &  Northern  in   1880 
and  in  1884,  was  made  commercial  agent  of  the 
Chesapeake,  Ohio  &  Southwestern  at  Paducah. 
When   the   Illinois  Central  took  the  road,  the 
office  was  abolished  and  Mr.  Donovan  was  made 
agent   at    Paducah   and   given   charge   of   both 
freight  and  passenger  departments. 

Paducah  is  one  of  the  most  important 
stations  on  the  Louisville  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  being  the  terminus  of  the  St.  Louis, 
Memphis  &  Louisville  divisions.  It  is  the 
natural  gate-way  of  the  great  undeveloped  fer- 
tile valley  of  the  Tennessee  and  Cumberland 
rivers.  Year  after  year  opens  up  new  markets 
for  her  manufactures  and  trades.  Paducah  is 
the  second  city  in  business  importance  in  the  state 
of  Kentucky,  having  a  population  of  over  twen- 
ty-one thousand,  has  fine  business  college,  good 
schools  and  twenty-three  churches,  and  does  a 
larger  volume  of  jobbing  business  than  any  city 
in  the  country  in  proportion  to  the  population. 
It  is  distinctively  a  jobbing  city,  and  its  trade 
extends  in  an  ever  increasing  circle.  Over  two 
hundred  and  fifty  traveling  men  are  sent  out 
of  the  city,  fifty  being  employed  in  lumber  and 
tobacco  trades.  The  annual  shipment  from 
Paducah  amounts  to  325,000,000  pounds. 

Mr.  Donovan  has  an  office  force  of  seven- 
teen men,  A.  R,  Meyers,  chief  clerk,  W.  G. 


244 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Street,  cashier,  J.  C.  Frazer,  ticket  clerk,  and  W. 
A.  Flowers,  baggage  agent. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Paducah.  His 
father,  John  Donovan,  was  a  drayman,  and  died 
in  1891.  Our  subject  began  work  at  the  age  of 
thirteen  years  as  clerk  in  a  candy  store,  next  in 
a  book  store,  and  then  worked  in  a  real  estate 
office  from  which  he  entered  the  railroad  service. 

Mr.  Donovan  married  Miss  Katie  O'Brien, 
of  Paducah,  and  has  four  children ;  Richard, 
Frank,  John  and  Katherine  at  school.  He  is 
a  member  of  Lodge  No.  217,  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks,  of  Paducah ;  Knights 
of  Columbus  ;  Louisville  Lodge,  Catholic  Knights 
of  America;  Catholic  Mutual  Benefit  Associa- 
tion and  the  Concatinated  Order  of  Hoo  Hoos. 
He  has  a  home  on  the  corner  of  Sixth  and  Clark 
streets,  where  he  enjoys  the  comforts  of  a  happy 
home  and  the  fruits  of  a  successful  career. 


he  remained  one  year  before  being  promoted 
and  given  a  local  freight  run  on  the  same  divis- 
ion. On  the  transfer  of  Superintendent  J.  B. 
Kemp  to  the  Memphis  division,  Mr.  Kibler  was 
transferred  also,  and  given  a  freight  run  between 
Memphis  and  Grenada,  Mississippi.  After  six 
years  in  the  service  here  he  was  promoted  to  the 
passenger  service  where  he  has  since  been  em- 
ployed. On  the  i8th  of  October,  1893,  Mr.  Kib- 
ler was  married  to  Miss  Ora  H.  Carlton,  a  native 
of  Sardis,  Mississippi.  Their  only  child,  John 
H.  Jr.,  was  born  January  17,  1896.  Mr.  Kibler 
is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica, the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  the  O.  R.  C. 
He  is  a  Democrat,  and  with  his  wife  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  church. 


JOHN  H.  KIBLER,  a  passenger  conductor 
on  the  Grenada  district,  was  born  in 
Rockingham  county,  Virginia,  Novem- 
ber 10,  1859.  His  father,  Joseph  W. 
Kibler,  was  a  mill-wright  in  Rockingham  county 
and  died  in  1900,  while  the  mother  who  was  Miss 
Eliza  A.  Beard,  died  in  1872.  John  H.  Kibler 
enjoyed  good  educational  privileges  having  at- 
tended the  schools  of  Rockingham  county  and 
the  Shenandoah  Seminary  at  Dayton,  Virginia. 
For  a  few  years  he  worked  on  a  farm  and  then  as 
a  coach  smith  some  three  years  before  leaving  his 
native  state.  Journeying  to  Shannon,  Missis- 
sippi, he  secured  a  clerkship,  remaining  two  years 
before  taking  a  similar  position  at  Aberdeen, 
where  he  remained  three  years  longer.  In  1884 
he  secured  a  place  with  the  Illinois  Central  and 
began  his  service  as  brakeman  on  a  passenger 
train,  running  between  Aberdeen  and  Lexing- 
ton, Mississipi,  under  Conductor  R.  N.  Colqu- 
houn,  former  superintendent  of  the  Mississippi 
Central  road.  December  5,  1884,  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  baggage  department  and  a  year 
later  was  returned  to  the  former  position  where 


S.  MILLER,  a  popular  passenger  con- 
ductor on  the  Louisville  division  of 
'Q  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  is  a  na- 
tive of  New  York/  His  father  was 
George  W.  Miller,  one  of  the  brightest  of  New 
York's  lawyers,  whose  career  was  cut  short  by 
an  early  death  at  the  age  of  thirty-eight  years, 
leaving  a  young  wife  and  our  subject,  who  was 
then  but  a  small  boy. 

After  receiving  a  common  school  educa- 
tion Mr.  Miller  began  to  earn  his  own  living 
and  assisted  his  mother.  He  entered  the  service 
of  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  Railroad  company 
as  water  boy  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  worked  one 
year  at  this  when  he  took  up  train  service  as  a 
freight  brakeman,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
was  promoted.  Running  a  train  as  conductor 
with  great  success  for  several  years,  he  resigned 
to  accept  a  position  with  the  Cincinnati  Southern 
as  conductor,  remaining  here  one  year.  He  re- 
signed again,  and  entered  the  service  of  the 
North-Western,  served  for  one  year  and  then  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  C.  O.  &  S.  W.  in  1890 
as  a  freight  conductor,  serving  successfully  as  • 
his  record  will  show.  In  1897  he  was  promoted 
to  a  regular  passenger  run. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


245 


Mr.  Miller  is  very  affable  and  is  already 
one  of  the  most  popular  men  on  the  road.  He 
runs  on  trains  No.  221  and  231,  and  201  south, 
and  204,  222  and  232  north,  running  between 
Louisville  and  Fulton,  Kentucky.  During  his 
connection  with  the  Illinois  Central  and  C.  O. 
&  S.  W.,  Mr.  Miller's  career  has  been  free  from 
accidents  and  he  has  a  remarkably  clean  record. 
His  only  injury  in  railroad  life  was  while  with 
the  North-Western  road.  He  had  a  head  end 
collision  and  was  thrown  out  of  the  caboose,  re- 
ceived a  bad  cut  above  the  eye,  narrowly  escaping 
death  and  being  laid  up  four  months. 

Mr.  Miller  married  Miss  Julia  States,  of 
Danville,  Ky.,  a  popular  young  lady.  Mr.  Mil- 
ler is  an  active  member  of  Monon  Division  No. 
89,  O.  R.  C.,  having  been  offered  many  offices 
which  he  declined.  He  resides  at  Hotel  Vic- 
toria, corner  Tenth  and  Broadway,  Louisville, 
Kentucky. 


JW.  DODGE,  chief  clerk  in  the  office  of 
the  division  superintendent  at  Mem- 
O  phis,  is  a  native  of  Grant  county,  Wis- 
consin, born  July  29,  1856.  He  is  a 
son  of  Jeremiah  E.  and  Rachel  M.  (Ashley) 
Dodge,  the  latter  a  member  of  the  Ashley  fam- 
ily of  Susquehanna  county,  Pennsylvania,  who 
were  originally  from  Vermont.  Jeremiah  E. 
Dodge  was  a  native  of  New  York  state  and  one 
of  the  best  known  lawyers  of  Wisconsin.  He 
was  a  Harvard  student,  taking  up  law  as  a 
special  course,  Chief  Justice  Storey  occupying 
the  chair  of  that  department.  He  was  appointed 
adjutant  general  of  the  territory  prior  to  the  ad- 
mission of  Wisconsin  to  statehood,  and  served 
in  each  branch  of  the  legislature  of  the  state  sev- 
eral terms.  Mr.  Dodge,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  county  and  in  the  Lancaster  Institute. 
In  1875  he  was  appointed  engrossing  clerk  of 
the  senate  of  Wisconsin,  serving  one  term.  In 
May  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Lehigh  Valley 
Railroad,  and  at  his  own  request  was  started  at 


the  foot  of  the  ladder,  that  he  might  learn  all 
the  details  of  railway  work.  He  served  first  as 
check  clerk  in  the  local  freight  office  at  Mauch 
Chunk,  later  as  baggage  master  and  night  tel- 
egraph operator.  In  1876  he  was  appointed  tick- 
et agent  at  Mauch  Chunk,  resigning  the 
following  spring  to  return  to  Wisconsin  to  set- 
tle his  father's  estate.  In  May  of  that  year  he 
re-entered  the  service  of  the  Lehigh  Valley  road 
as  clerk  in  the  car  record  office,  and  the  follow- 
ing year  was  appointed  rate  clerk  of  the  general 
freight  office,  where  he  remained  until  he  re- 
signed to  enter  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central. 
May  i,  1880,  Mr.  Dodge  entered  upon  his  duties 
as  clerk  to  division  superintendent  C.  A.  Beck, 
at  Centralia,  111.,  and  about  three  months  later 
was  made  chief  clerk  in  the  same  office.  Here 
he  remained  with  Mr.  Beck  and  his  successor, 
Mr.  T.  J.  Hudson,  after  the  removal  of  the 
office  to  Cairo  until  1883.  When  the  Central  took 
charge  of  the  Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans 
R.  R.,  Mr.  Dodge  was  selected  by  Mr.  E.  T. 
Jeffery,  then  general  superintendent,  to  accom- 
pany him  in  taking  stock  of  the  road  and  witness 
the  transfer.  On  the  completion  of  that  duty 
Mr.  Dodge  was  appointed  assistant  agent  at 
Cairo,  remaining  as  assistant  and  acting  as  agent 
until  July  1887,  in  the  meanwhile  acting  part  of 
the  time  as  traveling  freight  agent.  On  the 
above  date  he  was  appointed  chief  clerk  to  Mr. 
Beck,  and  his  successor  Mr.  A.  W.  Sullivan 
with  whom  he  remained  until  failing  health 
compelled  him  to  resign  April  i,  1890.  For 
two  months  prior  to  this  time  he  was  as- 
signed to  the  special  service  of  investigating  the 
transportation  systems  of  various  railroads, 
which  carried  him  as  far  west  as  the  Pacific 
coast.  Returning  to  his  desk  it  was  soon  found 
that  he  had  returned  to  his  labors  too  soon,  and 
he  was  compelled  to  seek  less  confining  work 
or  a  different  climate.  Being  favorably  im- 
pressed with  the  region  of  Puget  Sound,  he  re- 
signed and  accepted  a  position  as  secretary  of 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce  at  Seattle,  retaining 
that  position  four  years,  resigning  to  engage  in 
lumbering.  In  January  1896  he  returned  to  the 


240 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


service  of  the  Central  as  clerk  in  the  office  of 
Mr.  Wm.  Renshaw,  superintendent  of  'machin- 
ery, and  later  as  chief  clerk  in  the  storeroom  at 
Burnside  shops.  April  i,  1897,  he  was  appoint- 
ed chief  clerk  in  the  office  of  the  superintendent 
at  Memphis,  where  he  has  been  employed  since. 

Mr.  Dodge's  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Mc- 
Mullin,  daughter  of  John  and  Catherine  (Nagle) 
McMullin,  occurred  at  Mauch  Chunk,  October 
14,  1879.  The  children  born  to  them  are  as  fol- 
lows :  Marguerite,  Mary  E.,  Roccena,  Eliza- 
beth, Jeremiah  E.,  John  W.  Jr.,  and  Ruth. 

The  members  of  the  family  are  communi- 
cants of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church.  Mr. 
Dodge  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  has  taken 
quite  a  prominent  part  in  the  active  workings 
of  the  party.  He  was  president  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Sound  Money  Club  of  Illinois, 
in  1896,  and  was  the  spokesman  of  the  delega- 
tion of  Railway  Men's  Sound  Money  Clubs  dur- 
ing their  visit  to  Canton,  Ohio,  during  that  cam- 
paign, delivering  the  address  to  Major  McKin- 
ley.  For  proficiency  and  thoroughness  in  his 
chosen  calling,  few  equal  Mr.  Dodge  on  the  en- 
tire system.  Beginning  at  the  bottom  of  the  lad- 
der he  has  made  himself  familiar  with  every  de- 
tail of  clerical  work,  and  has  fitted  himself  for 
higher  honors  when  the  vacancy  that  is  awaiting 
him  shall  occur. 


PRESTON  A.  SIGHTS,  second  clerk  in 
the  office  of  the  roadmaster  at  Mem- 
phis,  has   had  a  very  short  but  very 
promising    railroad    career.     Born    and 
reared  at  Henderson,   Kentucky,   he  graduated 
from  the  high  school  and  immediately  after  took 
a  commercial  course  in  Lockyear's  Business  Col- 
lege, at  Evansville,  Ind.,  graduating  in  December 
1897.     Assisting  his  father,  A.  B.  Sights,  in  his 
business,  coal  dealing,  for  a  few  months,  he  se- 
cured a  position  in  the  office  of  the  assistant  su- 
perintendent of  the  Louisville  division  of  the  Ill- 
inois Central  road  at  Henderson,  removing  with 
the  office  in  October  to  Evansville  and  remaining 


in  the  service  there  until  March  25,  1899.  Se- 
curing a  situation  in  the  employ  of  a  railroad 
contractor,  he  was  there  engaged  until  July  25, 
1899,  as  bookkeeper,  when  he  resigned  to  become 
yard  clerk  in  the  yards  of  the  Illinois  Central  at 
Evansville.  October  28  following,  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  Memphis  and  made  second  clerk  in 
the  roadmaster's  office,  which  position  he  is  at 
present  filling.  Mr.  Sights  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  church  and  of  the  social  order  Knights 
of  the  Maccabees. 


'ILLIAM  GREEN  HANCOCK,  the 
chief  operator  at  Henderson,  Ken- 
tucky, began  his  railroad  career  at 
a  very  early  age.  Born  at  Green- 
ville, Ky.,  October  21,  1868,  he  received  his  ed- 
ucation in  the  Kentucky  common  schools,  and 
while  yet  a  youth  learned  the  art  of  telegraphy. 
At  the  early  age  of  sixteen  years  he  entered  the 
service  of  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  as  night 
operator  at  Slaughters,  Ky.,  and  from  there  was 
sent  to  Casky,  where  he  remained  two  years  as 
operator  and  agent.  He  was  stationed  succes- 
sively at  Crofton,  Slaughters  and  Nortonville, 
where  he  remained  fourteen  months  as  operator 
and  relief  agent.  In  1890  he  entered  the  service 
of  the  Chesapeake,  Ohio  &  South-Western  as 
operator  at  Covington,  Tenn.,  and  from  there 
was  transferred  to  Fulton,  Ky.,  as  night  operator. 
From  here  he  filled  successively  the  offices  at 
Paducah  Junction,  St.  Charles,  Kuttawa,  Fre- 
donia,  Rives  and  Princeton,  where  he  served  as 
operator  and  bill  clerk.  In  1898  he  was  assigned 
to  the  office  at  Henderson  as  operator,  bill  clerk 
and  assistant  ticket  agent.  Being  at  the  termin- 
us of  the  Evansville  district,  the  position  is  one 
requiring  close  application  to  business,  and  is 
one  of  no  little  responsibility.  Mr.  Hancock 
married  Miss  Ramage,  and  has  one  son  living, 
M.  Rice,  and  a  son  deceased,  Costello,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  four  years.  Mr.  Hancock  is  a 
member  of  the  Tribe  of  Ben  Hur,  Court  No.  3, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


247 


of  Henderson,  Ky.  In  all  the  positions  in 
which  he  has  been  placed,  Mr.  Hancock  has  met 
the  expectations  of  his  employers  and  merited  the 
promotions  that  from  time  to  time  he  has  re- 
ceived. 


JOSEPH  J.  BORNSCHEIN  was  born  in 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  January  17,   1866. 
His  father,  F.  J.  Bornschein,  is  now  de- 
ceased, while  his  mother  resides  in  Louis- 
ville with  her  daughter.     Our  subject  was  edu- 
cated in  the  Louisville  high  school,  afterward 
taking  a  thorough  business  course.       He  was 
with  Pratt  &  Co.  three  years,  as  book-keeper, 
becoming  an  expert  accountant  and  is  very  sys- 
tematic  in   his   work.     He   is  also  an  inventor, 
having  invented  and   patented  a  metal  bicycle 
support,  hat  pin,  and  metal  plating  that  is  more 
durable  than  nickel  plate. 

Mr.  Bornschein,  commenced  railroading  in 
September  1886,  on  the  Chesapeake,  Ohio  & 
Southwestern,  firing  freight  and  passenger,  and 
in  July  1889,  he  was  promoted  to  a  switch  en- 
gine in  the  Paducah  yards.  July  23,  1890,  he 
was  given  a  road  engine  and  ran  on  a  through 
freight  to  Memphis.  He  has,  at  present,  a  pre- 
ferred run  between  the  same  points,  and  drives 
a  new  Brooks  engine,  No.  28.  Our  subject  has 
a  remarkably  good  record,  not  having  had  any 
accidents  or  injuries.  Mr.  Bornschein  married 
Miss  LeBlanc,  the  daughter  of  Dr.  J.  W.  Le 
Blanc,  who  was  a  very  prominent  physician. 
They  have  one  child,  Clifford  Louis,  at  school. 
Our  subject  is  a  progressive,  up-to-date  man, 
a  great  reader  and  also  a  musician,  his  instru- 
ment being  the  mandolin.  He  is  a  member  of 
Division  No.  225,  B.  of  L  .E.,  and  is  at  present 
Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  Lodge,  having 
held  the  office  during  the  years,  1890,  1893,  1894, 
and  1899.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Knights  of 
the  Maccabees,  Griffin  Tent,  No.  47,  and  Blue 
Lodge  No.  449,  Paducah,  Chapter  No.  30  and 
Commandery  No.  u,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He  has  al- 
so taken  the  thirty-two  degrees  of  the  Consis- 
tory of  the  Scottish  Rite  Masonry. 


MBROSE  E.  MERCER,  a  popular  Illi- 
nois Central  freight  engineer,  began 
his  railroad  career  in  1885  as  a  fireman 
on  the  C.  O.  &  S.  W.,  now  the  Louis- 
ville division  of  the  Illinois  Central,  with  En- 
gineer N.  Hudson,  now  of  Memphis,  Tenn.  Our 
subject  fired  both  freight  and  passenger  engines 
until  1888,  when  he  was  promoted  to  engineer 
and  given  a  McQueen  engine,  No.  79,  running 
extra  all  over  the  Louisville  division.  Our  sub- 
ject at  present  has  a  preferred  run  between  Pa- 
ducah and  Central  City,  on  engine  No.  252,  with 
Fireman  Jos.  Stanfield.  He  has  had  several 
good  firemen  promoted  from  his  engine,  and  he 
has  a  fine  record  as  an  engineer. 

Mr.  Mercer  was  born  in  Pennsylvania. 
His  father  is  William  Mercer,  a  practical  miner, 
who  came  to  the  coal  fields  of  Pennsylvania 
from  England,  opening  up  several  important 
mines.  In  1872  he  opened  up  mines  at  Mercer, 
Ky.  Afterward  the  Emporia  mine  was  opened 
in  1878,  he  being  the  proprietor  of  both  of  these 
mining  properties.  He  later  came  to  Paducah 
and  engaged  in  the  coal  business,  being  one  of 
the  leading  coal  dealers  of  the  city  for  seven 
years.  He  is  now  retired  and  living  with  his 
son,  a  religious  and  highly  respected  citizen. 
Our  subject  worked  in  the  coal  mines  in  various 
capacities  five  years,  and  is  considered  an  expert 
miner.  He  has  a  brother,  Thomas  Mercer,  who 
is  an  old  engineer  running  between  Memphis  and 
Cairo,  being  one  of  the  oldest  and  best  known 
men  on  the  road. 

Mr.  Mercer  married  Miss  Mary  Campbell, 
and  has  four  children,  three  boys  and  one  girl, 
Harry  and  Robert  William,  at  school,  Katie 
Belle  and  Leland,  who  have  not  yet  attained  the 
school  age.  Our  subject  is  a  member  of  Div- 
ision No.  225  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  Division  No. 
238,  B.  of  L.  F.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Plain  City  Lodge  No.  449,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He 
built  a  fine  residence  in  1891  at  633  S.  Thirteenth 
street,  where  he  enjoys,  when  off  duty,  the  com- 
forts of  a  happy  home.  Mr.  Mercer  is  a  man  of 
temperate  habits,  who  has  succeeded  by  his  own 
efforts  and  character. 


248 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


SHEAHAN,  roadmaster  on  the  Mem- 
phis division  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
Q  with  headquarters  at  Memphis,  Ten- 
nessee, was  born  at  Moro,  111.,  No- 
vember 27,  1858.  His  parents,  respected  resi- 
dents of  Bath,  Illinois,  were  Dennis  and  Esther 
(Walter)  Sheahan.  Mr.  Sheahan  Sr.,  who  de- 
parted this  life  in  1881,  was  a  native  of  Limerick 
county,  Ireland,  and  had  been  in  railroad  service 
about  thirty  years  as  section  foreman.  He 
served  in  that  capacity  at  Bath;  Illinois,  for  the 
Chicago,  Peoria  &  St.  Louis  R.  R.  (formerly 
the  Peoria,  Pekin  &  Jacksonville  R.  R. )  for  many 
years.  Our  subject  attended  the  public  schools 
of  Bath,  and  worked,  when  a  boy,  on  a  farm. 
At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  began  railroad  life 
as  a  section  hand  under  his  father,  on  the  Peoria, 
Pekin  &  Jacksonville  Railroad  and  was  with  him 
eight  years.  He  was  then  appointed  section  fore- 
man at  Hollis,  Illinois,  and  was  soon  afterward 
sent  to  Peoria,  Illinois,  where  he  was  placed  in 
charge  of  a  section,  which  embraced  the  Peoria 
yards.  He  held  that  position  two  years,  and 
was  then  transferred  to  Havana,  Illinois,  in  a 
similar  position,  remaining  there  five  months. 
He  then  took  charge  of  a  surfacing  gang,  on  the 
Peoria  &  Farmington  R.  R.,  and  was  two  months 
later  promoted  to  foreman  of  track-laying  at 
Peoria.  Serving  there  three  months  in  that  ca- 
pacity, he  was  promoted  to  assistant  roadmaster, 
where  he  was  engaged  for  one  year,  when  the 
road  was  extended  to  Keithsburg,  Illinois,  and 
the  name  changed  to  the  Iowa  Central.  He  was 
then  appointed  roadmaster,  with  headquarters 
at  Monmouth,  Illinois,  and  was  there  for  three 
years,  when  division  headquarters  were  changed 
to  Keithsburg,  Illinois,  to  which  point  he  was 
transferred.  The  division  was  afterward  ex- 
tended to  Oskaloosa,  Iowa,  and  Mr.  Sheahan  had 
charge  of  192  miles  of  track  and  the  last  four 
months  with  that  company  he  was  road  and  train- 
master. He  remained  with  the  Iowa  Central  un- 
til 1893,  when  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  as  supervisor  of  the  second  divi- 
sion, at  Champaign,  Illinois,  where  his  jurisdic- 
tion extended  over  116  miles.  He  held  that 


position  two  years,  and  was  then  transferred  to 
the  fifth  division,  with  headquarters  at  Kankakee, 
Illinois,  and  remained  there  one  year,  when  he 
was  sent  to  Clinton,  Illinois,  as  roadmaster  of  the 
Springfield  division.  He  occupied  that  position 
seven  months,  when  he  resigned  to  go  to  the 
Elgin,  Joliet  &  Eastern  R.  R.  as  roadmaster, 
with  headquarters  at  Joliet,  Illinois.  He  was 
with  the.  latter  road  about  one  year,  when  he 
returned  to  the  I.  C.  service,  as  supervisor  of 
the  seventh  division,  with  headquarters  at  Mur- 
physboro,  Illinois,  and  remained  there  eighteen 
months.  He  was  then  promoted  to  his  present 
position  as  roadmaster  of  the  Memphis  division, 
which  embraces  265  miles  of  main  line  between 
Fulton,  Kentucky,  and  Grenada,  Mississippi. 

On  the  gth  of  June,  1881,  Mr.  Sheahan  was 
married  to  Miss  Mary  T.  Donahue,  of  Peoria. 
Illinois,  where  she  was  born,  June  7,  1861. 
Both  Mr.  Sheahan  and  his  estimable  wife  are 
devoted  members  of  the  Catholic  church.  He 
is  connected  with  the  Catholic  Order  of  Fores- 
ters. In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat.  From  a 
humble  beginning,  Mr.  Sheahan  has,  by  his  un- 
tiring industry  and  energy,  reached  a  position 
of  prominence,  carrying  with  it  the  complete 
confidence  of  the  officials  of  the  road,  and  the 
good  will  and  esteem  of  the  many  employes  un- 
der his  jurisdiction. 


M.  BRANNER,  chief  clerk  in  the 
office  of  the  roadmaster  at  Memphis, 
O  although  a  young  man,  has  made 
rapid  progress  in  the  service  he  has 
chosen  to  make  his  vocation  in  life.  Born  at 
Arcola,  111.,  December  i,  1879,  he  was  reared 
and  educated  at  Jackson,  Tenn.,  whither  the  fam- 
ily removed  during  his  early  childhood.  His 
father,  M.  F.  Branner,  an  extensive  contractor 
during  his  active  business  career,  died  in  1892. 
The  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Rachel 
Becton,  resides  in  Jackson,  Tenn.  Mr.  Branner 
began  his  railroad  career  in  the  spring  of  1895 
as  clerk  in  the  office  of  the  superintendent  at 


ARTHUR  HARMS. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


251 


Jackson,  remaining  about  eighteen  months, 
when  he  was  transferred  to  the  trainmaster's 
office,  serving  there  six  months.  Promoted  to 
second  clerk  in  the  roadmaster's  office,  he  served 
with  such  credit  to  himself  that  in  February  1899 
he  was  transferred  to  Memphis  and  made  chief 
clerk  to  the  roadinaster  there,  which  position  he 
is  holding  at  the  present  time.  Mr.  Branner 
was  reared  in  the  Presbyterian  faith  and  is  in- 
dependent in  politics.  Few  young  men  with  in- 
fluential friends  to  help  them  make  as  rapid  rise 
in  any  calling  as  has  been  made  by  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  By  his  own  merit  he  has  won  pro- 
motions in  a  short  time  that  it  has  taken  others 
years  to  win. 


RTHUR  HARMS,  a  well-known  engi- 
neer in  the  freight  and  passenger  ser- 
vice on  the  Louisiana  division  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  was  born  at  New  Or- 
leans, January  4,  1858.  Henry  Harms,  his 
father,  was  for  a  long  time  connected  with  the 
N.  O.  J.  &  G.  N.  R.  R.  in  the  bridge  construction 
department  of  that  road.  When  but  a  young 
lad  of  sixteen  years,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
began  his  railroad  career  in  the  car  department 
of  the  I.  C.  shops  at  McComb  City,  Miss.,  and 
on  October  12,  1884,  was  given  a  position  as 
fireman,  on  engine  No.  318,  with  G.  Nelson 
as  engineer,  and  A.  Butterworth  as  conductor. 
In  1886  he  was  promoted  to  engineer,  being  em- 
ployed on  a  switch  engine  until  1888.  He  was 
then  given  a  regular  run  in  the  freight  service, 
and  finally  in  the  passenger  service,  where  he  is 
at  present  employed,  in  charge  of  engine  No. 
720,  with  John  Rayford,  who  has  been  with  him 
for  six  years,  as  fireman.  Mr.  Harms  had  a 
narrow  escape  from  death  on  December  22,  1892, 
caused  by  a  "  lap  order  ".  While  running  at  a 
speed  of  forty  miles  an  hour,  with  a  heavy  train 
of  freight,  his  engine  collided  with  an  extra 
freight  on  a  curve  near  Gallman,  demolishing 
both  engines.  Seeing  the  great  danger  which 
threatened  him,  Mr.  Harms  jumped  as  the  en- 
is 


gines  met,  and  received  a  painful  injury  in  his 
knee,  which  for  some  time  incapacitated  him  for 
duty.  This  wreck  was  considered  the  most  dis- 
astrous that  ever  happened  on  the  Louisiana  divi- 
sion of  the  road. 

On  March  25,  1896,  Mr.  Harms  was  united 
in  mariage  to  Miss  Kace  McNeal,  a  popular  lady 
of  Wesson,  Miss.  He  has  just  completed  and 
occupies  one  of  the  finest  residences  in  McComb 
City,  many  of  the  features  being  of  his  own  de- 
sign. This  elegant  home  which  is  appropriately 
furnished,  is  located  in  the  most  aristocratic  sec- 
tion of  the  city,  on  a  high  eminence,  surrounded 
by  a  grove  of  beautiful  shade  trees,  and  stands 
as  a  monument  to  the  pluck  and  energy  of  a  poor 
boy,  who,  to  use  his  own  language,  began  life 
with  less  than  "two-bits."  Mr.  Harms  holds 
membership  in  Division  No.  196,  B.  of  L.  E. 
in  which  he  has  held  various  offices. 


=\\UGENE  B.  CALDWELL,  chief  clerk 
in  the  offices  at  Henderson,  Kentucky, 
holds  an  unusually  responsible  position 
for  one  of  his  age.  Born  at  Austin, 
Tennessee,  in  1875,  after  attending  the  common 
schools  until  1891,  he  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Southern  Railroad  at  Lawrenceburg,  Kentucky, 
as  messenger  boy,  making  himself  useful  as 
clerk,  and  was  soon  promoted  to  bill  clerk  and 
later  to  chief  clerk.  From  Lawrenceburg  he 
was  transferred  to  Paducah  Junction  as  assist- 
ant agent,  and  from  there  to  Hopkinsville  as 
chief  clerk,  where  he  remained  five  months.  He 
was  then  assigned  to  duty  at  Henderson  as  chief 
clerk,  being  held  accountable  for  the  work  of 
the  two  assistants  under  his  charge.  It  is  un- 
usual for  one  of  his  years  to  have  attained  so 
responsible  a  position.  He  is  quick  and  accurate 
and  thoroughly  reliable,  which  accounts  for  his 
rapid  rise.  Mr.  Caldwell  was  married  to  Miss 
Lula  Ausenbaugh,  of  Hopkinsville.  Their  home 
is  at  present  at  Henderson. 


252 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


T.  ERTCKSON  is  a  popular  young 
conductor  on  the  Louisiana  division 
of  the  Illinois  Central,  in  the  freight 
department.  Beginning  in  1892  at 
Canton,  as  a  fireman  on  the  Mississippi  division 
of  the  I.  C.  with  Engineer  Wilder,  he  was  for 
two  years  in  that  branch  of  the  service.  He 
then  went  to  the  Louisiana  division,  and  until 
1899  was  engaged  as  a  brakeman,  and  in  the  lat- 
ter year  was  promoted  to  conductor  in  the  freight 
service,  where  he  has  since  remained.  He  has 
been  in  a  few  small  wrecks  while  on  the  road, 
the  most  serious  being  at  Hazelhurst,  Missis- 
sippi, in  which  several  were  injured.  He,  how- 
ever, was  fortunate  in  escaping. 

Miss  Leila  C.  Hemphill,  of  McComb  City, 
became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Erickson.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  Mrs.  Amelia  Hemphill,  the  propri- 
etress of  a  boarding  house  in  that  city,  a  very 
popular  stopping  place  with  the  employes  of  the 
I.  C.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Erickson's  marriage  has 
been  blessed  by  a  bright  little  daughter,  Maude, 
born  April  14,  1894.  Mr.  Erickson  is  connected 
with  Myrtle  Lodge  No.  36,  Knights  of  Pythias, 
and  is  also  a  member  of  Division  No.  264,  B.  of 
R.  T.  of  McComb  City.  He  has  a  comfortable 
home  on  Broadway  and  is  a  useful  and  progres- 
sive citizen  of  that  cit. 


THEODORE  MORENO  JR.,  chief  clerk 
in  the  local  freight  offices  at  Memphis, 
was  born  at  Tougalo,  Georgia,  Decem- 
ber i6th,  1872,  and  educated  in  the 
schools  of  Gainesville,  Georgia.  While  quite  a 
lad  he  began  for  himself  as  cash-boy  in  a  large 
store  in  Gainesville,  and  two  years  later  was 
given  a  clerkship  in  the  same  establishment 
where  he  remained  four  years.  In  1891  on  com- 
ing to  Memphis,  he  entered  the  service  of  the 
Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Texas  Railroad  as 
clerk  in  the  auditor's  office,  and  a  year  later  was 
transferred  to  the  local  freight  office  where  he 
was  employed  at  the  time  the  road  was  absorbed 
by  the  Central  in  1892.  Under  the  new  man- 
agement he  became  report  clerk  in  1894,  and  was 


successively  promoted  to  rate  revising  clerk. 
night  chief  clerk,  station  accountant,  and  in  Aug- 
ust 1897  became  cashier,  and  six  months  later 
chief  clerk  in  the  freight  department,  where  he 
is  at  present  employed.  Theodore  Moreno  Sr. 
is  a  civil  engineer,  now  retired,  who  served  many 
years  in  the  employ  of  the  Atlanta  &  Charlotte 
Railroad.  He  married  Miss  Virginia  Anderson, 
a  native  of  Florida.  They  are  members  of  the 
Episcopal  church,  in  which  their  son  was  reared. 
Mr.  Moreno  is  a  Democrat  in  politics.  He  is 
accurate  and  quick  at  figures  and  his  integrity 
is  of  the  strictest  kind,  winning  for  him  the  con- 
fidence of  his  superiors  in  the  service. 


EORGE  B.  McCOY,  train  despatcher 
at  Memphis,  was  born  at  West  Point, 
Kentucky,  April  23,  1856,  and  re- 
ceived his  education  at  the  famous 
Military  Institute  at  Lexington.  Having  learned 
telegraphy,  in  1876  he  accepted  a  position  with 
the  Ohio  River  Telegraph  company,  and  shortly 
after  joined  the  force  of  the  Pacific  &  Atlantic 
Telegraph  company,  both  of  Louisville.  Hav- 
ing a  taste  for  railroading,  in  1877  he  secured  a 
position  as  sleepingcar  conductor,  running  out 
of  New  Orleans  until  the  following  year,  when 
the  service  was  abandoned  on  account  of  the 
prevalence  of  the  yellow  fever.  Being  offered 
a  position  by  G.  M.  Dugan,  superintendent  of 
telegraph,  in  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
he  accepted  in  December  1878,  and  filled  the 
position  of  operator  and  chief  clerk  in  East 
Cairo,  Kentucky,  two  years.  Transferred  to  the 
despatcher's  office  at  Jackson,  Tennessee,  he  re- 
mained but  a  short  time,  then  was  assigned  as 
despatcher  to  accompany  the  construction  force 
during  the  building  of  the  Canton,  Aberdeen  & 
Nashville  road,  and  remained  at  Aberdeen  as  de- 
spatcher until  1888.  When  the  Illinois  Central 
bought  the  Mississippi  &  Tennessee  Railroad 
and  created  the  Memphis  division,  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  Memphis  and  made  one  of  the  despatch- 
ers  there,  which  position  he  has  since  filled  to 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


253 


the  satisfaction  of  his  employers.  Mr.  McCoy 
is  a  son  of  Bernard  McCoy,  deceased,  formerly 
a  merchant  at  West  Point.  The  mother,  Ann 
E.  Withers  in  maidenhood,  survives  him. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  McCoy  occurred  Jan- 
nan-  3,  1889.  at  Aberdeen,  Mississippi,  the  home 
of  the  bride,  Miss  Madie  E.  Montgomery,  a 
native  of  that  place,  born  October  i8th,  1878. 
Their  only  child,  Harry  Bernard,  was  born  at 
Memphis,  November  25,  1893.  The  family  be- 
long to  the  Methodist  church,  south,  and  Mr. 
McCoy  to  the  Royal  Arcanum.  In  politics  he 
lias  been  a  lifelong  Democrat. 


read. 


,  OBERT  S.  ALFORD,  an  energetic  and 
popular  employe  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, is  a  conductor  in  the  freight  ser- 
vice on  the  Louisiana  division  of  the 
At  the  age  of  ten  years  he  was  employed 
as  messenger  and  errand  boy  at  the  depot  in 
Johnstons,  Miss.,  where  he  remained  for  five 
years.  Being  a  thrifty  lad,  he  accumulated  suf- 
ficient funds  during  those  five  years  to  give  him 
a  college  course  of  three  years  at  Holmesville, 
-Mississippi,  where  he  acquired  a  good  practical 
education.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  went  to 
McComb  City  and  again  entered  the  service  of 
the  I.  C.  as  a  brakeman  on  the  Louisiana  divis- 
ion, in  which  branch  of  the  service  he  was  em- 
ployed until  October  1890.  He  was  then  pro- 
moted to  conductor,  and  has  since  had  a  regular 
run  between  McComb  City  and  Canton.  In  a 
serious  wreck,  a  head  end  collision  which  oc- 
curred on  March  8th,  1891,  at  Martinsville, 
Mississippi,  he  was  injured,  and  for  nine  months 
incapacitated  for  work. 

Mr.  A  1  ford  was  born  on  a  farm  near  Johns- 
tons, Mississippi,  where  his  father,  Leandor  R. 
Alford,  still  resides  on  the  old  homestead.  In  the 
paternal  family  there  were  three  sons  beside  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  Barney  and  Harvey,  who 
are  at  home,  and  Monroe,  a  teacher  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  near  his  home.  Mr.  Alford  belongs 
to  the  Knights  of  Maccabees,  Knights  of  Pyth- 


ias, and  O.   R.   C.  of  McComb  City,  where  he 
makes  his  home  with  Conductor  Erickson. 

jtjtjtjtjtjt 

].  LAWRENCE,  a  prominent  and 
highly  popular  conductor,  in  the  pas- 
senger  service  of  the  Yazoo  &  Missis- 
sippi Valley  R.  R.,  with  headquarters 
at  Memphis,  Tenn.  was  born  in  Hartford,  Ky., 
on  June  12,  1865,  and  is  a  son  of  H.  J.  and  Eliza- 
beth (Coates)  Lawrence,  both  deceased.  The 
educational  training  of  our  subject  was  acquired 
in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  place,  and  at 
South  Carrollton  College,  in  Calhoun  county, 
Ky.  At  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  began  railroad 
life,  as  a  student  of  telegraphy  at  Caneyville, 
Ky.,  on  the  Chesapeake,  Ohio  &  South  Western 
R.  R.  (now  the  Illinois  Central)  and  was  soon 
afterward  given  the  position  of  night  operator 
at  that  point,  where  he  remained  eighteen  months. 
He  was  then  sent  to  Trimble,  Tenn.,  as  agent 
and  operator,  remaining  there  about  the  same 
length  of  time,  and  was  then  transferred  to 
Obion,  Tenn.,  holding  a  similar  position  there 
for  three  years.  Desiring  a  change  of  climate, 
he  resigned  and  went  to  Texas,  and  was  ap- 
pointed agent  and  operator  for  the  San  Antonio 
&  Aransas  Pass  R.  R.  at  Driscoll,  in  that  state, 
and  after  four  months  service  was  transferred 
to  Corpus  Christi  as  bill  clerk  in  the  local  freight 
office,  occupying  that  position  eight  months.  He 
next  went  to  Memphis,  Tenn.,  and  entered  the 
road  service  of  the  Louisville,  New  Orleans  & 
Texas  R.  R.  (now  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Val- 
ley R.  R.)  as  a  brakeman  between  Memphis  and 
Vicksburg,  and  after  a  service  of  one  year  was, 
on  December  18,  1891,  promoted  to  conductor 
in  the  freight  service  on  the  same  run.  He  held 
the  latter  position  until  September  7,  1897,  when 
he  was  discharged  for  failing  to  clear  passenger 
trains  according  to  the  rules  and  regulations 
then  existing.  He  then  entered  the  service  of 
the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  R.  R.  as  a  brake- 
man, between  Houston  and  Hillsboro,  Texas, 
remaining  there  four  months.  While  switching 
in  the  yards  at  Taylor,  Texas,  he  lost  two  fingers 


254 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


of  his  right  hand,  which  caused  him  to  remain 
in  the  hospital  for  three  months.  Upon  recov- 
ery he  resumed  his  work  as  brakeman,  being 
promoted  to  conductor  on  September  i,  1898, 
and  working  three  months.  He  was  then  re- 
instated in  his  former  position  and  rights  on  the 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.,  and  was  in 
the  freight  service  until  February  8,  1899,  when 
he  was  promoted  to  the  passenger  service  and 
given  a  regular  run  on  the  Vicksburg  division, 
between  Memphis  and  Vicksburg,  where  he  is 
now  serving  successfully,  and  one  of  the  most 
popular  conductors  on  that  division.  Mr.  Law- 
rence is  a  member  of  Vicksburg  Division,  No. 
231,  O.  R.  C.  His  family  attend  the  Christian 
church,  and  politically  he  is  a  strong  Democrat. 


NDREW  J.  FRALEY,  freight  engineer, 
a  trusty  employe  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
began  his  railroad  career  in  1876  on 
the  Eastern  Kentucky  Railroad  as  fire- 
man, working  a  short  time.  He  then  went  on 
the  Lexington  division  of  the  Chesapeake  & 
Ohio  Railroad  where  he  fired  five  years,  four 
years  of  this  time  being  in  passenger  service. 
He  next  worked  on  the  Cincinnati  Southern  road 
and  the  Cincinnati,  Hamilton  &  Dayton  line  some 
six  months  and  an  equal  period  on  the  Alabama 
Great  Southern  Railroad. 

Coming  to  Paducah  he  fired  one  year  be- 
tween Padncah  and  Louisville  when  he  was  pro- 
moted to  engineer  and  took  charge  of  engine 
No.  50.  From  1887  to  August  7,  1890,  he  was 
in  this  employ  and  then  resigned,  returning  to 
the  service  of  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio,  remain-- 
ing  until  February  1893,  when  he  came  back  to 
Paducah  and  has  been  running  since  in  the 
freight  service  with  a  seat  in  the  cab  of  a  Brooks 
engine,  No.  22,  with  Thomas  Mullen  firing. 

Our  subject  has  a  good  record,  having  re- 
ceived no  severe  injury.  He  had  a  very  close 
call  July  13,  1898;  while  moving  at  the  rate  of 
thirty  miles  struck  an  extra  freight  train  at  Gar- 
rison Creek  trestle  and  he  jumped.  The  trestle 


was  thirty  feet  high  and  Mr.  Fraley  rolled  thir- 
ty feet,  but  escaped  death  and  was  out  of  service 
only  a  few  days  with  his  injuries.  Thirty-six 
cars  were  wrecked  and  both  engines  demolished. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Virginia,  a  son  of 
Mr.  Boone  Fraley,  farmer,  now  dead,  as  is  the 
mother  who  passed  away  in  early  life.  Our  sub- 
ject has  had  to  earn  his  own  living  since  his 
childhood,  and  he  is  a  self-made  man. 

Mr.  Fraley  married  Miss  Rindenbrugh,  and 
has  five  children  :  Mary,  Orville,  William  R., 
Freddie  and  Jeanette.  He  is  an  active  member 
of  Division  No.  225,  B.  of  L.  E.,  having  joined 
the  Order  in  1887.  His  genial  nature  has  made 
him  a  host  of  warm  friends  from  one  end  of  the 
line  to  the  other. 


J.  SHEA,  the  efficient  foreman  of 
the  blacksmith  shops  of  the  Illi- 
Q  nois  Central  at  McComb  City, 
.Mississippi,  began  work  in  the 
shops  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years.  After  serving 
an  apprenticeship,  he  remained  in  the  shops  un- 
til 1889,  when  he  went  to  Vicksburg,  Mississippi, 
and  was  employed  in  the  Louisville,  New  Or- 
leans &  Texas  Railroad  blacksmith  shops  at  that 
place  for  about  fifteen  months.  Returning  to 
the  shops  at  McComb  City,  he  was  for  seven 
years  in  charge  of  what  is  known  as  the  "first 
fire,"  when  he  was  promoted  to  foreman  of  the 
shops,  and  has  held  that  position  ever  since.  He 
now  has  charge  of  thirty-two  men,  and  his  de- 
partment is  kept  very  busy.  His  long  incum- 
bency as  foreman,  and  the  capable  manner  in 
which  he  handles  his  force,  show  him  to  be  a 
man  of  marked  ability. 

Mr.  Shea  was  born  at  Binghamton,  New 
York,  on  March  3Oth,  1867,  and  is  the  son  of 
John  Shea,  who  was  a  section  foreman  in  the 
service  of  the  I.  C.  for  twenty  years,  and  who 
died  at  Canton,  Mississippi,  while  in  the  employ 
of  that  road.  Mr.  Shea  married  Miss  Cecelia 
Daigle,  of  Natchez,  Mississippi,  and  resides  with 
his  estimable  wife  in  a  fine  home  in  the  western 
part  of  McComb  City. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


255 


R.  WHEELER,  city  pas- 
senger  and  ticket  agent  of  the  Illinois 
Central  at  Evansville,  Indiana  ,  was 
born  at  Union  Springs,  New  York,  a 
son  of  B.  D.  Wheeler,  a  tanner  by  trade.  Our 
subject  received  his  education  in  the  New  York 
public  schools  until  seventeen  years  of  age,  when 
he  went  to  Seymour,  Indiana,  and  was  employed 
in  a  general  store.  His  first  railroading  was  in 
Vincennes,  Indiana,  on  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi 
Railroad  in  the  local  freight  office  as  clerk,  and 
then  went  into  the  mechanical  department  as 
clerk  in  the  master  mechanic's  office,  after  which 
he  went  into  the  ticket  office  at  the  union  depot  in 
Vincennes,  where  he  remained  six  years  as  tick- 
et agent.  He  was  then  made  traveling  freight 
and  passenger  agent  under  G.  J.  Grammer,  who 
.is  now  with  the  Lake  Shore  road.  Later  he  be- 
came general  baggage  agent  of  the  Mackey  sys- 
tem. When  the  roads  were  separated  he  went 
with  the  Ohio  Valley  Railroad  as  chief  clerk  in 
the  general  freight  and  passenger  office,  and 
when  the  road  was  absorbed  by  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral he  was  made  city  passenger  and  ticket  agent 
with  headquarters  at  200  Main  street,  Evans- 
ville, Indiana.  Mr.  Wheeler  married  a  daughter 
of  Henry  Grady,  of  Tiffin,  Ohio,  and  has  three 
children:  Charles  S.,  Florence  E.,  and  Fred- 
erick R.  Jr.  Our  subject  belongs  to  the  National 
Union,  a  railroad  insurance  order.  He  is  a 
pleasant  and  accommodating  agent,  and  holds  a 
very  responsible  position. 


L.  WRAY,  a  conductor  in  the 
freight  department  of  the  Yazoo 
&  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  on  the 
Vicksburg  division,  was  born  in 
Popes,  Miss.,  September  23,  1874,  and  is  the  son 
of  Elijah  S.  and  Sallie  A.  (Collins)  Wray,  both 
deceased.  After  attending  the  schools  of  his 
native  place  until  fourteen  years  of  age,  Mr. 
Wray  began  life  as  a  clerk  in  a  grocery  store  at 
Huntington,  Miss.,  and  one  year  later  (1889) 
went  to  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R. 


as  a  newsboy,  where  he  was  employed  four  years 
and  ran  on  the  entire  system  between  New  Or- 
leans and  Memphis.  He  then  worked  in  the 
same  capacity  on  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  R.  R., 
and  the  Kansas  City,  Memphis  &  Birmingham 
R.  R.  successively,  remaining  in  constant  service 
until  twenty-one  years  old.  He  then  became  a 
flagman  on  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  R.  R.,  between  Mem- 
phis and  Vicksburg  where  he  served  six  months, 
being  then  transferred  in  a  like  capacity  to  the 
local  freight  between  Memphis  and  Clarksdale. 
He  was  then  promoted  to  brakeman  in  the 
freight  service  between  Coahoma  and  Rolling 
Fork,  Miss.,  and  later  was  transferred  in  a  sim- 
ilar position  to  a  through  freight  between  Mem- 
phis and  Vicksburg.  He  retained  the  latter  po- 
sition until  March  23,  1898,  when  his  services 
were  rewarded  by  promotion  to  conductor  on 
a  through  freight  on  the  same  run,  where  he  is 
now  serving  with  eminent  satisfaction. 

Mr.  Wray  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church 
and  is  a  strong  Democrat  politically. 


D.  COBOURN,  chief  clerk  in  the 
trainmaster's  office  at  Memphis, 
Q  was  born  in  Winchester,  Virginia, 
March  23rd,  1867,  and  attended 
both  public  and  private  schools  of  his  native 
place.  His  father,  William  F.  Cobourn,  was  an 
employe  of  the  Illinois  Central,  and  lost  his  life 
by  accident  on  duty  as  a  lineman  between  Brad- 
ford and  Greenfield,  Tennessee,  November  17, 
1885.  The  mother,  Lucy  E.  Cobourn,  nee 
Drake,  resides  at  Fulton,  Kentucky. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-two  Mr.  Cobourn  be- 
came a  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store  at  Fulton, 
where  he  remained  about  two  years,  when  he  se- 
cured a  position  as  clerk  with  the  Mobile  & 
Ohio  road  at  Rives,  Tennessee.  About  three 
years  after  his  entrance  into  the  service  of  that 
road,  the  financial  depression  caused  the  reduc- 
tion of  the  force,  and  for  a  time  he  was  idle,  but 
on  the  revival  of  business  he  was  reinstated  and 
assigned  to  duty  at  Cairo  where  he  remained 


256 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


about  one  year,  and  was  then  transferred  to 
Union  City,  Tennessee.  About  a  year  later  lie 
was  transferred  to  the  offices  at  St.  Louis,  where 
he  remained  but  a  short  time  before  being  re- 
turned to  the  office  at  Cairo.  In  1896  he  re- 
signed and  accepted  a  place  in  the  office  of  the 
Illinois  Central  at  Fulton,  Kentucky,  and  No- 
vember 17,  1897,  lie  was  transferred  to  Mem- 
phis,, to  the  trainmaster's  office,  and  made  chief 
clerk,  which  position  he  still  holds.  Mr.  Co- 
bourn  is  a  member  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
church,  and  affiliates  with  the  Knights  of  Pyth- 
ias. Politically  he  is  a  Democrat. 


ILLIAM  GARDNER,  an  engineer 
in  the  freight  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  on  the  Louisiana  division, 
has  been  connected  with  the  road 
since  1894.  Beginning  as  a  carpenter  with  a 
"  bridge  gang  ",  he  remained  at  that  work  only 
a  few  months,  when  he  decided  to  return  to 
school.  In  1895  he  went  to  McComb  City, 
Mississippi,  and  entered  the  road  service  of  the 
I.  C.  as  fireman  on  the  Louisiana  division,  with 
Engineer  Charles  Gilmore.  After  a  faithful  ser- 
vice of  four  years  and  eight  months  in  that 
branch  of  the  service,  he  was  examined  for  pro- 
motion to  engineer,  in  which  he  was  highly  suc- 
cessful, and  was  given  charge  of  engine  No. 
1135  on  the  Manifest  run  on  the  south  end  of 
the  Louisiana  division.  He  was  there  only  a 
short  time  when  he  took  charge  of  a  regular 
run  in  the  freight  department.  He  has  never 
been  in  a  wreck  during  his  service  on  the  road. 

Mr.  Gardner  was  born  at  Summit,  Miss., 
March  28,  1873.  His  father,  William  S.  Gard- 
ner, was  a  farmer  of  Liberty,  Miss.  Both  pa- 
rents of  our  subject  died  in  the  prime  of  life.  A 
sister.  Alma  Lee  Gardner,  became  the  wife  of 
Charles  N.  McKnight,  who  is  also  an  employe  of 
the  I.  C. 

Mr.  Gardner  was  for  three  years  a  student 
at  the  A.  and  M.  College  of  Mississippi,  and 
while  there  was  a  member  of  the  Lee  Guards, 


a  military  organization.  He  was  married  to 
Miss  Almeta  H.  Hemphill,  of  Byram,  Miss.  A 
lovely  little  daughter,  Eugenia  Belle,  has  blessed 
their  union.  Socially  Mr.  Gardner  is  a  member 
of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  Protective 
Knights  of  America,  and  B.  of  L.  F.  He  is 
a  charter  member  of  Ensign  Lodge  No.  411, 
acting  as  a  member  of  the  Grievance  Committee, 
and  is  at  present  a  delegate  to  the  convention  of 
the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Firemen,  to  be 
held  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  during  the  present 
year  (1900).  He  resides  in  a  pretty  home  in 
the  western  part  of  McComb  City,  and  is  a 
highly  respected  citizen  of  that  community. 


'ILLIAM  R.  WILKINSON  is  of  old 
Virginia  stock.  His  father,  William 
Wilkinson,  was  killed  in  the  civil 
war  and  his  mother  is  since  deceased. 
Our  subject's  brother,  P.  B.  Wilkinson,  is  a 
passenger  conductor  running  out  of  Jackson, 
haying  been  conductor  since  1874.  He  has  an- 
other brother,  J.  J.  Wilkinson,  who  is  a  success- 
ful business  man  at  Morristown. 

Our  subject  began  his  railroad  service  as  a 
brakeman  on  the  main  line  of  the  Illinois  Central 
and  was  promoted  to  conductor  in  1878,  having 
served  less  than  one  year  in  the  former  position. 
Mr.  Wilkinson  ran  between  Water  Valley  and 
Jackson,  Miss.,  up  to  1883,  after  which  time  he 
went  to  the  narrow  gauge  road.  He  worked 
there  five  or  six  years  and  in  1891  came  back  to 
the  main  line  and  remained  there  up  to  1895 
when  he  came  to  Paducah  as  conductor.  Our 
subject's  present  run  is  a  preferred  one  out  of 
Paducah  on  caboose  98491.  He  has  a  remark- 
ably clean  record,  not  having  had  any  accidents 
or  injuries.  He  is  also  a  thorough  business  man 
and  one  who  is  well-liked. 

Mr.  Wilkinson  married  Miss  Tebbets.  He 
is  a  member  of  Division  No.  290,  O.  R.  C.  and 
is  at  present  Senior  Conductor  of  the  Lodge. 
He  is  also  a  prominent  Mason,  being  a  member 
of  the  Paducah  Lodge  No.  127. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


•257 


LLEN  J.  JORGENSON,  was  born  in 
Florence,  Indiana.  His  father,  N. 
Jorgenson,  was  an  insurance  man,  who 
engaged  in  that  business  in  Henderson. 
Our  subject,  the  trusty  and  successful  dispatcher, 
commenced  railroad  service  at  Henderson  as  op- 
erator, served  several  years  and  was  next  made 
agent.  Afterwards  he  was  "trick"  dispatcher  at 
Earlington,  Ky.,  for  eight  years,  and  then  came 
to  Paducah  in  the  same  capacity,  serving  ten 
years  when  he  was  made  agent  and  afterward 
chief  dispatcher.  He  has  two  train  dispatchers, 
W.  L.  Bennett  and  J.  B.  Alvey,  also  two  opera- 
tors, R.  Foster  and  W.  O.  Rodgers,  in  the  office 
under  his  charge. 

Mr.  Jorgenson  married  a  daughter  of  Dr. 
G.  Davis,  and  has  one  child,  Susie,  a  young  miss 
at  school.  Our  subject  is  a  Mason,  belonging 
to  Plain  City  Lodge  No.  449.  His  home  is  at 
Paducah. 


.OBERT  DAWES,  a  good  natured 
freight  conductor  on  the  Louisville  di- 
vision  of  the  Illinois  Central,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Stanford,  Kentucky.  His 
father,  A.  Dawes,  was  a  liveryman  in  Ken- 
tucky, but  afterwards  moved  to  Missouri.  Our 
subject  learned  telegraphing  and  in  1879  entered 
the  service  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  as  operator, 
but  in  1880  he  went  to  New  Mexico  as  a  tele- 
graph operator  on  the  Santa  Fe.  Soon  after  he 
came  back  to  the  Missouri  Pacific  as  conductor 
and  dispatcher,  and  from  1884  to  1887  he  worked 
on  the  construction  through  western  Kansas  and 
Colorado.  After  the  completion  of  the  road  he 
secured  a  place  on  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande, 
at  Pueblo.  His  next  position  was  at  Clarendon, 
Texas,  where  he  spent  one  year  as  dispatcher. 
During  the  next  four  years  he  was  in  the  employ 
of  the  Santa  Fe  as  conductor.  After  this  he 
left  the  road  and  engaged  in  the  restaurant  bus- 
iness for  six  months.  In  1894  he  came  to  the 
C.  O.  &  S.  W.,  working  at  Paducah  two  years 
as  conductor.  His  present  run  is  a  preferred 


one  between  Paducah  and  Louisville.  He  has 
never  been  injured,  but  he  has  had  varied  ex- 
periences. He  is  considered  a  thorough  railroad 
man. 

In  1884  Mr.  Dawes  married  a  lady  of  West 
Virginia,  and  they  have  six  children :  Ethel, 
Lillian,  Bernie,  Robert,  Morgan  and  Palmer. 
He  resides  at  Louisville. 


JOHN  A.  SCOTT,  division  passenger  agent 
for  the  Illinois  Central  at  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  was  born  in  that  city  on  Novem- 
ber ist,  1865.  He  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  city,  and  also  took 
a  business  course  at  the  Robertson  Business  Col- 
lege there.  Mr.  Scott  began  his  railroad  career 
at  Memphis  in  September  1880,  as  clerk  in  the 
office  of  J.  T.  Harahan,  superintendent  of  the 
Louisville  &  Nashville  R.  R.,  and  was,  in  1882, 
assigned  to  the  city  ticket  office  of  that  road,  as 
assistant  ticket  agent.  In  1884  he  was  promoted 
to  city  passenger  agent,  and  in  1888  succeeded 
to  the  city  ticket  agency  for  the  Louisville  & 
Nashville,  Illinois  Central,  and  Little  Rock  & 
Memphis  roads.  In  1891  he  was  made  district 
passenger  agent  for  the  Louisville  &  Nashville, 
with  headquarters  at  Memphis,  and  resigned  in 
September  1893  to  accept  the  position  of  general 
agent  of  the  passenger  department,  at  Memphis, 
for  the  Kansas  City,  Fort  Scott  &  Memphis  R. 
R.,  and  the  Kansas  City,  Memphis  &  Birming- 
ham R.  R.  He  left  the  service, of  those  roads 
to  take  his  present  position  with  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral. Mr.  Scott's  jurisdiction  covers  the  Yazoo 
&  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.,  and  all  branches 
between  Memphis,  Tenn.,  and  Baton  Rouge,  La. ; 
and  the  Illinois  Central  from  Paducah,  Ky.,  to 
Cairo.  111.,  and  to  Grenada,  Miss.,  including  also 
the  main  line  of  the  I.  C.  between  Fulton  and 
Grenada,  and  reporting  to  the  assistant  general 
passenger  agent  at  Louisville,  Ky. 

He  is  an  official  of  splendid  executive  abil- 
ity, courteous  and  obliging  in  all  his  relations 
with  the  public,  and  ever  vigilant  and  ambitious 


258 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


to  guard  the  interests  of  the  I.  C.  road  and  pro- 
mote its  prosperity,  and  is  justly  popular  with 
•  all  with  whom  he  is  brought  in  contact. 


,RANK  WINTERS,  a  young  freight 
engineer  on  the  Louisville  division  of 
the  Illinois  Central,  began  September 
1888,  firing  with  Engineer  Haywood 
between  Paducah  and  Memphis.  He  was  pro- 
moted to  engineer  in  1895,  having  run  a  switch 
engine  one  year.  Our  subject  ran  both  north 
and  south  out  of  Paducah,  when  he  was  given 
his  present  run  on  the  north  end  between  Padu- 
cah and  Central  City.  He  has  a  fine  Brooks  en- 
gine of  the  newest  type,  and  has  a  good  record. 

Mr.  Winters  was  born  in  Ripley,  Ohio. 
His  father,  a  cigar  manufacturer,  died  when  our 
subject  was  quite  small.  Of  the  leading  social 
orders  Mr.  Winters  is  a  prominent  member.  In 
the  Masonic  bodies  he  affiliates  with  Blue  Lodge 
No.  449,  the  Chapter  No.  30,  and  the  Command- 
ery  No.  n,  while  the  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Red 
Men  claim  his  allegiance.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  Division  No.  225,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Paducah. 
Although  one  of  the  younger  engineers  he  has 
attained  a  proficiency  and  interest  in  his  work 
that  will  advance  him  as  fast  as  there  are  open- 
ings at  the  top  for  progressive  young  men. 


ILLIAM  SPEAR  FORSYTHE, 
a  passenger  conductor  on  the  Lou- 
isville division  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, is  a  native  of  New  Concord, 
Ohio,  having  been  born  there  in  December  1859. 
His  father  was  J  .V.  Forsythe,  a  tanner  by  trade, 
who  died  in  1881.  He  moved  to  Kansas  and  our 
subject  was  educated  there.  He  left  school  when 
he  was  fourteen  years  of  age,  working  at  various 
occupations  until  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  when 
he  entered  the  train  service  of  the  Missouri  Pa- 


cific as  brakeman,  and  was  promoted  to  conduc- 
tor on  that  road.  In  1891  he  came  to  the  C.  O. 
&  S.  W.  and  was  given  a  freight  train,  and  ran 
an  extra  passenger  between  Central  City  and 
Paducah.  Our  subject's  present  run  is  a  through 
passenger  between  Louisville  and  Fulton.  He 
has  a  fine  record. 

Our  subject  married  Miss  Brady,  of  Osa- 
watomie,  Kansas,  and  has  two  daughters,  Helen 
and  Ethel.  Mr.  Forsythe  is  a  member  of  Mo- 
non  Division  No.  89,  O.  R.  C.,  of  Louisville ; 
also  belongs  to  Lodge  No.  184,  K.  of  P.,  and  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  both  of  Osawatomie,  Kansas.  Our 
subject  resides  at  Louisville. 


RANT  O.  LORD,  is  a  popular  conduc- 
tor in  the  freight  service  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad  on  the  Louisi- 
ana division.     He  was  born  in  Berks 
county,    Pa.,   on   September    igth,    1869,   and   is 
the  son  of  John  R.  and  Mary  L.  Lord,  both  na- 
tives of  Pennsylvania. 

John  R.  Lord  was  for  a  time  employed  on 
the  Middle  division  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
as  a  clerk,  and  later  as  a  conductor.  He  was 
also  connected  with  the  Philadelphia  &  Reading 
road,  but  in  1881  went  to  Nebraska  where  he 
engaged  in  merchandising  and  stock  buying.  He 
remained  at  that  business  until  removing  to 
Hammond,  Miss.,  where  he  is  now  living  retired. 
Grant  O.  Lord  entered  the  service  of  the 
Illinois  Central  at  Hammond,  Miss.,  in  1888,  as 
a  brakeman  on  the  Louisiana  division  of  the 
road,  and  in  1890  was  promoted  to  conductor  in 
the  freight  service.  He  occupied  the  latter  posi- 
tion until  1893,  when  he  resigned  to  engage  in 
the  saw-mill  business  at  Hammond,  La.,  but  re- 
mained at  that  work  only  one  year.  Returning 
to  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  he  resumed  his  former 
position,  and  has  since  had  a  regular  run  in  the 
freight  service  on  the  Louisiana  division.  Dur- 
ing his  career  with  the  road,  he  has  been  in  two 
wrecks,  the  most  serious  of  which  was  between 


JAMES  M.  HOKKINS. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


261 


Gallman  and  Crystal  Springs,  Miss.,  in  1892, 
and  another  at  South  Port.  In  the  latter  a  large 
amount  of  stock  was  killed.  He  was  fortunate 
in  escaping  injury,  especially  in  the  first  wreck, 
which  was  a  head  end  collision. 

Mr.  Lord  was  married  to  Miss  Enos,  of 
Summit,  Miss.,  and  they  have  a  bright  daughter, 
Margaret  F. 

He  affiliates  with  the  Masonic  order,  and 
is  also  a  member  of  Division  No.  367,  O.  R.  C. 
at  McComb  City,  where  he  resides  in  a  comfort- 
able home. 


JAMES  M.  HOSKINS,  a  prominent  en- 
gineer in  the  freight  service  on  the  Lou- 
isiana division  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
was  born  in  Brookhaven,  Miss.,  in  No- 
vember 1857.  His  father  and  grandfather  were 
extensive  railroad  contractors  and  lumbermen. 
In  1879  the  father  built,  under  contract,  twenty- 
five  miles  of  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R. 
R.,  from  Vicksburg  to  Big  Black  River.  He 
also  built  the  road  from  Holly  Springs  to  Mem- 
phis. In  1880  •  he  constructed  the  Hoskins 
branch,  and  sold  it  to  the  Illinois  Central  in  1891. 
The  Gulf  &  Ship  Island  R.  R.  and  the  Brook- 
haven  branch  were  built  under  their  supervision. 
Mr.  Hoskins  Sr.  organized  the  Hoskins  Battery, 
during  the  Civil  war,  and  served  during  the  en- 
tire war,  from  1861  to  1865.  They  were  noted 
for  bravery,  and  always  found  in  the  thickest  of 
the  fight.  He  died  in  Jackson,  Miss.,  during  the 
yellow  fever  epidemic  in  1898,  his  wife  dying 
in  1890.  Three  of  his  sons,  brothers  of  our 
subject,  attained  military  distinction  during  the 
Spanish-American  war.  Samuel  W.  was  lieu- 
tenant of  Company  H,  First  Miss.  Vol.  ;  G.  C.,  a 
West  Point  man,  was  major  of  the  Second  Miss., 
and  W.,  a  lieutenant  in  the  Third  Miss.  Regt. 
Another,  Jones  H.,  was  a  private  in  Co.  H, 
First  Miss.  The  maternal  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  Mr  Whitworth,  was  a  very  wealthy  man, 
a  Methodist  preacher,  and  donated  a  female  col- 
lege named  after  him,  in  Brookhaven,  Miss.,  to 
the  Methodist  conference. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  began  life  as  a 
bookkeeper  for  his  father  in  the  lumber  business, 
who  had  all  the  penitentiary  labor  of  the  state, 
besides  many  others,  his  crew  sometimes  reach- 
ing 1,500  men.  It  was  his  duty  also  to  look 
after  the  machinery,  etc.,  and  in  1891,  when  he 
entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central,  his 
experience  at  engineering  was  such  that  it  was 
not  necessary  for  him  to  spend  any  time  as  fire- 
man. He  has  since  been  in  the  regular  employ 
of  the  I.  C.  company,  and  has  at  present  a  run  be- 
tween McComb  City  and  Canton,  on  engine  No. 
723.  He  has  graduated  several  firemen  from  his 
engine,  among  them  L.  Jenkins,  W  Graves  and 
Leon  Ford,  all  successful  engineers.  Mr.  Hos- 
kins had  one  very  serious  head  end  collision,  in 
which  Engineer  Quinn,  of  the  other  engine,  and 
a  very  popular  man,  lost  his  life,  and  our  subject 
had  a  close  call.  The  accident  happened  on  a 
curve,  and  many  theories  were  advanced  as  to 
the  cause,  but  Mr.  Hoskins  and  his  crew  were 
exonerated.  Miss  Maggie  Towns,  of  Brook- 
haven,  Miss.,  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Hoskins, 
.  and  they  have  three  children  living :  James,  a 
bright  boy,  at  college  in  Bay  St.  Louis,  Miss. ; 
Sherwood  Towns,  aged  seven ;  and  Milton  La 
Hargue,  aged  five.  Jacob  W.  died  when  a  small 
child.  Mr.  Hoskins  built  a  fine  residence  in  1896, 
constructed  from  his  own  designs ;  it  is  finished 
in  hard  wood,  and  has  all  modern  conveniences. 
Mr.  Hoskins  has  been  connected  with  the  B.  of 
L.  E.  since  1891,  having  served  as  chairman  of 
the  Grievance  board,  and  was  also  a  delegate  to 
the  Legislative  board.  He  vigorously  opposed 
the  Cox  bill  at  the  last  state  session.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  Lodge,  No.  241,  the 
Knights  of  Honor  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  of 
Brookhaven,  and  of  Elks  Lodge  No.  268,  of  Mc- 
Comb City. 

Mr.  Hoskins  is  devoted  to  manly  sports.  He 
has  a  fine  driving  horse,  and  a  promising  colt  by 
Tug  Wilkes.  He  also  has  some  fine  dogs  and 
is  very  fond  of  hunting,  making  frequent  trips 
during  the  season  with  Dr.  Doepp,  I.  C.  surgeon, 
of  Chicago,  and  A.  L.  Barker,  a  lumberman  of 
Wisconsin.  He  is  an  expert  shot,  and  has  taken 
several  prizes  at  tournaments.  In  a  state  drill 


262 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


at  Jackson,  he  tied  for  first  honors.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Brookhaven  Gun  Club,  and  is 
now  one  of  the  twenty  charter  members  organiz- 
ing the  McComb  City  Sportsman's  Club,  which 
will  be  incorporated  for  the  purpose  of  protecting 
game  and  fish,  and  enjoying  the  pleasures 
thereof.  Mr.  Hoskins  is  closely  identified  with 
the  interests  of  McComb  City,  where  he  is  an 
influential  and  respected  citizen. 


JACOB  W.  BOONE,  a  prominent  young 
employe  of  the  Illinois  Central,  is  a  con- 
ductor in  the  freight  service  of  the  road 
on  the  Louisiana  division.  In  early  life 
Mr.  Boone  learned  the  trade  of  a  printer,  and 
still  retains  membership  in  the  Typographical 
Union.  Deciding  to  embark  in  railroad  life,  he 
entered  the  service  of  the  Kansas  City,  Watkins 
&  Gulf  R.  R.  at  Lake  Charles,  La.,  as  a  fireman, 
serving  thirteen  months.  He  then  went  to  Mc- 
Comb City  in  1891,  and  at  once  became  identi- 
fied with  the  I.  C.,  working  first  as  fireman  and 
later  as  brakeman  on  the  Louisiana  division, 
until  1897.  In  the  latter  year  he  received  a 
well  merited  promotion  to  conductor,  and  has 
since  held  that  position.  He  has  been  fortunate 
in  escaping  injury  during  his  service,  and  has 
never  been  in  a  wreck. 

Brookhaven,  Miss.,  is  the  birthplace  of  our 
subject,  and  the  date  of  his  birth  is  August  3rd, 
1871.  He  is  the  third  son  of  Rev.  Robert  J.  and 
Tomaesia  A.  (Stanard)  Boone,  both  of  whom 
reside  at  Summit,  Miss.,  where  Mr.  Boone  Sr. 
has  charge  of  a  congregation  of  the  Baptist 
church. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boone  Sr.  were  the  parents  of 
four  sons,  viz :  Henry,  formerly  a  conductor  on 
the  I.  C.  but  now  with  the  Kansas  City,  Fort 
Scott  &  Memphis  road ;  Jacob  W.,  our  subject ; 
Charles,  who  although  only  a  young  man  of 
eighteen  years,  has  reached  a  degree  of  promi- 
nence not  easily  attained  at  his  age.  Educated 


in  the  public  schools  of  Brookhaven,  Miss., 
Charles  soon  won  his  way  into  the  State  Uni- 
versity, and  from  there  went  to  the  Military 
Academy  at  Annapolis,  Md.  At  the  outbreak  of 
the  Spanish-American  war  he  enlisted  in  the 
United  States  Navy,  serving  through  the  war 
and  received  special  mention  for  bravery  at  the 
battle  of  Santiago.  Having  enlisted  without  the 
consent  of  his  parents,  their  first  knowledge  of 
his  action  being  gleaned  from  the  newspaper  ac- 
counts of  his  bravery,  they  requested  and  ob- 
tained his  discharge  from  the  government,  upon 
which  he  enlisted  on  a  British  vessel  and  went 
to  England.  Showing  his  honorable  discharge 
from  the  United  States  authorities,  he  was  at 
once  given  a  position  in  the  English  navy,  and 
is  now  quartermaster  on  an  English  ship,  on  the 
African  waters.  The  fourth  son  is  Oscar,  who 
resides  with  his  parents.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Boone 
believed  in  education,  and  gave  their  sons  all  the 
advantages  their  circumstances  would  permit. 
Jacob  W.  Boone,  our  subject,  belongs  to  the  Ma- 
sonic order,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Blue  Lodge 
No.  241,  of  Brookhaven,  Miss.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  Lodge  No.  204,  I.  O.  O.  F.  Of  the 
railroad  social  organizations  he  claims  member- 
ship with  Division  No.  367,  O.  R.  C.,  Division 
No.  264,  B.  R.  T.  of  McComb  City.  Being  a 
young  man  of  pleasing  manners,  and  an  employe 
noted  for  carefulness  and  steady  habits,  Mr. 
Boone  has  a  bright  future  before  him. 


EGINALD  DUVALL,  probably  the 
youngest  man  running  an  engine  on 
the  Memphis  division,  was  born  in 
Lyon  county,  Ky.  His  father,  F.  M. 
Duvall,  died  in  1888,  leaving  our  subject  to  sup- 
port his  mother  and  two  sisters  and  a  brother. 
He  educated  his  two  sisters  who  are  now  married 
and  living  at  New  York  and  New  Orleans,  re- 
spectively. He  was  himself  a  great  student  and 
has  a  fine  collection  of  standard  books  which  he 
thoroughly  studied. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


263 


Mr.  Duvall  commenced  his  railroading  in 
1888  as  caller,  which  place  he  retained  one  year, 
then  worked  as  fireman  for  F.  Humphrey  on  a 
freight  run  out  of  Paducah  up  to  1893,  when  he 
went  on  a  passenger  engine  on  which  he  fired 
twenty  months  and  was  then,  at  the  age  of  twen- 
ty, set  up  to  engineer.  His  first  run  as  engineer 
was  to  the  St.  Charles  coal  mines,  and  he  ran  on 
the  north  end  three  years.  His  present  run  is  a 
through  freight  between  Paducah  and  Memphis 
on  a  McQueen  engine  Xo.  370.  He  has  run 
every  style  of  engine,  and  has  had  several  nar- 
row escapes  from  injury.  At  one  time  while 
firing  on  the  train  known  as  the  "  cannon  ball  " 
they  struck  cross  ties  on  the  track  and  were 
ditched.  August  3,  1895,  he  had  a  peculiar  ex- 
perience :  while  coming  into  the  yard  he  had  his 
engine  turned  completely  over  through  an  old 
colored  woman  who  was  wandering  around  the 
yard  and  in  some  way  stepped  on  the  switch  and 
turned  it ;  fortunately  no  one  was  injured. 

Our  subject  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
225,  B.  of  L.  E.,  at  Paducah,  also  belongs  to 
Division  No.  238,  B.  of  L.  F.  He  owns  a  home 
at  1234  Jefferson  street. 


I  ARL  F.  SWANSON,  a  popular  engineer 
on  the  Louisville  division,  began  his 
railroad  career  in  1878  as  a  bridge  car- 
penter, at  which  he  worked  until  June 
1879.  when  he  was  taken  sick.  September  15, 
following  he  was  re-employed  watching  an  en- 
gine at  Covington  and  in  1882  went  to  Memphis 
as  "  hostler  "  in  the  round-house  remaining  in 
that  position  until  1884,  when  he  began  firing 
on  engine  No.  54.  In  1887  he  was  promoted  to 
engineer,  first  running  a  switch  engine  at  Mem- 
phis five  years.  He  next  ran  a  freight  engine 
between  Paducah  and  Memphis  until  assigned 
his  present  run,  a  preferred  run  between  Pa- 
ducah and  Central  City.  Our  subject  is  one 
of  the  most  faithful  men  in  the  service,  hav- 
ing never  missed  a  call,  always  on  time  and 
never  suspended  and  is  considered  one  of  the 


most  thorough  engineers  on  the  road.  He 
is  a  son  of  Andrews  Swanson  and  was  born  in 
Sweden,  coming  to  America  in  1877.  Our  sub- 
ject has  a  brother  who  is  foreman  in  the  Illinois 
car  shops  at  Paducah,  a  man  of  many  years'  ex- 
perience in  railroad  construction. 

Mr.  Swanson  married  Miss  R.  Stokes  of 
Memphis.  He  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
225,  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  a  charter  member  of  the 
B.  of  L.  F.  having  held  all  the  offices  in  the  lat- 
ter order.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity  affiliating  with  Plain  City  Lodge  No. 
449,  and  of  Ingleside  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F. 

Our  subject  has  made  several  fast  runs  for 
which  he  has  received  special  mention.  One  in 
particular  was  in  1894,  taking  a  theatre  party 
forty-five  miles  in  fifty-five  minutes.  He  is  held 
in  high  esteem  by  his  superiors  and  his  col- 
leagues. 


A.  DRISCOLL,  chief  clerk  in  the  road- 
master's  office  at  Louisville,  was  born 
in  1866  at  Jeffersonville,  Ind.  He  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  public 
and  the  parochial  schools  of  that  city,  and  after- 
ward took  a  course  in  the  Bryant  &  Stratton 
business  college.  His  father,  David  Driscoll, 
was  for  a  long  time  connected  with  the  Penn- 
sylvania system,  having  charge  of  the  store  de- 
partment at  Jeffersonville. 

Our  subject  entered  the  service  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania company  in  Superintendent  E.  W.  Me 
Kenna's  office  and  worked  for  that  company  thir- 
teen years,  under  five  different  superintendents, 
in  local  freight,  transportation  and  road  depart- 
ments. In  March  1896,  he  began  working  for 
the  C.  O.  &  S.  W.  as  chief  clerk  to  General  Super- 
intendent F.  D.  Thompson,  and  in  August  1896 
as  accountant  in  Superintendent  W.  J.  Hara- 
han's  office,  serving  in  this  capacity  two  years 
when  he  was  made  superintendent's  chief  clerk. 
Here  he  continued  for  six  months  and  was 
afterwards  transferred  to  chief  clerk  in  roadmas- 
ter's  office  to  succeed  C.  B.  Wintersmith,  who  is 


264 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


now  at  Memphis.  Our  subject  has  a  very  re- 
sponsible position,  as  the  roadmaster's  depart- 
ment often  reaches  three  thousand  men,  includ- 
ing- section  men  and  carpenters.  Besides  this 
he  has  to  look  after  a  large  number  of  rails,  ties, 
lumber  (rough  and  dressed),  gravel,  fence,  wire, 
posts,  brick  and  tank  materials,  also  attends  to 
the  general  detail  of  engineer's  actions,  besides 
the  immense  amount  of  correspondence  in  re- 
gard to  labor  and  materials.  Mr.  DriscolFs 
position  is  a  bonded  one  as  he  often  pays  a  large 
number  of  men  in  busy  season,  and  in  addition 
prepares  leases.  He  has  a  stenographer  and 
several  assistants.  Mr.  Driscoll  belongs  to  the 
Elks  Lodge,  No.  362,  being  instrumental  in  se- 
curing the  charter  of  the  Lodge.  He  resides 
with  his  parents  at  Jeffersonville,  Indiana. 


EORGE  C.  DEAN,  a  popular  engineer 
on  the  Memphis  division  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  began  his  railroad  career 
in  1879  as  a  brakeman  on  the  East 
Broad  Top  Railroad.  He  served  as  brakeman 
and  fireman  up  to  1887  when  he  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  C.  B.  &  Q.,  working  one  year  in  the 
Chicago  yards,  after  which  he  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Illinois  Central  at  Memphis,  begin- 
ning as  engine  cooler.  At  that  time  the  engineers 
and  men  were  a  tough  lot  and  our  subject  soon 
got  to  the  top  of  the  list  being  temperate  and  in- 
dustrious. September  3,  1889  Mr.  Dean  came  to 
Paducah  and  was  given  an  engine  on  a  gravel 
run,  and  various  other  runs,  up  to  the  time  of 
his  promotion  to  his  present  preferred  run  be- 
tween Paducah  and  Memphis.  Our  subject's 
present  engine  is  No.  33,  a  Rogers  of  the  newest 
type,  and  his  fireman  is  J.  G.  Sands. 

Our  subject  has  a  remarkably  good  record, 
having  had  no  serious  accidents  to  damage 
property  to  the  extent  of  fifty  dollars  and  has 
had  no  serious  injury  to  himself. 

Mr.  Dean  was  born  in  Clarion  county, 
Penn.,  but  his  father  now  resides  at  Newburn, 
Tenn.,  whither  he  removed  a  number  of  years 


ago.  He  has  had  the  misfortune  to  have  two 
brothers  killed  in  the  service.  Edward,  a  fire- 
man, a  bright  young  man  while  firing  for  En- 
gineer Pat  Grogan,  in  going  into  Wingo  struck 
an  open  switch  and  was  crushed  between  the 
baggage  car  and  tender,  being  instantly  killed. 
Mr.  Dean's  mother  received  two  thousand  dol- 
lars from  the  railroad  company.  Engineer 
Grogan  was  severely  injured  about  the  head  and 
limbs.  Our  subject's  brother  Harry  was  killed 
while  braking,  falling  between  the  cars.  He 
was  a  bright  young  man  and  a  favorite  with  all 
his  colleagues. 

Mr.  Dean  married  Miss  Rhea  and  has  one 
child,  Mabel,  a  bright  miss  at  school.  He  is  a 
member  of  Division  No.  225,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of 
Paducah,  having  served  as  an  official  of  the 
order,  also  a  member  of  Blue  Lodge  No.  449, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.  and  the  Knights  of  Golden  Cross 
of  Paducah. 

Our  subject  has  made  several  fast  runs  and 
received  special  mention  for  the  same  from  the 
officials.  His  record  is  a  creditable  one  of 
which  he  may  take  a  pardonable  pride. 


DWARD  W.  CRUTCHFIELD,  one  of 
the  younger  engineers  of  the  Central's 
army  of  operatives,  is  a  native  of  old 
Kentucky,  having  first  seen  the  light 
of  day  in  the  town  of  Wingo.  His  father,  J. 
R.  Crutchfield,  is  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of 
the  county  in  which  he  resides.  At  the  early  age 
of  sixteen  our  subject  started  out  for  himself  se- 
curing a  place  as  fireman  on  the  Chesapeake, 
Ohio  &  Southwestern  in  1892.  After  six  years 
service  on  the  left  side  of  the  cab,  the  last  fifteen 
months  in  the  passenger  service,  he  was  ex- 
amined and  set  up  in  the  operating  department 
being  assigned  to  a  freight  run  between  Paducah 
and  Memphis.  Like  many  railroad  men  that 
ride  at  the  front  end  of  a  train  our  subject  has 
had  many  narrow  escapes,  the  most  notable  one, 
perhaps,  occurring  April  30,  1897,  while  he  was 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


265 


firing  in  the  passenger  service,  in  which  the  en- 
gine was  ditched  but  all  aboard  escaped.  Mr. 
Crutchfield's  marriage  at  Paducah,  to  Miss  Lucy 
Saunders  has  been  brightened  by  the  arrival  of 
one  child  Kathalen,  by  name.  Their  pleasant 
home  is  at  No.  1249  Tremble  street,  Paducah. 


JJ.  TRACEY,  engineer  on  the  Amboy 
division  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
O  was  born  in  Wapella,  111.,  January  3, 
1864.  He  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
as  section  man,  and  afterward  served  as  engine 
wiper  in  round  house  and  shops  for  two  years, 
then  went  on  the  road  as  extra  fireman.  In  1889 
he  was  promoted  to  engineer  and  was  given  a 
run  from  Clinton  to  Centralia,  where  he  served 
until  April  24,  1898,  at  which  time  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  his  present  run  on  a  freight  from  Clin- 
ton to  East  St.  Louis.  During  the  ten  years 
service  Mr.  Tracey  has  made  a  remarkably  clean 
record,  and  stands  high  in  the  regard  of  his  em- 
ployers. In  1888,  Mr.  Tracey  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Tilly  Oberst,  to  whom  have 
been  born  four  children:  two  daughters,  Ella 
May  and  Sarah  are  living;  one  son  and  one 
daughter,  are  deceased.  Mr.  Tracey  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  B.  of  L.  E.  No.  315. 


O.  DANA,  master  mechanic  on  Free- 
port  and  Amboy  divisions  of  the  Illi- 
nois  Central  Railroad,  entered  the 
service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  fireman 
on  the  Chicago  division  in  1860,  and  was  pro- 
moted to  engineer  in  1864,  serving  in  that  position 
on  the  Chicago  division  until  1888,  and  incident- 
ally filled  the  position  of  round-house  foreman 
and  general  foreman  at  the  Weldon  shops.  At 
that  time,  1888,  he  was  transferred  to  the  Free- 
port  division  and  ran  a  locomotive  in  the  con- 


struction service  one  year,  and  was  then  given 
the  first  service  as  passenger  conductor  on  the 
new  Freeport  division  where  he  ran  one  month, 
when  he  was  promoted  to  master  mechanic  at 
Freeport.  His  territory  has  been  extended  un- 
til he  now  is  master  mechanic  over  the  Freeport 
and  Amboy  districts,  having  under  his  charge 
four  hundred  sixty-four  miles  of  track. 

Mr.  Dana  was  born  in  Cobbleskill,  New 
York,  in  1841.  He  was  married  in  1865  to  Miss 
Sarah  E.  Holland,  and  has  three  children :  Esther 
G.  is  supervisor  of  drawing  in  the  public  schools 
of  Freeport;  Edgar  W.  was  chief  clerk  in  his 
father's  office,  but  is  now  general  foreman  in 
the.  shops  at  Council  Bluffs ;  Bert  E.  is  store- 
keeper for  his  father  at  office.  Mr.  Dana  is  al- 
derman of  the  second  ward  of  Freeport,  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 


A.  DAVIS,  freight  conductor  of 
the  Evansville  district  of  the  Illi- 
Q  nois  Central  road,  is  a  man  of 
much  railroad  experience,  and 
comes  of  a  railroad  family.  He  is  a  native  of 
Madison,  New  Hampshire,  but  at  the  age  of 
three  years  his  parents  removed  to  Boston.  His 
father,  Augustus  Davis,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
thirty-one,  was  at  one  time  conductor  on  the  Bos- 
ton &  Maine  road  and  resided  at  Reading,  Mass. 
Our  subject  had  other  relatives  who  were  en- 
gaged in  the  railroad  business,  his  uncle,  John 
Stone,  at  one  time  was  an  old  engineer  on  the 
Boston  &  Maine  and  ran  the  old  engine  so  well 
known  in  the  past  around  Boston,  called  "Mys- 
tic." At  the  age  of  fourteen  years  our  subject 
began  his  railroad  career  as  water  boy  on  a  pas- 
senger train,  and  later  served  in  various  capaci- 
ties. Later  he  worked  in  the  Chicago  &  Alton 
yards  at  Chicago,  from  which  he  was  appointed 
general  yardmaster  of  the  Chicago  &  North- 
Western.  In  1890  he  commenced  service  for 
the  Illinois  Central  as  freight  conductor.  He 
served  until  1898,  when  he  came  to  the  Evans- 


266 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ville  district  of  the  Illinois  Central  as  freight 
conductor,  where  he  is  now  employed.  Mr. 
Davis  is  an  experienced  railroad  man.  He  mar- 
ried Miss  K.  W.  Stowe,  of  Chicago,  and  resides 
on  Second  street,  Henderson,  Ky.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Division  No.  381  O.  R.  C.,  of  Howell, 
Indiana. 


JESSE  D.  WILLIAMS,  ex-passenger  con- 
ductor, Amboy  division,  Illinois  Cen- 
tral Railroad.  The  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, G.  W.  Williams,  a  farmer,  died  in 
February  1863,  while  in  the  service  of  the  n6th 
111.  Vol.  Inf.  The  mother,  Rhoda  J.(Hughey) 
died  October  30,  1894,  from  la  grippe,  aged  six- 
ty-one years,  six  months.  Our  subject  was  born 
in  Macon  county,  111.,  January  9,  1852.  His  ed- 
ucation was  received  in  the  schools  of  Macon 
and  Marion  counties.  In  1867  he  entered  the 
service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  at  Centralia,  as  brake- 
man  on  a  passenger  train  between  Centralia  and 
Amboy.  He  served  as  brakeman,  baggageman 
and  freight  brakeman  for  four  years,  then  be 
came  a  freight  conductor  in  December  187  f, 
and  retained  that  position  for  twenty-two  years. 
He  was  then  promoted  to  passenger  conductor, 
and  remained  in  that  position  until  August  1899, 
when  he  left  the  employ  of  the  company  and 
removed  to  a  farm  near  Patoka,  111.,  where  he 
is  engaged  in  farming. 

On  the  gth  of  January,  1876,  Mr.  Williams 
was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Ashton,  of  Cen- 
tralia, daughter  of  James  Ashton,  a  farmer,  now 
deceased.  Mrs.  Williams  was  born  January  14, 
1849.  Her  union  with  Mr.  Williams  has  beer. 
blest  with  four  children  :  Jesse  D.  Jr.,  born 
December  10,  1879,  is  driving  delivery  wagon 
for  Walton  Nephews,  of  Freeport  ;  Lula  J.,  born 
April  23,  1883,  is  in  the  high  school  of  Freeport; 
Bessie  May,  born  September  8,  1889;  Pearl  D., 
born  June  22,  1890.  The  family  attends  the 
First  Methodist  Episcopal  church  as  members. 
Mr.  Williams  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  P., 
O.  of  R.  C.,  and  is  also  a  Knight  Templar.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican. 


JERRY  W.  HOLLAND  is  a  conductor  on 
the  Amboy  division  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral. He  entered  the  service  of  the  com- 
pany in  1893,  as  brakeman  on  the  Clin- 
ton district  of  the  Amboy  division,  his  first  run 
being  with  Conductor  John  Clarke.  The  ef- 
ficiency of  our  subject  was  rewarded  by  promo- 
tion on  August  7,  1899,  on  which  date  he  was 
made  a  conductor.  The  parents  of  our  subject 
were  Allen  and  Elizabeth  Holland,  who  were 
both  natives  of  Kentucky,  but  both  are  now  de- 
ceased. J.  W.  Holland  was  born  in  Fayette 
county,  111.,  April  18,  1867,  and  was  married  in 
1893  to  Miss  Laura  Cruse,  who  is  a  daughter 
of  Job  and  Arminta  Cruse,  natives  of  Illinois. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Holland  are  the  parents  of  two 
children,  a  son  and  a  daughter,  viz :  Bruce 
Tyler  and  Nellie  Marie. 


H.  HARWOOD,  assistant  general 

r  freight  agent  at  Evansville,  Ind.,  was 
born  in  Chicago,  January  15,  1863,  and 
is  a  son  of  Theron  D.  Harwood,  a 
prominent  manufacturer.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
Chicago,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  entered  the 
mercantile  business  in  which  he  was  engaged 
ten  years.  He  commenced  railroading  in  Au- 
gust 1887,  on  the  Chicago,  Kansas  &  Nebraska 
railroad,  working  on  the  construction  of  the  road 
to  Denver  with  Resident  Engineer  Dubois.  In 
April  1888,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  in  Chicago,  in  the  local  freight  office, 
filling  various  positions  until  1890  when  he  was 
promoted  to  rate  clerk  in  the  general  offices  in 
Chicago.  In  June  1893,  he  was  made  contracting 
freight  agent  in  Chicago ;  and  held  this  position 
nine  months  when  he  became  traveling  freight 
agent,  with  his  headquarters  at  Pittsburg,  Penn. 
He  was  afterwards  made  commercial  agent  and 
I une  i,  1896,  was  transferred  to  Cincinnati. 
Ohio.  December  20,  1899,  he  wa«  promoted  to 
assistant  general  freight  agent,  at  Evansville, 
to  succeed  J.  S.  Weitzell  who  was  transferred  to 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


267 


Omaha,  Neb.,  with  territory  extending  over  the 
Evansville  district  of  the  Louisville  division. 

Mr.  Harwood  married  a  daughter  of  J.  T. 
and  Theresa  Herring,  of  Topeka,  Kansas,  and 
makes  his  home  in  Evansville.  He  is  a  young, 
bright,  hustling  railroad  man  as  his  rapid  pro- 
motions indicate. 


EORGE  A.  LINCOLN,  freight  engi- 
neer on  the  Louisville  division,  began 
his  railroad  career  in  1869  with  the 
New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford 
road,  _where  he  learned  the  machinist's  trade, 
working  three  years,  after  which  he  began  fir- 
ing. After  a  short  time  here  he  was  offered  a 
fine  position  as  fireman,  which  he  accepted,  on 
the  Peoria  division  of  the  Indiana,  Bloomington 
&  Western  Railroad,  in  which  service  he  was 
promoted  to  engineer  in  1874,  remaining  with 
that  road  up  to  1879.  He  then  tried  to  quit 
railroading,  running  a  stationary  engine  in  Mon- 
tana six  months,  but  returned  to  railroading  in 
the  service  of  the  Big  Four,  then  the  Chicago, 
St.  Louis  &  Indianapolis  Railroad,  remaining 
one  year.  After  this  he  came  to  the  Chesapeake, 
Ohio  &  South-Western  as  engineer  in  1890,  run- 
ning between  Paducah  and  Memphis.  During 
our  subject's  thirty  years'  experience  he  has 
never  received  even  a  scratch,  and  has  been  suc- 
cessful in  his  railroad  career.  He  is  of  old  Con- 
necticut stock.  His  father,  Albert  Lincoln,  a 
banker,  died  in  1887.  Our  subject's  people  set- 
tled in  the  United  States  about  the  time  of  the 
landing  of  the  Mayflower,  his  grandfather  be- 
ing a  Revolutionary  veteran.  As  a  family  they 
have  all  enjoyed  superior  educational  advan- 
tages, and  most  of  the  kin  are  professional  men. 
Mr.  Lincoln  married  Miss  Batey  Fowler  and 
has  two  children,  Albert  G.,  who  holds  a  fine 
position  with  the  St.  Louis  Post-Dispatch,  be- 
ing superintendent  of  circulation.  He  has  the 
credit  of  making  a  wonderful  increase  in  the  cir- 
culation of  that  paper,  having  doubled  the  pa- 


tronage.    The  daughter,  Miss  Edna,  is  a  highly 
accomplished  young  lady. 

Mr.  Lincoln  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
225,  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  was  a  charter  member  of 
the  Firemen's  organization  fifteen  years.  Mr. 
Lincoln  is  one  of  the  prosperous  citizens  of  the 
little  city  in  which  he  resides,  and  he  helped  im- 
prove it  by  acquiring  a  nice  home  on  Broadway. 


JW.  DIETRICK,  local  freight  agent  at 
Omaha,  Nebraska,  for  the  Illinois  Cen- 
Q  tral  Railroad  company,  was  born  in 
Cedarville,  Stephenson  county,  Illinois, 
May  20,  1861.  His  father,  William  S.  Dietrick, 
was  a  native  of  Monroe  Co.,  Pa.,  and  was  born 
in  1826.  He  was  a  farmer  through  life  and  died 
September  22,  1897.  The  father's  great-grand- 
father came  from  Germany ;  he  was  a  Protes- 
tant. The  mother  of  our  subject,  Sarah  E. 
(Ohl)  Dietrick,  was  a  native  of  Clinton  Co., 
Pa.,  and  is  now  living  in  Raymond,  Iowa.  There 
are  four  children,  namely :  J.  W.,  our  subject ; 
Charles  H.,  station  agent  for  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  at 
Carbon,  Iowa,  is  married  and  has  two  children  : 
Frank  B.,  bookkeeper  in  First  National  bank,  at 
Waterloo,  Iowa,  a  former  employe  of  the  I.  C". 
R.  R.,  married ;  Cleora  B.,  single,  resides  at 
home. 

J.  W.  Dietrick  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  Raymond,  Iowa.  He  clerked  in  a 
store  and  assisted  his  father  on  the  farm  until 
nearly  seventeen  years  of  age,  when  on  Jan.  i, 
1878,  he  entered  a  telegraph  office  and  learned 
telegraphy.  June  15,  1880,  he  became  station 
agent  at  Epworth,  Iowa,  for  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  re- 
mained there  until  March  1881 ;  then  went  to 
Alden,  Iowa,  as  station  agent  until  June  1881, 
thence  to  Storm  Lake,  Iowa,  as  clerk  and  oper- 
ator; Jan.  1882  was  sent  to  Earlville,  Iowa,  as 
agent,  until  Nov.  1883 ;  then  employed  as  oper- 
ator and  relief  agent  until  April  1884;  until  Sept. 
1884,  was  agent  at  Winthrop,  Iowa;  then  served 
as  operator  in  train  dispatcher's  office  at  Water- 


268 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


loo,  Iowa,  until  Dec.  1884;  then  appointed  agent 
at  Independence,  Iowa,  and  in  Oct.  1887,  was 
transferred  to  Ft.  Dodge,  Iowa,  as  agent;  in 
Sept.  1888,  returned  to  Waterloo  as  agent,  where 
he  remained  until  April  2.,  1894;  was  then  sent 
to  Dubuque  as  local  freight  agent,  and  on  March 
15,  1898,  was  appointed  train  master  at  Free- 
port,  111.,  and  on  Dec.  15,  1899,  appointed  local 
freight  agent  at  Omaha,  Neb. 

Dec.  10,  1885,  Mr.  Dietrick  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Minnie,  daughter  of  Dr.  M. 
A.  Chamberlain,  of  Winthrop,  Iowa.  She  was 
born  April  23,  1865,  at  Dakota,  Minn.,  and  was 
educated  at  Northfield,  Minn.  She  died  Sept. 
6,  1896,  at  Glendora,  Cal.,  and  was  buried  at 
Independence,  Iowa,  Sept.  12,  1896.  She  left 
two  children,  Eloise  May,  born  August  28,  1890, 
and  Marion  Elizabeth,  born  May  8,  1893.  Oct. 
26,  1898,  Mr.  Dietrick  was  married  to  Miss 
Lavina  E.  Jackson,  daughter  of  Ralph  E.  Jack- 
son, of  Dubuque,  Iowa.  She  was  bbrn  Oct.  30, 
1871.  They  have  one  son,  Ralph  Jackson  born 
Aug.  18,  1899.  Socially  Mr.  Dietrick  ranks 
high  in  the  Masonic  fraternity,  being  a  member 
of  Mosaic  Lodge  No.  125,  of  Dubuque,  la.; 
Dubuque  Chapter  No.  3,  Dubuque,  la.  ;  Siloam 
Commandery  No.  3,  of  Dubuque,  la.  ;  Elkohir 
Temple,  Mystic  Shrine,  Cedar  Rapids,  la.,  and 
is  also  a  member  of  the  Protective  Order  of 
Elks,  Dubuque  Lodge  No.  267,  Dubuque,  la. 
In  politics  he  votes  the  Democratic  ticket.  His 
family  attends  the  Congregational  church. 


LEWIS  RICHTER  is  the  night  foreman 
of  the  Illinois   Central  at  the  Cham- 
paign round-house.       He  entered  the 
service   of   the   company    March    I3th, 
1876,   as   messenger   at  the  telegraph   office   at 
Champaign.     In  1878,  at  the  age  of  seventeen, 
Mr.  Richter  apprenticed  himself  in  the  machine 
shops,  and  after  working  there  thirteen  months 
commenced  his  work  as  locomotive  fireman,  serv- 
ing in  that  capacity  until  April   1894.     Though 
well  qualified  for  promotion  to  engineer  he  was 


prevented  from  taking  such  a  position  on  account 
of  defective  eye-sight.  His  present  situation 
was  tendered  him  on  May  I,  1895,  in  which  he 
is  giving  perfect  satisfaction. 

Our  subject  is  a  resident,  and  has  spent 
most  of  his  life  in  his  native  city,  Champaign, 
where  he  was  born  October  4,  1861.  He  was 
married  October  23,  1887,  to  Miss  Mary  Hazen- 
brook,  who  was  born  in  Champaign  December 
9,  1862.  They  have  one  child,  a  promising  son, 
Frank.  He  is  a  member  of  Centralia  Lodge  No. 
37,  B.  of  L.  F.,  of  which  he  was  a  charter  mem- 
ber. 


RANK  RICHTER  is  a  conducter  in  the 
freight  service,  Champaign  district,  of 
the  Illinois  Central.  He  entered  the 
service  of  the  Illinois  Central  as 
brakeman  in  1889,  making  his  first  trip  with 
Harry  Levernway  as  conductor,  on  the  local. 
He  was  promoted  to  conductor  December  27, 
1895.  William  Riqhter,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  a  faithful  employe  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral for  over  twenty-five  years,  holding  the  re- 
sponsible position  of  foreman  in  the  car  depart- 
ment. Mr.  Richter  Sr.  retired  in  1894. 

Our  subject  was  born  at  Champaign,  111., 
in  1868,  and  continues  to  reside  there,  owning  a 
substantial  home.  Socially  he  is  connected  with 
O.  R.  C.  No.  112,  of  Centralia.  April  29,  1890, 
Mr.  Richter  married  Miss  Emma  O'Briant,  of 
Centralia.  They  have  two  sons,  Ole  and  Bertie, 
both  attending  school. 


'ILLIAM  A.  CONWELL  is  one  of 
the  best  known  men  in  the  service  of 
the  Illinois  Central,  having  begun 
as  messenger  boy  at  the  age  of  nine 
years  at  Clinton,  Illinois.  In  1891,  at  the  age 
of  twenty-two  years,  he  took  a  position  as 
brakeman  on  the  Clinton  district  of  the  Amboy 
division,  filling  the  position  with  satisfaction, 
and  in  August  1898  received  a  well  merited 


EPHRAIM  McILWAIN. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


271 


promotion  to  conductor.  He  is  now  in  the 
freight  service  of  the  Illinois  Central,  running 
between  Clinton  and  Centralia. 

Our  subject  was  born  at  Cedar  Rapids,  la., 
September  27,  1869,  and  on  February  4,  1891, 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Dun- 
ham, of  Waynesville,  111.  A  promising  son, 
Monte  D.,  is'  the  offspring  of  the  union.  Mr. 
Conwell  is  a  member  of  B.  of  R.  T.,  State  Cen- 
ter Lodge  No.  41,  and  is  also  an  honorary  mem- 
ber of  the  Clinton  fire  department. 


=x^PHRAIM  McILWAIN  is  a  native  of 
Washington  county,  Alabama,  having 
been  born  fifty  miles  north  of  Mobile. 
He  commenced  railroading  on  the  M. 
&  O.  Railroad  at  Whistler,  Ala.,  in  1859,  as  a  car 
repairer,  serving  as  such  for  some  time  and  then 
enlisted  in  the  Confederate  army,  and  served 
eighteen  months  under  General  Lee,  the  greater 
part  of  the  time  as  orderly  to  General  Lee.  Dur- 
ing his  service  he  was  •  at  -the  first  and  second 
battle  of  Manasses,  Leesburg,  Malvern  Hill, 
Seven  Pines,  and  around  Richmond.  He  left 
them  at  Leesburg,  Va.,  when  they  crossed  into 
Maryland,  being  honorably  discharged,  as  he 
was  under  age.  He  then  returned  to  the  M.  & 
O.,  as  a  fireman  between  Whistler  and  Mobile, 
but  at  the  end  of  seven  months  re-enlisted  at 
Mobile  in  the  marine  service  and  was  sent  to 
Charleston,  S.  C,  and  afterward  stationed  seven 
miles  below  Richmond  as  a  member  of  the  ma- 
rine corps  under  Captain  Lee,  brother  of  Gen. 
Robert  E.  Lee.  He  continued  in  that  service 
and  was  captured  at  Sailor's  Creek,  Va.,  seven 
days  prior  to  Lee's  surrender,  and  was  taken  to 
Washington,  D.  C.,  landing  there  the  day  after 
Lincoln's  assassination,  and  was  put  in  the  old 
capitol  prison.  Then  he  was  sent  to  the  Elmira, 
N.  Y.,  prison,  and  remained  there  four  months, 
when  he  was  discharged  and  sent  home.  He 
came  to  Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  began  in  the  shops 
of  the  M.  &  O.  as  carpenter  and  continued  one 

10 


year,  then  worked  on  construction  of  bridges  be- 
tween Humboldt  and  Jackson,  and  Was  in  that  de- 
partment about  seven  months.  He  was  then 
brakeman  on  the  M.  &  O.  six.  months  and  was 
then  promoted  to  baggage  and  ran  baggage  cars 
one  year,  again  promoted  to  freight  conductor 
and  began  running  f-eight  between  Jackson, 
Tenn.,  and  Columbus,  Ky.  He  continued  as 
freight  and  extra  passenger  conductor  twelve 
years,  was  then  brakeman  on  passenger  train  on 
the  old  Mississippi  Central,  now  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, one  year.  He  then  went  to  the  New  Or- 
leans &  North-Eastern  railroad  as  foreman  of 
grading  between  Meridian,  Miss.,  and  New  Or- 
leans, and  continued  there  about  five  months, 
then  made  foreman  of  -construction  train  three 
months,  and  then  to  the  Mississippi  Valley  road 
near  Vicksburg  as  section  foreman  for  about  a 
month,  next  into  the  extra  repair  gang  for  the 
same  road  a  month,  and  was  then  appointed  gen- 
eral foreman  of  raising  the  track  near  Vicks- 
burg. He  was  next  on  construction  train  from 
Clarksdale,  Miss.,  to  New  Orleans,  and  so  con- 
tinued one  year  and  then  came  to  the  Illinois 
Central  at  Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  began  running 
freight  in  December  1885,  serving  in  that  po- 
sition on  the  Jackson  district  four  years.  At 
the  end  of  that  time  he  was  promoted  to  the  pas- 
senger service  and  has  continued  in  the  same  to 
the  present  time,  having  a  run  between  Jackson, 
Tenn.,  and  Canton  and  Grenada,  Miss. 

Mr.  Mcllwain's  first  marriage  united  him 
with  Miss  Cozart,  sister  of  James  Cozart,  travel- 
ing engineer  of  the  M.  &  O.  Railroad.  She  died 
in  September  1885.  To  this  union  was  born 
eight  children,  five  of  whom  died  in  infancy  and 
childhood.  Those  living  are  Harry  E.,  a  resi- 
dent of  Memphis,  Tenn.,  where  he  is  a  boiler 
maker  and  inspector  of  engines  in  the  shops  of 
the  Southern  railroad ;  he  is  married  and  has 
three  children.  Willie  Belle  married  John  F. 
Price,  foreman  in  the  I.  C.  shops  at  Water  Val- 
ley, Miss.,  they  have  one  daughter.  Arthur  C., 
now  in  the  north. 

In  February  1887,  our  subject  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Douglas,  of  Water  Val- 
ley, Miss.,  and  unto  them  have  been  born  three 


272 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


children,  viz:  Nettie  Eva,  born  December  5, 
1887,  died  March  2,  1892.  Those  living  are 
Shirley  Wiggins,  born  June  2,  1893,  and  Eugene 
Franklin,  born  January  16,  1896.  Our  subject 
is  the  owner  of  fine  property  at  the  corner  of 
Grand  and  Highland  avenues,  in  Jackson,  Tenn. 
In  a  railroad  career  covering  more  than  forty- 
one  years,  fifteen  of  which  have  been  spent  with 
the  I.  C.,  Mr.  Mcllwain  has  been  very  success- 
ful, never  having  been  seriously  injured.  He  is 
a  member  of  Jackson  Division  No.  149,  O.  R. 
C.,  of  Jackson,  Tenn. 


JR.  HUTCHISON,  conductor  at  Water- 
loo, Iowa,  began  work  for  the  Illinois 
Q  Central  company  in  1886,  as  a  brake- 
man  on  the  Lyle  branch.  After  work- 
ing there  one  year,  he  was  transferred  to  the  main 
line  as  an  extra  and  worked  on  all  parts  of  the 
Iowa  division  for  a  short  time,  and  was  then 
promoted  to  the  office  of  conductor,  making  his 
first  run  in  this  capacity  between  Waterloo  and 
Dubuque.  Subsequently  he  ran  east  and  west 
out  of  Waterloo,  but  was  soon  afterward  given 
a  regular  run  on  the  Lyle  branch  to  which 
he  is  still  devoting  his  time  with  the  exception 
of  an  occassional  extra  trip  on  a  passenger  train. 
Mr.  Hutchison  was  born  in  Boston,  Mass., 
a  son  of  J.  R.  and  Ellen  Jane  Hutchison,  who 
moved  to  Boston  from  England.  Our  subject 
came  to  Iowa,  upon  leaving  the  parental  roof, 
and  located  first  in  Dubuque  and  worked  for 
a  while  for  the  Illinois  Central  company  at 
that  time.  He  then  went  to  Minneapolis  and 
worked  in  the  yards  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee 
&  St.  Paul  Railroad  for  a  short  time,  from  there 
went  to  Austin,  and  from  thence  to  southern  Min- 
nesota and  spent  a  year  in  the  employ  of  the  Chi- 
cago, Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  in  that 
part  of  the  state.  Mr.  Hutchison  next  had  a  run 
between  Austin  and  Minneapolis,  but  was  soon 
promoted  to  conductor  on  the  same  line  and  was 
thus  engaged  six  years.  Subsequently  he  con- 


ducted a  passenger  train  between  Mason  City  and 
Austin,  then  from  Mason  City  to  Sanborn,  and 
when  he  left  this  run,  he  severed  his  connection 
with  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  company 
and  secured  a  position  with  the  Chicago  &  North- 
western company  as  a  brakeman  at  Eagle  Grove. 
Soon  after,  he  secured  a  position  with  the  Bur- 
lington, Cedar  Rapids  &  Northern  Railroad,  and 
after  spending  about  two  months  on  this  line,  he 
came  to  Waterloo  and  has  since  found  employ- 
ment with  the  Illinois  Central  company.  Mr. 
Hutchison  was  married  at  Independence,  Iowa, 
to  Miss  Anna  L.  King,  a  native  of  Syracuse,  N. 
Y.,  and  their  wedded  life  has  been  blessed  by  the 
presence  of  a  family  of  three  children  whose 
names  in  the  order  of  their  birth  are  Harry  S., 
Richard  L.  and  Madeline  Z.  Socially  our  sub- 
ject affiliates  with  Lodge  No.  67,  O.  R.  C.  and 
Howland  Lodge  No.  274,  A.  O.  II  W.,  both  of 
Waterloo.  He  is  a  thorough  railroad  man,  is 
careful  and  systematic  about  his  work  and 
throughout  his  career  has  never  received  the 
slightest  injury  from  a  railroad  accident. 


OBERT  TAYLOR,  engineer  on  the  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad,  Amboy  division, 
entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral railroad  at  Waterloo,  Iowa,  on  the 
Iowa  division,  in  the  fall  of  1885  as  a  fireman, 
and  made  his  first  run  under  Engineer  McNeil. 
In  1887  he  was  transferred  to  Clinton  and  fired 
for  Jim  Miller,  who  is  still  on  the  road,  until 
November  1888,  when  he  was  promoted  to  the 
right  side  and  is  running  in  the  Clinton  district 
of  the  Amboy  division.  Mr.  Taylor  is  a  native 
of  Toronto,  Canada,  where  he  was  born  in  July 
1858.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Louise  Kohl, 
of  Centralia,  in  1898,  and  has  one  son.  Mr. 
Taylor  is  socially  connected  with  the  B.  of  L. 
E.,  Clinton  Division  No.  315,  and  the  I.  Q.  O. 
F.,  Wapaukonica  Lodge  No.  38,  of  Toledo, 
Ohio. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


273 


W.  DIETRECH  entered  the  service 
of  the  Illinois  Central  as  an  appren- 
tice  blacksmith  in  Centralia,  serving 
in  that  capacity  nineteen  months,  af- 
ter which  he  worked  in  the  car  department, 
thence  to  the  water  department  at  Centralia. 
From  the  latter  place  he  was  transferred  to  Chi- 
cago as  assistant  foreman  in  1894,  serving  with 
fidelity  for  three  years.  He  then  came  to  Clin- 
ton, February  27,  1898,  as  water  foreman  of  the 
Amboy  division,  which  position  he  still  holds. 
Mr.  Dietrech  is  a  native  of  Centralia,  Illinois, 
having  been  born  there  on  November  17,  1872. 
Socially  he  is  connected  with  Deer  Park  Camp, 
No.  41,  M.  W.  A.,  of  LaSalle,  Illinois. 


"ILLIAM  W.  EARNIST,  conductor 
on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  Am- 
boy division,  was  born  in  Greene, 
Butler  county,  Iowa,  April  5,  1874. 
He  is  the  son  of  Abram  S.  and  Maggie  L. 
(Northfoss)  Earnist,  both  living.  The  father, 
who  is  also  a  conductor  on  the  Amboy  division 
of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  resides  in  Freeport. 

William  W.  Earnist  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  Iowa,  Minnesota,  and  Nebraska.  He 
learned  the  printing  trade  in  Brainerd,  Minn., 
and  received  fifty  cents  a  week  as  wages.  He 
worked  at  his  trade  in  South  Dakota  for  one 
year,  then  went  to  Greene,  Iowa,  where  he 
served  for  three  months  as  foreman  in  a  print- 
ing office.  In  July,  1894,  he  went  to  Amboy 
and  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  in  the 
shops  at  that  place,  but  after  a  short  time  was 
given  the  position  of  night  caller  which  he  re- 
tained for  three  months.  In  the  autumn  of  1894 
he  came  to  Freeport,  where,  after  clerking  for 
the  winter  in  a  meat  market,  in  February  of  the 
following  year  he  re-entered  the  service  of  the 
I.  C.  R.  R.  this  time  as  a  brakeman,  making  his 
first  run  February  gth.  He  served  in  that  posi- 
tion until  August  31,  1898,  when  he  was  pro- 
moted to  conductor,  which  position  he  now  oc- 
cupies. 


July  17,  1897,  Mr.  Earnist  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Lena  S.  Halen  of  Freeport. 
She  was  born  in  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  28,  1869, 
and  came  with  her  parents  to  Freeport  in  1873. 
Mr.  Earnist  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  so- 
cially is  a  member  of  the  B.  of  R.  T. 


J.    McKILLOP,    one    of    the    most 
trusted    and    honorable    engineers    in 
_  the    service    of   the    Illinois    Central, 

is  a  native  of  St.  Thomas,  Canada. 
His  first  experience  in  railroading  was  on  the 
Canada  Southern  division  of  the  Michigan  Cen- 
tral at  St.  Thomas,  as  fireman  on  the  road  in  the 
freight  service  in  1884.  He  continued  in  this 
position  for  four  years  and  three  months,  when 
he  was  promoted  to  engineer  in  the  road  service 
where  he  remained  until  Oct.  16,  1892,  when  he 
severed  his  connection  with  the  Michigan  Cen- 
tral, came  to  Chicago,  and  accepted  a  position 
on  the  Illinois  Central.  His  first  engine  was 
No.  1373,  which  was  in  the  switch  service.  His 
next  engine  was  No.  114.  It  was  at  this  time 
that  the  switchmen  were  having  their  troubles, 
and  our  subject  had  many  very  unpleasant  ex- 
periences which  tried  his  courage,  but  they  soon 
found  that  he  was  there  to  run  his  engine  accord- 
ing to  orders,  regardless  of  their  threats,  and 
after  several  attempts  to  make  him  give,  in  to 
their  demands  they  left  him  severely  alone. 
He  continued  in  the  yard  service  about  two 
weeks  and  was  then  given  engine  No.  857,  with 
which  he  made  several  trips  on  the  road,  pulling 
through  freight.  During  the  summer  of  '93  he 
was  in  the  suburban  service,  beginning  May  i 
and  running  until  Nov.  15,  when  he  was  given 
No.  332  in  regular  freight  service  and  contin- 
ued until  Nov.  4,  1894,  and  then  took  engine 
No.  301  which  he  had  for  some  time.  It  was  at 
this  juncture  that  the  big  A.  W.  R.  strike  began, 
the  men  going  out  June  26,  1894,  including  con- 
ductors, brakemen,  and  firemen,  also  a  great 
many  engineers  who  were  in  sympathy.  The 
history  of  this  strike  is  well  known. 


274 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


No  one  man  figured  therein  more  promin- 
ently than  did  our  subject.  Taking  the  first 
train  from  the  Randolph  St.  yards  through  the 
terminal  was  an  experience  he  will  never  forget. 
Many  times  his  life  was  threatened.  On  his  en- 
gine rode  Mr.  W.  R.  Head,  together  with  other 
officials  on  the  train.  His  crew  was  a  green  one, 
and  that  he  did  get  through  was  due  entirely  to 
his  own  preseverance  and  undaunted  courage. 
At  Kensington,  rocks  were  fired  at  him.  After 
the  trouble  was  settled  he  ran  No.  301,  with 
exception  of  five  months,  until  Oct.  '98,  when  he 
took  No.  318  and  ran  her  until  May  19,  1899. 
On  that  date,  owing  to  the  drunken  condition  of 
another  engineer,  he  had  a  head  end  collision 
with  train  No.  62,  he  being  on  train  No.  83, 
which  was  a  very  bad  accident.  Subject  was  not 
even  suspended. 

In  March  1895,  Mr.  McKillop  married  Car- 
rie Ely  of  Champaign,  by  whom  he  has  one 
child,  Jennie.  He  is  a  member  of  the  B.  of  L. 
E.  No.  10,  of  Chicago,  and  also  belongs  to  B. 
of  L.  F.  Charity  Lodge  at  St.  Thomas.  He  is 
a  man  of  considerable  means  and  owns  fine 
property  in  Champaign.  Mr.  McKillop  received 
the  first  certificate  for  air  brakes  issued  to  a 
freight  engineer. 


E.  REDUS,  a  conductor  in  the 
freight  service  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
Q  tral,  entered  the  employment  of 
the  company  in  1888  as  a  fireman, 
serving  in  that  capacity  for  about  seven  months. 
He  was  then  appointed  switchman,  holding  that 
position  for  a  term  of  eighteen  months  or  more, 
after  which  he  was  offered  a  position  as  brake- 
man  on  the  Central  district  of  the  St.  Louis  divi- 
sion, which  he  accepted.  His  faithful  services 
were  appreciated  by  the  company,  and  recognized 
by  his  promotion  to  conductor  on  August  29, 
1897,  which  position  he  fills  with  credit  to  him- 
self and  with  satisfaction  to  the  company.  Mr. 
Redus  is  identified  with  Division  No.  112  O.  R. 
C.  with  headquarters  at  Centralia,  his  native 


city.  He  was  born  in  the  latter  place  May  3, 
1870.  For  so  young  a  man  he  has  made  great 
progress,  and  a  bright  prospect  seems  to  be 
in  store  for  him. 


S.  OWEN,  engineer  on  the  Amboy 
division,  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  has 
LQ  spent  his  entire  service  in  the  employ 
of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  which  he  entered 
as  a  fireman  on  the  Amboy  division,  Clinton  dis- 
trict, January  24,  1887,  remaining  in  that  posi- 
tion until  September  17,  1891,  when  his  services 
were  rewarded  by  promotion  to  engineer,  in 
which  capacity  he  is  now  running  on  the  Clinton 
district,  Amboy  division. 

Mr.  Owen  was  born  in  McLean  county,  Illi- 
nois, November  6,  1862,.  He  was  married  No- 
vember 9,  1892,  to  Miss  Sophie  Touve,  and  has 
one  daughter,  Bertha  Virginia.  Mr.  Owen  is  a 
member  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.,  Clinton  Division  No. 
315,  and  also  of  DeWitt  Lodge  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
No.  84,  Goodbrake  Chapter  No.  59,  and  Eminent 
Commandery  No.  66,  all  of  Clinton. 


HARLES  B.  CRAIG,  conductor  on  the 
Illinois  Central,  Freeport  division,  was 
born  in  West  Point  township,  Stephen- 
son  county,  Illinois,  March  28,   1873, 
and  is  the  son  of  Roswell  and  Lucinda  ( Harring- 
ton) Craig,  the  father  a  farmer  living  in  West 
Point  township. 

Charles  B.  Craig  received  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  his  native  town,  working  on  the 
farm  in  summer  and  attending  school  in  winter. 
His  first  business  position  was  that  of  night  clerk 
in  a  hotel  at  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  which  he  filled 
for  five  years.  He  entered  the  service  of  the 
Sioux  City  &  Northern  R.  R.  in  1889,  as  engine 
wiper,  and  at  the  end  of  three  months  he  became 
a  locomotive  fireman  on  the  same  road,  remain- 
ing in  that  position  eighteen  months.  He  then 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


275 


came  to  Freeport  and  accepted  a  position  as 
brakeman  on  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  in  which  capacity  he 
remained  until  October  12,  1898,  when  he  was 
promoted  to  conductor  and  is  now  serving  in 
that  capacity.  Mr.  Craig  is  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church,  and  is  a  young  man  of  good 
habits  and  sterling  qualities.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  the  B.  of  R.  T.  His  poli- 
tical views  are  democratic. 


TTO  R.  MCCLELLAND  who  is  at 

present  the  oldest  man  on  the  list  out- 
side of  a  preferred  run,  entered  the 
service  of  the   Illinois   Central   as  a 
brakeman  on  the  local  in  1889,  under 
Conductor  B.  C.  Michaels.     He  was  promoted 
to  conductor  in  1895,  and  is  now  in  the  freight 
service  between  Clinton  and  Centralia. 

Mr.  McClelland  was  born  near  the  city  of 
Centralia,  Illinois,  on  August  16,  1869,  and  is 
a  member  of  Weldon  Spring  Lodge  No.  400, 
O.  R.  C.  of  Clinton,  and  K.  P.  No.  26,  of  that 
city. 


ETER  A.  MUHR,  conductor,  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  Freeport  division, 
was  born  in  Freeport,  Illinois,  Febru- 
ary 3,  1864,  and  is  a  son  of  Matthias 
Hubert  and  Regina  (Wimmer)  Muhr.  The 
father  was  a  blacksmith,  and  died  in  1889,  the 
mother  is  still  living.  One,  son,  William  G. 
Muhr,  is  employed  by  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  Co.,  as  a 
switchman  in  the  Freeport  yards. 

Peter  Muhr  received  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  Freeport,  and  also  in  the  Sis- 
ter's school  of  the  same  city.  At  the  age  of  thir- 
teen he  began  doing  farm  work,  in  which  calling 
he  remained  for  three  years.  He  was  employed 
in  a  glucose  factory  for  a  time,  and  then  learned 
the  moulder's  trade  with  Mr.  Frank  Taggart  of 
Freeport.  In  1890  he  began  railroading  with 
the  I,  C.  R.  R.,  as  a  brakeman  on  the  Freeport 


division,  and  continued  in  that  position  until 
promoted  to  conductor  in  September  1895,  where 
he  is  now  serving.  June  30,  1898,  Mr.  Muhr 
was  married  to  Miss  Maggie  Deimer,  of  Ackley, 
Iowa.  She  is  a  native  of  Freeport,  and  was 
born  April  i,  1875.  She  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  Ackley.  They  have  one  son,  Roy 
Peter  B.  Muhr,  born  April  10,  1899.  Mr-  Muhr 
has  been  in  several  railroad  accidents  and  has 
suffered  from  fractured  limbs,  but  notwithstand- 
ing this,  is  a  man  of  splendid  physique  and  fine 
constitution.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
church.  He  belongs  to  the  O.  R.  C.,  and  is  in- 
dependent in  politics. 


JAMES  C.  MARTIN,  foreman  painter  at 
the  Illinois  Central  shops  at  Paducah, 
Kentucky,  began  to  learn  the  painter's 
trade,  October  i,  1861,  at  the  age  of 
fourteen  years.  February  24,  1872,  he  entered 
the  employ  of  Mr.  LeGros  in  the  L.  &  N.  shops 
at  Louisville.  He  next  went  to  sign  and  house 
painting  on  his  own  account.  In  1880  he  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Paducah  &  Elizabethtown 
Railroad  as  foreman  of  paint  department  at 
Elizabethtown,  Ky.,  and  in  September  1884  came 
to  Paducah  to  take  charge  of  paint  department 
of  the  Newport  News  &  Mississippi  Valley 
Railroad,  which  was  absorbed  by  the  I.  C.  in 
1896.  Mr.  Martin's  crew  often  numbers  from 
twenty-eight  to  thirty  men,  all  first  class  coach 
and  engine  painters. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Louisville,  Ky., 
November  7,  1847.  His  father,  W.  S.  Martin, 
died  when  James  was  a  small  lad.  That  Mr. 
Martin  was  thrown  upon  his  own  resources  his 
record  wiH  show.  Our  subject  is  self-educated 
and  a  self-made  .man,  highly  respected  by  all 
who  know  him.  Mr.  Martin  was  married  to 
Mary  E.  Shepard,  and  has  two  children,  W.  F., 
cashier  in  the  freight  department  at  Paducah, 
and  R.  S.,  holding  a  responsible  position  as' 
bookkeeper  of  a  large  wholesale  grocery  house. 


276 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


The  family  resides  in  a  fine  house  which  was 
built  by  Mr.  Martin  on  Harrison  street,  Paducah. 
Our  subject  has  been  a  member  of  Ingleside 
Lodge  No.  195,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Paducah,  for 
thirty  years,  and  has  filled  all  the  official  chairs. 
He  also  belongs  to  Friendship  Lodge  A:  O.  U. 
W.,  and  is  a  member  of  the  master  car  painters' 
association,  having  attended  their  national  con- 
vention for  ten  years.  Mr.  Martin  is  a  very  pro- 
gressive and  energetic  craftsman,  and  keeps 
abreast  of  the  times  in  all  that  pertains  to  the 
trade  of  which  he  is  a  worthy  representative. 
His  long  term  of  service  with  his  present  em- 
ployers bespeaks  the  estimate  they  place  on  his 
services. 


COWARD  LAWLESS,  general  foreman 
of  the  Illinois  Central  machine  shops 
at  Freeport,  111.,  is  a  native  of  that 
city,  his  birth  having  occurred  April 
20,  1868.  His  father,  Thomas  Lawless,  who 
was  a  native  of  Ireland,  died  in  Freeport  January 
22,  1895,  while  the  mother,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Rose  Carey,  is  still  a  resident  of  that  city. 
Of  their  five  children  the  following  is  the  record : 
Julia,  deceased ;  Edward,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch;  John,  a  barber  of  Freeport;  Mary,  wife 
of  Winfield  Allen ;  Thomas  F.,  a  journalist  on 
the  staff  of  the  Freeport  Daily  Democrat. 

Edward  Lawless  received  his  education  in 
St.  Mary's  parochial  school  in  Freeport,  and  at 
the  age  of  fourteen  began  work  in  the  shops  of 
the  Freeport  Machine  Company,  remaining  with 
them  until  June  25,  1890.  At  that  time  he  en- 
tered the  shops  of  the  Illinois  Central  at  Free- 
port,  and  in  May,  less  than  two  years  after,  was 
advanced  to  the  assistant  foremanship  of  the 
shops,  and  June  i,  1899,  became  the  chief  in 
charge  of  the  shops  as  foreman.  His  ability  as 
a  machinist  as  well  as  his  executive  ability  and 
skill  in  managing  men  under  him,  recommended 
him  for  preferment.  Mr.  Lawless  was  married 
November  28,  1893,  to  Miss  Nellie  Brennan,  of 
Freeport.  She  was  born  June  24,  1869.  They 


are  the  parents  of  two  children,  Edward,  born 
November  26,  1894,  and  Mary,  born  June  9, 
1898,  and  died  July  22,  1898.  Mr.  Lawless  is 
a  member  of  the  Catholic  church,  St.  Mary's 
congregation,  and  in  politics  is  a  lifelong  Dem- 
ocrat. He  is  well  liked  by  those  under  his 
authority,  and  stands  well  in  the  city  where  he 
makes  his  home. 


\  r-v^RANK  WARD,  conductor  on  Freeport 
1=^      division,  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  was 
J  1  born  in  Galena,  Illinois,   November   i, 

1867.  His  father,  Patrick  Ward,  is  a 
policeman  in  Galena.  Both  parents  are  living. 
They  have  three  sons :  John,  a  brakeman  on 
the  I.  C.  R.  R. ;  Thomas,  an  operator  on  the  C. 
&  X.  W.  R.  R.,  and  Frank.  Our  subject  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  entered  the  service 
of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  Freeport  division,  as  brake- 
man, and  filled  the  position  up  to  October  1895, 
when  he  was  promoted  to  conductor.  He  is  a 
worthy  young  man  of  steady,  sober  and  indus- 
trious habits,  and  stands  high  in  the  regard  of 
his  associates.  He  is  a  member  of  the  O.  R.  T. 
In  his  religious  views  he  is  a  Catholic,  and 
politically  a  Democrat. 

jtjtjtjtjtjt 


kD.  HEGLER  is  a  native  of  Jackson 
countv,  Illinois.  He  entered  service 
on  what  was  termed  the  Cairo  Short 
Line  March  2,  1886,  as  a  bridge  work- 
man and  continued  two  years.  Then  he  began 
as  freight  brakeman  for  Conductor  Joe  White, 
later  on  through  freight  with  W.  A.  Dale  be- 
tween DuQuoin  and  East  St.  Louis,  and  so  con- 
tinued until  March  1890,  when  he  was  promoted 
and  ran  extra  until  October,  when,  on  account 
of  his  mother's  illness  he  was  off  the  road  fifteen 
months,  and  on  his  return  took  charge  of  yard 
engine  at  Pinckneyville,  111.,  from  July  17  to 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


277 


Dec.  4,  and  then  went  back  to  braking.  Feb.  19, 
1892,  he  got  a  regular  run  between  Pinckney- 
ville  and  Brooklyn.  February  1898  he  got  local 
between  Carbondale  and  Brooklyn  and  has  the 
same  now.  Mr.  Hegler  married  Miss  Julia 
House,  and  to  them  have  been  born  four  chil- 
dren, Bessie,  deceased,  Fred,  Edna  and  Bert. 


January  5,  1888,  with  Miss  Jennie  Belle,  daugh- 
ter of  Francis  and  Caroline  (Beidleman)  Belle, 
and  has  four  daughters :  Myrtle,  Bessie,  Grace 
and  Mazie.  Mr.  Lawrence  is  a  member  of  the 
B.  of  L.  E.,  Clinton  Division  No.  315.  The 
father  of  Mrs.  Lawrence  is  now  stationary  en- 
gineer at  Metal  Wheel  Works,  Havana,  111. 


A.  DEVENY  is  a  conductor  in  the 
passenger  service  of  the  Illinois 
Q  Central,  his  run  being  on  the  St. 
Louis  division.  He  entered  the 
service  in  1878  on  the  Springfield  division  as 
brakeman.  Coming  to  Centralia  in  1881,  and 
accepting  a  similar  position,  he  was  promoted  in 
the  spring  of  1882  to  conductor.  A  record  of 
ten  years  at  this  branch  of  the  service,  together 
with  a  faithful  record,  won  for  him  in  1892  his 
present  position.  Mr.  Deveny  is  an  Indianian  by 
birth.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  Division 
No.  112,  O.  R.  C.,  of  Centralia. 


JR.  LAWRENCE,  engineer  on  the  Ha- 
vana line,  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
Q  entered  railroad  service  with  the  Wa- 
bash  R.  R.,  where  he  was  employed 
about  six  months.  He  entered  the  service  of  the 
I.  C.  R.  R.  Sept.  9,  '87,  as  fireman  on  the  Spring- 
field division,  but  in  a  short  time  was  transferred 
at  his  own  request  to  the  Havana  line.  His  first 
run  was  made  with  Charles  Foot,  it  being  Mr. 
Foot's  first  run  as  engineer.  Mr.  Lawrence  was 
promoted  to  engineer  January  22,  1891,  and  has 
since  run  on  the  Havana  line,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  short  time  during  which  he  operated 
a  switch  engine  in  Clinton  yard  on  the  Spring- 
field division,  and  now  has  charge  of  an  accom- 
modation freight,  engine  No.  896. 

Mr.  Lawrence  was  born  in  Havana,  111., 
August  19,  1862.  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Priscilla 
(Lane)  Lawrence.  He  was  united  in  marriage 


EORGE  S.  ROUGHT,  conductor  on 
the  St.  Louis  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  is  one  of  its  well- 
known  employes,  having  entered  the 
service  February  22,  1888,  as  brakeman  on  a 
suburban  passenger  train  in  Chicago.  Serving 
for  a  time  as  extra  passenger  brakeman  and 
baggageman,  he  resigned  and  went  to  Centralia, 
securing  a  situation  as  brakeman  in  the  freight 
service  in  September  1892.  His  services  were 
recognized  by  promotion  to  conductor  October 
i,  1899. 

Mr.  Rought  comes  of  sturdy  English  stock, 
having  been  born  in  Hull,  England,  in  1868.  He 
was  united  in  marriage  on  October  24,  1894,  to 
a  daughter  of  Conrad  Bills,  who  was  for  many 
years  in  the  employ  of  the  I.  C.  as  a  painter.  Mr. 
Bills  was  one  of  the  best  known  citizens  of  Cen- 
tralia, being  one  of  the  earliest  settlers,  and  serv- 
ing his  city  for  a  number  of  terms  as  alderman. 
His  death,  which  occurred  May  22,  1891,  was 
deeply  regretted  by  his  fellow  citizens.  Socially 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  connected  with  E. 
T.  Jeffery  Lodge  No.  412,  B.  of  R.  T.,  of  Cen- 
tralia. 


FJ.  DICKE,  a  young  freight  engineer 
on  the  Memphis  division  of  the  Illi- 
O    nois  Central,  began  his  railroad  ca- 
reer  at  the   age   of   nineteen   in   the 
shops  at  Paducah,  working  one  year  and  eight 
months,  and  then  served  as  fireman  until   1893, 
when  he  was  promoted  to  engineer  and  assigned 
to  engine  No.  566  in  the  freight  service,  running 


278 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


between  Paclucah  and  Memphis.  Our  subject 
has  a  fine  record,  not  having  had  any  accidents 
or  injuries. 

Mr.  Dicke  was  born  in  Paducah,  and  his 
father  was  F.  J.  Dicke,  a  respected  citizen  of  Pa- 
ducah, who  died  in  1881.  Our  subject  began  to 
earn  his  own  living  when  quite  young,  which 
has  developed  him  into  a  sober  and  industrious 
man.  He  is  a  successful  horseman  and  takes 
great  pride  in  several  good  roadsters  which  he 
owns.  He  also  has  an  interest  in  the  grocery 
firm  of  Dicke  Brothers,  one  of  the  largest  gro- 
cery houses  in  Paducah.  He  is  a  member  of 
Plain  City  Lodge  No.  238,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
Lodge  No.  217,  Benevolent  and  Patriotic  Order 
of  Elks.  Of  the  railway  orders  he  belongs  to 
the  B.  of  L.  F.,  and  Division  No.  225,  B.  of  L. 
E.,  of  Paducah. 


JOHN  JOHNSON,  engineer  on  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  Amboy  division,  was  born 
in  London,  England,  February  19,  1858. 
He  is  the  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Lynch) 
Johnson.  The  latter  is  now  living  in  Bloom- 
ington,  111.  The  father,  a  sailor,  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1871,  and  located  in  Blooming- 
ton,  111.,  where  he  died  in  1887.  They  were  the 
parents  of  three  children :  Our  subject ;  Wil- 
liam, a  carpenter,  resides  in  Bloomington ;  Mary, 
married  to  Edward  Colton,  who  is  now  de- 
ceased, resides  in  Bloomington.  John  Johnson 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  London,' 
coming  to  this  country  with  his  parents  in  1871. 
At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  began  driving  a  team  for 
the  Cox  Milling  Co.,  of  Bloomington,  and  re- 
mained in  their  employ  two  years.  In  April 
1877  he  entered  the  service  of  the  C.  &  A.  R.  R. 
as  fireman,  and  remained  in  that  position  until 
1889,  when  he  was  promoted  to  engineer.  He 
remained  in  the  service  of  the  C.  &  A.  company 
until  the  spring  of  1896,  then  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  engineer,  which  position 
he  still  holds  and  is  running  on  the  Amboy  div- 
ision. In  1883  he  married  Miss  Bridget  Dixon, 


of  Bloomington.  She  died  in  1889,  leaving  three 
children:  John,  born  in  1884;  Charles,  born  in 
1886;  Stella,  born  in  1888.  All  are  attending 
school.  Mr.  Johnson  is  a  Catholic.  Socially 
he  is  a  member  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  politically 
he  is  a  Democrat. 


JAMES  H.  CRAIG,  former  conductor  on 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  is  the  son 
of  Roswell  and  Lucinda  (Harrington) 
Craig,  and  was  born  December  3,  1866, 
on  his  father's  farm  in  West  Point  township, 
where  his  youth  was  spent,  assisting  on  the  farm 
in  summer,  and  attending  school  in  winter.  Oc- 
tober 14,  1885,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I. 
C.  R.  R.  at  Amboy,  111.,  as  a  brakeman,  and  re- 
mained in  that  position  for  three  years.  He 
then  resigned  and  went  to  Sioux  City,  Iowa 
where  he  served  the  C.  M.  &  St.  P.  R.  R. 
as  brakeman  two  years,  and  as  conductor  one 
year.  Being  offered  a  position  as  conductor  on 
the  Sioux  City  Rapid  Transit  Ry.,  he  accepted, 
and  remained  with  the  company  until  October 
1891.  In  November  of  that  year  he  returned  to 
Freeport  and  re-entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C. 
R.  R.  in  December,  as  a  brakeman,  and  remained 
in  that  position  until  1894,  when  he  went  to  the 
C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.  at  Eagle  Grove,  Iowa,  as 
brakeman.  After  eighteen  months  service  with 
that  road,  he  resigned  and  turned  his  attention 
to  farming  for  one  year.  He  then  went  to 
Dubuque,  and  on  the  25th  of  October,  1898,  was 
given  employment  by  the  C.  &  G.  N.  R.  R.,  and 
remained  in  that  position  until  July  29,  1899, 
when  he  received  injuries  in  a  derailing  switch 
wire  which  caused  him  to  resign  his  position. 
Mr.  Craig  was  united  in  marriage,  February  13, 
1893,  with  Miss  Minnie  Armagost,  by  whom  he 
has  three  children :  Iva  May,  born  November 
25,  1893;  J.  Harold,  born  November  22,  1895; 
Russell  R.,  born  April  3,  1899.  Mr.  Craig  is 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  Socially 
he  is  connected  with  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  In  poli- 
tics he  affiliates  with  the  Democratic  party. 


ALBERT  A.   SHARP. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


281 


LBERT  A.  SHARP,  superintendent  of 
//_i  \  the  Vicksburg  division  of  the  Yazoo 
/[  \\  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.,  with  head- 
quarters at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  was  born 
near  Atlanta,  Georgia,  February  14,  1844.  He 
is  a  son  of  William  and  Mary  Hackett  Sharp, 
the  latter  living  in  Atlanta,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
five  years,  while  the  former,  a  contractor  by  oc- 
cupation, was  killed  in  the  army  at  Olustee,  Fla., 
in  1863.  Mr.  Sharp  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Atlanta,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
enlisted  in  the  Seventh  regiment,  Georgia  Vol- 
unteers, Confederate  army,  serving  there  dur- 
ing the  entire  war,  and  being  wounded  three 
times.  He  was  made  a  lieutenant  in  1863,  and 
was  wounded  and  captured  at  the  battle  of 
Knoxville,  and  compelled  to  use  crutches  for 
thirteen  months.  He  was  also  wounded  at  the 
first  battle  of  Bull  Run  and  at  the  battle  of  An- 
tietam.  He  was  captured  and  released  on  parole, 
and  eleven  weeks  afterward  was  exchanged. 
Thirty  days  later  he  again  enlisted,  and  was  de- 
tailed on  a  division  battalion  of  sharpshooters. 
Before  the  battle  of  Knoxville  he  had  been  drill- 
master  of  the  sharp-shooters,  for  two  years,  and 
holds  a  medal  for  proficiency  in  that  branch  of 
the  service. 

In  -February  1866,  Mr.  Sharp  entered  the 
service  of  the  Western  &  Atlantic  R.  R.  (now 
part  of  the  N.  C.  &  St.  L.)  as  a  brakeman,  be- 
tween Atlanta,  Ga.,  and  Chattanooga,  Tenn.  He 
worked  with  that  company  as  brakeman  and 
baggagemaster  until  October  1868,  when  he  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  conductor  in  the  freight  ser- 
vice of  the  Edgefield  &  Kentucky  and  Evans- 
ville,  Henderson  &  Nashville  R.  R.,  between 
Hopkinsville,  Ky.,  and  Nashville,  Tenn.,  that 
road  being  then  under  the  management  of  John 
B.  Brownlovv  and  General  Boyle,  of  Kentucky. 
He  was  resigned  and  accepted  service  on  the 
Louisville  &  Nashville  R.  R.  as  conductor  in  the 
freight  service,  at  Bowling  Green,  Ky.,  but  was 
obliged  to  relinquish  the  position  and  go  to  Flor- 
ida on  account  of  throat  trouble.  On  learning 
of  the  opening  of  the  Macon  &  Brunswick  R. 
R.,  he  applied  to  George  H.  Hazelhurst,  presi- 
dent of  the  road,  and  was  appointed  a  conductor 


in  the  passenger  service  of  that  road.  In  1871 
he  was  promoted  to  master  of  transportation, 
with  headquarters  at  Macon,  and  in  1872  was 
again  obliged  to  go  to  Florida  for  his  previous 
ailment.  In  1873  ne  returned  to  the  service  of 
the  same  road,  accepting  his  former  run  as  con- 
ductor, and  serving  through  the  yellow  fever 
epidemic  of  1876.  His  health  being  broken 
down,  he  was  sent  by  the  management .  of  the 
road  to  Chicago,  as  solicitor,  where  he  remained 
two  years.  He  was  recalled  to  Macon,  Ga.,  and 
promoted  to  the  position  of  general  freight  and 
passenger  agent,  which  he  held  until  the  road 
was  built  from  Macon  to  Rome,  Ga.,  and  pur- 
chased by  the  East  Tennessee,  Virginia  &  Geor- 
gia system.  Mr.  Ogden  then  became  general 
freight  and  passenger  agent  of  the  entire  road, 
and  our  subject  was  made  master  of  transporta- 
tion in  the  same  division  of  which  he  had  been 
general  freight  and  passenger  agent.  He  was 
connected  with  that  road  for  thirteen  years  with- 
out losing  a  day.  In  October  1882,  he  was  of- 
fered the  position  of  superintendent  of  construc- 
tion on  the  Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Texas  R. 
R.  (now  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  R.  R.)  and  after  iW 
completion  took  charge  of  the  transportation  of 
the  entire  road  between  Memphis  and  New  Or- 
leans, and  with  the  exception  of  eight  months 
has  had  continuous  charge  of  that  department 
on  one  or  the  other  divisions  of  the  road. 

On  June  I4th,  1870,  Mr.  Sharp  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Annie  Holtzclaw,  of  Ack- 
worth,  Ga.,  a  native  of  Alabama,  born  Nov.  2, 
1847.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sharp  have  a  family  of 
four  children:  Annie,  born  May  2,  1879,  well 
educated  and  residing  at  home ;  Mary  Lou,  born 
October  8,  1880,  who  received  a  college  course 
of  four  years,  also  at  home ;  Earl  Hackett,  born 
August  23,  1885,  attending  the  high  school  at 
Rock  Hill,  S.  C.,  and  John  Boyd,  born  Novem- 
ber 7,  1892,  who  is  being  educated  privately  at 
home.  Mr.  Sharp  is  a  Mason,  Knight  Templar, 
Knight  of  Pythias,  an  Odd  Fellow  and  an  Elk. 
He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Baptist 
church,  of  which  they  are  liberal  supporters,  and 
active  workers.  In  politics  he  votes  with  the 
national  Republican  party.  As  an  officer  of  the 


'282 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Illinois  Central,  and  as  a  citizen  of  Memphis, 
Mr.  Sharp  merits  the  highest  praise  of  his  fel- 
low citizens. 


'ILLIAM  H.  ASHLEY  JR.,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Carbondale,  Illinois.  He  be- 
gan in  1897  for  the  C.  &  E.  I  as  a 
brakeman  between  St.  Elmo,  Illi- 
nois and  Marion,  Illinois,  on  local  freight  and 
continued  three  months,  and  then  went  in  the 
yards  at  Marion  as  switchman  for  eight  months. 
He  then  became  brakeman  on  the  Merchandise 
Express  between  St.  Elmo  and  Rossville,  Illi- 
nois. In  August  1898,  he  came  to  the  Illinois 
Central  as  brakeman  between  Carbondale  and 
Johnston  City  on  local  freight  for  Alonzo  Tem- 
ple. In  August  1899,  he  was  promoted  to  con- 
ductor and  is  running  the  Johnston  City  local. 
Mr.  Ashley  married  Miss  Emma  Gill,  of  Marion, 
Illinois.  His  father,  William  Ashley,  came  to 
Carbondale  in  1867  as  station  agent,  and  held  the 
position  twenty-seven  years,  then  resigned,  re- 
fusing a  position  as  traveling  freight  agent,  and 
he  is  now  interested  in  banking  in  that  city. 


LEE  W.  ALBRIGHT,  Chief  Train  Dis- 
patcher of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
at  Freeport,  was  born  in  Canton,  111., 
March  4,  1864.     His  father,  J.  B.  E. 
Albright,   a  physician,   was  born  in  Berks  Co., 
Pa.,  Aug.  7,  1820,  and  came  to  Illinois  in  1849 
settling  in  Canton,  where  he  died  Sept.  13,  1886. 
The  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Catharine 
Cline,  was  born  in  Rockingham  Co.,  Va.,  Dec. 
29,  1827.     She  is  now  living  in  Freeport.     The 
family    consisted    of    five    children  —  Emma    G. 
died  at  ten  years  of  age  ;  R.  Belle,  living  in  Free- 
port  ;  Lewis  P.  died  at  the  age  of  four  years  ; 
Carrie  V.  died  at  the  age  of  thirteen  ;  and  L.  W., 
our  subject. 

Mr.  Albright  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Forreston,  111.,  and  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen he  learned  telegraphy  at  Forreston,  In 


1 88 1  he  secured  the  position  of  night  operator 
at  Lee,  on  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  where  he  re- 
mained a  few  months  then  went  to  Forreston 
as  night  operator  on  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  In  1887  he 
was  made  train  dispatcher  at  Amboy,  111.,  but 
after  two  months,  was  assigned  to  Freeport. 
After  one  year  he  was  sent  to  Rockford  in  the 
same  capacity  and  in  1891  was  returned  to  Free- 
port  where  he  has  remained  to  the  present  date. 
April  28,  1891  Mr.  Albright  was  married  to 
Miss  Rose  Frances  Zapf,  daughter  of  Edward 
and  Elizabeth  Zapf,  of  Freeport.  Mrs.  Albright 
was  born  Sept.  9,  1867  and  was  educated  in  the 
Freeport  schools.  They  have  three  children : 
Donald  Z.,  born  Feb.  22,  1895 ;  Kenneth  C.,  born 
April  26,  1896;  Alfred  Lee  born  July  23,  1899. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Albright  attend  the  Presbyterian 
church.  Mr.  Albright  is  a  member  of  the 
Masons,  Excelsior  Lodge,  Chapter  and  Com- 
mandery  No.  7,  of  Freeport,  and  belongs  to  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Democrat. 


JAMES  LONERGAN,  former  super- 
visor of  the  Illinois  Central,  Twelfth 
Q  section,  Sixth  division,  is  a  native  of 
Ireland,  and  was  born  in  Waterford, 
October  15,  1861.  John  Lonergan,  his  father, 
emigrated  to  America  in  1865,  and  located  in 
Eldena,  Lee  county,  Illinois,  where  he  was  sec- 
tion man  on  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  He  died  in  1884 
at  the  age  of  84  years.  The  mother,  Mary 
(Tamel)  Lonergan,  is  living  in  Freeport.  Their 
sons,  John  and  George,  are  section  foreman  on 
the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  the  former  at  Polo,  111.,  the  lat- 
ter at  Rockford. 

P.  James  Lonergan  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Eldena,  also  the  Sister's  school  at 
Dixon,  111.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  began  work 
for  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  at  Dixon,  barking  posts,  which 
he  did  for  a  few  months,  then  in  1877,  began 
working  on  the  section  and  remained  there  about 
two  and  one-half  years.  He  then  worked  for 
the  C.  &.  N.  W.  R.  R.  at  Clinton,  Iowa,  as  a 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


283 


stonemason  until  the  fall  of  1882,  when  he  went 
to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  was  track  walker  in  the 
Buffalo  yards  of  the  L.  S.  &  M.  S.  R.  R.  until 
March  1883.  In  April  of  that  year  he  was  ap- 
pointed section  foreman  on  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  at 
Woosung,  111.,  where  he  remained  until  Decem- 
ber 1884,  when  he  was  transferred  to  the  Free- 
port  yards,  in  which  position  he  remained  until 
August  1886,  being  at  that  time  transferred  to 
the  C.  M.  &  N.  R.  R.  as  track  layer  and  foreman 
of  construction.  In  the  fall  of  1887  he  was  ap- 
pointed supervisor  of  the  twelfth  section,  sixth 
division,  with  headquarters  at  Freeport.  In 
1900  Mr.  Lonergan  resigned  his  position,  and 
now  owns  a  grocery  store  in  Freeport. 

October  4,  1893,  Mr.  Lonergan  was  married 
to  Miss  Emma  Coyle,  daughter  of  Bernard  Coyle, 
of  Freeport,  an  old  employe  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R. 
She  was  born  in  1869.  They  have  one  child, 
James  Leo,  born  January  n,  1895.  Mr.  Loner- 
gan and  wife  are  members  of  the  Catholic  church. 
Mr.  Lonergan  is  independent  in  his  political 
opinions. 


JG.'  TAYLOR,  passenger  engineer  on  the 
Amboy  division  of  the  Illinois  Central 
O  Railroad,  began  his  experience  in  rail- 
road work  in  the  shops  of  the  Northern 
R.  R.  of  Canada.  He  entered  the  service  of  the 
I.  C.  R.  R.,  September  I,  1865,  as  a  fireman  on 
the  Cairo  district,  and  was  promoted  to  engineer 
September  I,  1867,  running  an  engine  on  the 
Cairo  district  one  year,  then  ran  a  freight  engine 
on  what  is  now  the  Clinton  district,  from  Cen- 
tralia  to  Clinton,  until  1884,  when  he  was  trans- 
fered  to  passenger  engineer  and  now  runs  engine 
No.  1301  on  the  Clinton  district,  Amboy  divi- 
sion. Mr.  Taylor's  service  has  been  noticeable 
for  his  carefulness  and  freedom  from  accidents. 
He  has  never  had  a  collision,  either  front  or  rear. 
Mr.  Taylor  was  born  in  Brockville,  Ontario, 
Canada,  in  December  1842.  In  1871,  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Cordwell,  by  whom  he  has  had 
two  children.  His  son  George  served  for  a  time 
as  machinist  in  the  Clinton  shops,  had  fired  an 


engine,  and  while  serving  as  brakeman  was  killed 
in  an  accident  at  the  Wabash  crossing,  near 
Springfield,  in  April  1898.  The  second  son,  Joe, 
resides  with  his  parents.  Mr.  Taylor  owns  a 
pleasant  home  on  E.  Main  St.,  Clinton,  where  he 
resides.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  B.  of 
L.  E.  since  1868,  and  is  also  a  member  of  Clinton 
Lodge,  No.  25,  K.  of  P. 


G.  HAWKS,  conductor  on  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  Amboy  division, 
t  Q  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  railroad 
service,  and  has  been  peculiarly  for- 
tunate in  his  career.  He  is  the  son  of  George 
W.  and  Roxana  B.  (Wood)  Hawks.  The  father 
served  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  as  a  private 
in  Co.  E,  113  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  was  color  bearer,  and 
was  discharged  on  account  of  wounds  in  Febru- 
ary 1863.  He  was  a  minister  of  the  M.  E. 
Church,  Rock  River  conference  and  died  Octo- 
ber 30,  1890.  The  mother  died  January  5, 
1888. 

H.  G.  Hawks  received  a  common  school 
education  in  the  schools  of  Palatine,  Cook  county, 
111.,  attended  school  in  winter  and  working  on 
the  farm  summers.  January  14,  1878,  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  Racine  &  Southwestern  R.  R. 
Co.,  as  a  brakeman  and  remained  in  the  employ 
of  that  company  one  year.  He  then  went  to  the 
C.  &  N.  W  R.  R.  as  a  brakeman,  and  after  four 
years  in  that  capacity  was  promoted  to  conduc- 
tor in  1881.  He  left  the  C.  &  N.  W.  in  1883, 
and  was  in  the  employ  of  the  C.  B.  &  N.  R.  R., 
as  conductor,  for  two  years.  He  then  served 
the  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Manitoba  R.  R.  four 
years  as  conductor,  after  which,  in  1889,  he  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  and  is  now 
running  on  the  Amboy  division. 

On  the  27th  of  March,  1879,  Mr.  Hawks 
was  married  to  Miss  Ada  B.  Parker,  of  Kingston, 
111.  who  was  born  in  Shelbyville,  Indiana,  August 
4.  1857.  Mrs.  Hawks  is  the  mother  of  two 
daughters:  Myrtle,  born  in  Kingston,  January 
3,  1881,  will  graduate  from  the  Freeport  high 


284 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


school  in  1900;  Lulu,  born  in  Chicago,  October 
7,  1884,  is  in  the  Freeport  high  school.  The 
family  attends  the  First  M.  E.  church.  Mr. 
Hawks  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
the  Foresters,  and  the  O.  of  R.  C.  He  is  inde- 
pendent in  his  political  views. 


J 


Jtjtjtjtjtjt 

P.  GOSSETT  is  a  conductor  on  the 
Springfield  division  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
Q  tral,  from  Champaign  to  Clinton,  and 
Champaign  to  Decatur,  Havana  line. 
He  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  as 
brakeman  on  the  Champaign  district  in  1868, 
serving  in  that  capacity  for  two  years.  He  then 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Indiana,  Bloomington 
&  Western  Railroad  as  brakeman  and  was  soon 
promoted  to  conductor.  When  the  latter  line 
was  acquired  by  the  Illinois  Central  he  retained 
his  position. 

Mr.  Gossett  was  born  in  Highland  county, 
Ohio,  his  parents,  Levi  and  Isabell  (Shield) 
Gossett,  being  natives  of  the  same  county.  The 
father  was  a  potter  by  trade.  Both  the  parents 
were  members  of  the  M.  E.  church.  They  passed 
away  the  same  year,  the  father  dying  in  Febru- 
ary 1894,  in  Sedgwick,  Kansas,  and  the  mother 
died  the  following  June  in  Longview,  Texas. 

J.  P.  Gossett  was  married  in  1874  to  Miss 
M.  L.  Carnahan,  of  Blanchester,  Ohio,  whose 
parents,  John  and  Margaret  (Crosson)  Carna- 
han, were  natives  of  the  same  state,  where  the 
father  was  a  merchant.  The  mother  died  when 
Mrs.  Gossett  was  only  five  years  of  age,  but  her 
father  survived  until  1885.  They  were  both 
members  of  the  Universalist  church,  -with  which 
denomination  Mrs.  Gossett  is  also  identified. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gossett  have  been  born  two 
daughters,  namely,  Cora  E.,  now  the  wife  of 
Earl  Sabin,  of  Champaign,  and  Pearl,  at  home. 
Our  subject  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  i,  O. 
R.  C.,  of  Chicago,  but  became  identified  with  the 
order  at  Peoria,  Illinois,  in  1871,  when  in  the 
employ  of  the  Indiana,  Bloomington  &  Western 
Railroad, 


ICHAEL  DONOVAN  is  supervisor 
of  track,  third  section,  second  division 
of  the  Illinois  Central,  and  it  may 
be  said  of  him,  that  he  grew  up  with 
the  company,  as  he  never  worked  at  any  other 
occupation,  nor  with  any  other  railroad  company. 
He  is  a  son  of  John  Donovan,  who  was  for  thirty- 
five  years  a  faithful  employe  of  the  I.  C.,  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  the  time  as  section  foreman. 
Michael  Donovan  was  born  in  a  house  on  the 
I.  C.  right  of  way,  south  of  Effingham  in  1864, 
and  entered  the  service  of  the  company  as  a  work- 
man under  his  father  in  1878.  He  was  made 
foreman  of  a  fence  gang  in  1881,  and  has  served 
as  foreman  of  fence,  section,  or  extra  gang  ever 
since.  He  was  for  six  years  permanently  at 
Watson,  111.;  as  section  foreman,  and  for  four 
more  years  held  the  same  position  during  the 
winter  months,  taking  charge  of  an  extra  gang 
of  men  during  the  summer.  On  October  I,  1899, 
he  received  the  well-merited  promotion  to  super- 
visor of  track. 

Mr.  Donovan  is  one  of  the  substantial  citi- 
zens of  Effingham,   Illinois,  and  is  unmarried. 


B.  WALKER,  agent  of  the  Central 
at  Patoka,  111.,  is  a  native  of  Jackson, 
Q  Ohio,  born  February  25,  1860.  Two 
years  later  his  parents  moved  to  a 
farm  near  Patoka  where  Mr.  Walker  was 
reared,  attending  the  common  schools  until  the 
age  of  twenty.  His  father,  Joseph  Walker,  was 
born  on  Grant's  birthday,  1822,  near  Pittsburg, 
and  learned  the  carpenter's  and  wheelwright's 
trades.  During  the  Mexican  war  he  worked  on 
the  wagons  that  were  to  transport  the  munitions 
of  war,  and  again  during  the  Civil  war  he  was 
similarly  employed.  He  married  Miss  Josephine 
Miles,  a  native  of  Webster  county,  Ohio.  Her 
father  had  been  a  furnace  man  in  Virginia. 

At  the  age  of  twenty  Mr.  Walker  began  the 
stud}-  of  telegraphy  and  the  routine  of  station 
work  at  Vernon  under  the  instruction  of  A.  G. 
Lowe.  In  February  1881,  he  was  appointed 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


285 


agent  at  Vernon  station  and  remained  there  until 
transferred  to  Patoka,  June  12,  1886,  under  the 
superintendency  of  Mr.  J.  C.  Jacobs,  holding 
that  assignment  to  the  present  time.  Mr.  Walker 
was  first  married  to  Miss  Nora  Jackson,  April 
8,  1885,  and  of  this  marriage  three  children  were 
born:  Frank,  Ross  and  Ruth.  Mrs.  Walker 
died  May  30,  1893,  when  Mr.  Walker's  mother 
came  to  keep  house  for  him  and  hold  the  little 
family  together.  His  second  marriage  was  to 
Miss  May  Taylor,  of  Newton,  111.,  occurring 
August  9,  1899.  She  is  a  lady  of  fine  education, 
having  presided  as  principal  of  the  Newton 
schools  for  several  years.  The  family  resides  in 
Patoka,  where  by  good  management  Mr.  Walker 
has  accumulated  a  comfortable  competency,  own- 
ing a  farm  one  mile  from  Patoka.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  holding  member- 
ship with  the  Blue  lodge  at  Patoka  and  the 
Chapter  at  Centralia.  The  family  attends  the 
Methodist  church. 


and  Cairo.  He  came  to  Freeport  in  1887,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  running  on  a  passenger 
engine. 

On  the  nth  of  February,  1876,  Mr.  Palmer 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Hattie  Albina 
Sanford,  of  Jackson,  Mich.  Her  father,  O.  N. 
Sanford,  a  painter,  died  in  1871.  Her  mother, 
Ann  (Carter),  died  in  1883.  Mrs.  Palmer  was 
born  Dec.  2,  18,57,  and  was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Jackson,  Mich.  Her  union  with 
our  subject  has  been  blessed  with  five  children : 
Frederick  A.,  born  March  14,  1878,  a  machinist 
in  the  employ  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  is  single  and 
living  at  home;  E.  S.,  born  May  30,  1881,  is  at- 
tending the  grammar  school  in  Freeport;  D.  R., 
born  July  30,  1885,  is  a  student  in  the  Freeport 
high  school ;  James  J.,  born  Jan.  15,  1887,  attend- 
ing school,  and  Gladys  M.,  born  March  10,  1891. 
The  family  attends  the  English  Lutheran  church 
of  Freeport.  Mr.  Palmer  is  a  Mason,  a  member 
of  the  I.  O.  of  M.  A.,  and  also  of  the  B.  of  L.  E. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 


D.  PALMER,  engineer  on  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  was  born  at  Jack- 
son, Mich.,  November  25,  1853.  He 
is  the  son  of  D.  R.  Palmer,  a  black- 
smith by  trade,  who  lived  in  Jackson,  Mich., 
where  he  died  in  1896.  The  mother,  Abigail 
(Wilmouth)  Palmer,  lives  with  subject.  The 
only  daughter,  Ada,  was  the  wife  of  George  O. 
Dickinson,  and  lived  in  Jackson,  Mich.,  at  the 
time  of  her  death  in  1895. 

E.  D.  Palmer  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Jackson,  Mich.  In  1874  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  Michigan  Central  R.  R.  as  a 
fireman,  and  continued  in  that  position  for  three 
years  and  six  months,  when  he  was  promoted 
to  engineer,  running  a  freight  engine  between 
Jackson  and  Saginaw,  where  he  remained  one 
year,  then  ran  on  the  Detroit,  Milwaukee  & 
Grand  Haven  for  two  years,  after  which  he  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  and  lo- 
cated in  Chicago,  running  on  the  Chicago  divi- 
sion a  short  time  when  he  was  transferred  to 
the  Centralia  division  and  ran  between  Centralia 


HARLES  McFERSON,  conductor  on 
the  Amboy  division  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral Railroad,  was  born  at  Tonica,  111., 
March  31,  1871.  His  father,  George 
A.  McFerson,  is  an  undertaker  residing  in  Ton- 
ica, 111.  His  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Maria  Underbill,  died  in  1880.  Charles  Mc- 
Ferson attended  the  public  schools  of  Tonica, 
after  which  he  served  an  apprenticeship  with  his 
father  in  the  undertaking  business.  He  then 
opened  an  establishment  in  Ambia,  Ind.,  where 
he  followed  the  business  of  an  undertaker  for 
about  three  months,  then  sold  out,  came  back 
to  Illinois,  and  accepted  a  position  as  brakeman 
on  the  Amboy  division  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  where 
he  remained  until  the  time  of  his  promotion  to 
conductor,  which  occurred  in  1898.  He  removed 
to  Freeport  in  September  1899.  Mr.  McFerson 
was  united  in  marriage,  June  23,  1895,  with  Miss 
Sophie  Westmeyer,  of  Tonica.  She  was  born 
in  Peru,  111.,  January  16,  1874,  but  removed  to 


286 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Tonica  where  she  received  her  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  that  place.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mc- 
Ferson  are  members  of  the  M.  E.  church.  Mr. 
McFerson  belongs  to  the  Order  of  Foresters  and 
the  B.  of  R.  T.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 


N.  WAKEFIELD  is  one  of  the  well 
known  conductors  in  the  freight  ser- 
LQ  vice  of  the  Illinois  Central,  his  run 
being  in  the  Centralia  district  on  the 
St.  Louis  division.  He  first  entered  the  service 
of  the  I.  C.  in  1888,  working  in  the  shops  at  Du 
Quoin,  111.,  where  he  served  four  years.  In 
1892  he  began  his  work  as  brakeman  in  the  cen- 
tral district,  and  his  efficiency  was  rewarded  by 
promotion  to  conductor  on  December  25,  1896. 
He  was  married  December  23,  1892,  at  DuQuoin, 
111.,  to  Miss  Ada  Weeks,  daughter  of  William 
and  Elizabeth  Weeks.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wakefield 
have  one  daughter,  Irene.  Mr.  Wakefield  was 
born  in  Macon  county,  Tenn.,  July  n,  1869.  He 
is  a  member  of  Division  No.  112  O.  R.  C.,  of 
Centralia. 


THOMAS  N.  CRAIG,  conductor  on  the 
Amboy  division,  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road,   was   born    at   Waddams    Grove, 
111.,  September  6,  1869.     He  is  the  son 
of  Roswell  Craig,  a  farmer,  and  Lucinda  (Har- 
rington) Craig,  both  of  whom  are  living. 

Our  subject,  during  his  boyhood,  worked  on 
the  farm  in  summer  and  attended  school  in  West 
Point  township  in  winter.  When  seventeen 
years  of  age  he  went  to  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  and 
was  employed  as  a  hotel  clerk  for  five  years,  then 
went  to  Chicago  and  worked  in  the  Demming 
Hotel  for  three  months.  He  then  came  to  Free- 
port,'and  on  April  9,  1893,  entered  the  service  of 
the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  a  brakeman.  August  22,  1894, 
he  resigned  his  position  on  the  road  and  went 
to  Bridgewater,  S.  Dak.,  where  he  remained  one 
year  engaged  in  farming.  The  next  year  was 


spent  in  farming  at  Oakland,  Tenn.,  after  which 
he  went  to  Two  Harbors,  Minn.,  and  secured  a 
position  as  brakeman  on  the  Duluth  &  Iron 
Range  R.  R.,  where  he  remained  seven  months, 
then  returned  to  Freeport  and  re-entered  the 
service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  brakeman,  contin- 
uing in  that  position  until  August  26,  1899,  when 
he  was  promoted  to  conductor,  in  which  capacity 
he  is  now  employed  on  the  Amboy  division. 

On  the  22nd  day  of  June,  1897,  Mr.  Craig 
was  married  to  Miss  May  Armagost,  of  Wad- 
dams  Grove.  She  was  born  June  2,  1876.  They 
have  one  child,  Ima,  born  March  3,  1899.  Mr. 
Craig  and  his  estimable  wife  are  members  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  church  of  Freeport.  Mr. 
Craig  is  socially  connected  with  the  B.  of  R.  T., 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 


L.  HOOPER  is  one  of  the  represent- 
ative conductors  on  the  Centralia  dis- 
trict  of  the  Illinois  Central,  having 
entered  the  service  of  that  road  in 
1884  as  brakeman  on  the  local  from  Centralia  to 
Cairo,  with  Conductor  Charles  Protz.  He  was 
for  five  years  in  the  freight  and  passenger  service 
of  the  company  as  brakeman  and  baggageman, 
and  in  1889  received  promotion  to  conductor. 
He  has  had  his  present  run  since  1893. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  native  of 
Richview,  111.,  having  been  born  there  March  22, 
1865,  to  the  union  of  A.  C.  and  Eliza  (Maxey) 
Hooper,  natives  of  Tennessee  and  Illinois  re- 
spectively. The  father  is  deceased,  but  the 
mother  is  still  living.  Mr.  Hooper  was  married 
September  29,  1891,  to  Miss  Gertrude  Stebbins, 
a  daughter  of  Rev.  George  and  Sarah  (  But- 
trick)  Stebbins.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hooper  have 
one  son  living,  Allen  Lorrene,  who  is  attending 
school.  Socially  our  subject  is  a  member  of 
Division  No.  112,  O.  R.  C.,  of  Centralia.  He 
is  an  energetic  and  progressive  citizen  of  Cen- 
tralia, and  owns  a  substantial  home  on  Hamin 
Boulevard. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


287 


V.  HOPKINS,  conductor  on  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad,  Amboy 
Q  division,  is  a  native  of  Illinois, 
and  was  born  in  Morris,  July  8, 
1877.  His  parents,  Michael  and  Ellen  (Burke) 
Hopkins,  are  living  in  LaSalle,  111.  One  son, 
James,  is  a  train  man  in  the  service  of  the  I.  C. 
R.  R.,  at  LaSalle.  W.  V.  Hopkins  was  educated 
in  St.  Patrick's  school  of  LaSalle.  He  began 
working  as  a  brick-maker  and  learned  the  busi- 
ness in  all  its  branches,  and  remained  at  the 
business  five  years.  In  October  1897,  he  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  a  freight 
brakeman  on  the  Amboy  division,  and  remained 
in  that  position  until  August  12,  1899,  when  he 
was  promoted  to  the  position  of  conductor, 
which  he  now  occupies.  Mr.  Hopkins  is  a 
Catholic.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  is 
connected  socially  with  the  B.  of  R.  T.  He  is  a 
young  man  of  energy,  and  bids  fair  to  rise  in 
his  chosen  calling. 


I  HARLES  REED,  conductor  on  the  Illi- 
nois Central  railroad,  Amboy  division, 
was  born  October  17,  1876,  at  Amboy, 
111.  Fred  Reed,  his  father,  was  for- 
merly a  conductor  on  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  and  now  re- 
sides in  Chicago.  His  mother,  Annie  (Ash) 
Reed,  is  also  living.  One  son,  George,  is  a  sten- 
ographer in  the  office  of  Mr.  Keepers,  general 
freight  agent  at  Chicago. 

Our  subject,  Charles  Reed,  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town,  and  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  he  began  driving  an  oil  wagon 
at  Amboy,  and  remained  in  that  position  three 
years.  In  1895  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I. 
C.  R.  R.  as  a  brakeman,  and  was  promoted 
October  i,  1898,  to  the  position  of  conductor, 
and  is  now  running  in  the  freight  service.  On 
the  28th  day  of  March,  1898,  Mr.  Reed  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Flora  Jeffrey,  of 
Freeport.  She  was  born  in  Manhattan,  Kan., 
November  15,  1875,  and  her  education  was  ac- 
quired in  the  public  schools  of  Galena,  111.  By 


this  union  Mrs.  Reed  is  the  mother  of  one  child, 
Frank  G.,  born  February  28,  1899.  The  fami- 
ly attends  the  Second  Presbyterian  church  of 
Freeport.  Mr.  Reed  is  a  member  of  the  B.  of 
R.  T.  His  political  views  are  democratic. 


EORGE  GRANGER  ranks  as  one  of 
the  oldest  men  in  the  service  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  having  begun  work 
on  the  road  as  a  fireman  on  the 
Champaign  division  in  September  1858.  He  was 
promoted  to  engineer  in  1861  and  for  many  years 
served  in  the  freight  service,  entering  the  reg- 
ular passenger  service  in  1884,  in  charge  of  en- 
gine No.  965,  and  is  still  identified  with  that 
branch  of  the  service. 

Mr.  Granger  was  born  in  Williamson, 
Wayne  county,  New  York,  November  5,  1837, 
and  is  a  son  of  George  and  Mary  Granger,  na- 
tives of  England,  who  removed  to  Michigan 
froni  New  York  state  when  our  subject  was 
very  young.  He  attended  the  schools  of  his  lo- 
cality until  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  remained 
on  the  farm  until  he  was  twenty-one,  assisting 
his  mother,  his  father  having  died  when  he  was 
but  seven  years  old.  He  left  home  coming  di- 
rect to  Champaign,  where  he  arrived  June  20, 
1858,  and  engaged  with  the  Illinois  Central  the 
following  September. 

On  May  26,  1870,  Mr.  Granger  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Mrs.  Sarah  C.  (Ball)  Rowe,  who 
was  born  July  29,  1844,  in  Ithaca,  New  York, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Charles  E.  and  Harriet  H. 
Ball.  To  our  subject  and  wife  were  born  two 
sons :  Guy  D.  and  George  E.  Socially  he  is 
a  member  of  Centralia  Lodge  No.  24,  B.  of  L. 
E.,  having  been  initiated  before  the  lodge  was 
divided  into  sections.  In  politics  he  is  a  stal- 
wart Republican.  Mrs.  Granger  is  a  member  of 
the  Congregational  church.  Industrious  and 
careful,  Mr.  Granger  is  counted  as  one  of  the 
substantial  citizens  of  Champaign,  and  owns  a 
fine  residence  in  that  citv. 


288 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


JAMES  H.  PURSLEY,  engineer  on  the 
Clinton  division,  is  a  native  of  the  Prai- 
rie State,  his  birth  occurring  at  Sublette, 
in  Lee  county,  December  19,  1858.  He 
was  early  thrown  upon  his  own  resources  and  at 
the  age  of  twelve  went  to  the  country  to 
work  on  a  farm.  Here  he  remained  three  years, 
attending  school  when  he  could,  employing  his 
evenings  studying,  by  which  he  secured  as  good 
an  education  as  boys  that  had  better  advantages 
in  school.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  was  appren- 
ticed to  Mr.  Edward  Lewis  to  learn  the  wagon- 
maker's  trade,  but  finding  the  dust  and  confine- 
ment detrimental  to  his  health,  he  was  forced  to 
discontinue  and  seek  employment  again  in  the 
country.  In  1880  he  secured  a  position  as  brake- 
man  on  the  Illinois  Central,  and  eighteen  months 
later  was  given  a  place  on  an  engine  firing,  under 
the  jurisdiction  of  J.  B.  Edams,  then  master 
mechanic.  When  duly  qualified  he  was  exam- 
ined and  transferred  to  the  right  side  of  an  en- 
gine, and  has  been  continually  engaged  in  that 
capacity  ever  since,  having  made  a  good  record 
for  efficiency  and  carefulness  that  holds  him 
well  in  the  estimation  of  the  officials  of  the 
road. 

Mr.  Pursley  is  a  son  of  John  and  Sophia 
(Frink)  Pursley,  natives  of  Binghampton, 
Mass.,  who  emigrated  to  Illinois  when  it  was  a 
comparatively  new  country.  Of  their  four  sons 
and  two  daughters,  all  living  in  Kansas,  except 
our  subject,  and  are  engaged  in  farming,  whither 
the  mother  went  to  make  her  home  after  the 
death  of  her  husband.  She  is  now  deceased. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  Amboy,  July 
4,  1879,  to  Miss  Alice  Petticrew,  daughter  of 
David  and  Margaret  (Roof)  Petticrew,  natives 
of  Indiana  and  Ohio,  respectively.  The  father 
is  deceased,  but  the  mother  is  still  living.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Pursley  are  the  parents  of  two  daugh- 
ters, Carrie  and  Ethel,  graduates  of  the  Amboy 
public  schools.' 

Mr.  Pursley's  residence  was  at  Amboy  until 
the  redistricting  of  the  road  in  1888,  when  he 
moved  with  his  family  to  Clinton,  his  present 
home.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Amboy  Lodge 
No.  35,  B.  of  L.  F.,  and  on  his  promotion  be- 


came a  member  of  Amboy  Division  No.  72,  B.  of 
L.  E.  Mr.  Pursley  is  a  man  who  has  made  his 
own  way  since  boyhood,  and  what  he  is  and  what 
he  has  are  the  result  of  his  own  efforts. 


B.  WILLARD  is  an  engineer  in  the 
passenger  service,  Centralia  district, 
LQ  of  the  St.  Louis  division,  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central.  Beginning  as  a  fire- 
man on  the  Central  District  in  1876  he  was  pro- 
moted, in  1880,  to  engineer  in  the  freight  service. 
During  his  term  as  fireman  he  worked  on  the 
main  line,  from  Centralia  to  Clinton  for  two 
years.  After  serving  in  the  passenger  service 
as  extra  engineer  during  1891  and  1892,  he  was 
given  charge  of  a  regular  passenger  engine  in 

1893. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Indiana,  but  came 
to  the  city  of  Salem,  111.,  at  an  early  age.  On 
April  4,  1879,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
M.  Louise  Allen,  at  Centralia,  111.  and  to  them 
have  been  born  five  children,  viz  :  Frederick  W., 
James  M.,  Richard  A.,  Brooks  and  Charles  T. 
He  is  a  member  of  B.  of  L.  E.,  No.  24  of  Cen- 
tralia, 111.,  also  prominent  in  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  cir- 
cles. Mr.  Willard  has  a  most  estimable  family 
and  a  commodious  home  in  that  city. 


EORGE  E.  WAUGH,  conductor  on 
the  Freeport  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  entered  the  service 
of  the  road  on  the  Amboy  division  as 
freight  brakeman,  January  29,  1880,  making  his 
first  run  with  D.  Zeek  as  conductor.  He  was 
changed  to  passenger  brakeman  and  baggage- 
master,  and  in  1886  was  promoted  to  conductor 
on  the  Amboy  division.  In  1889  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  Freeport  division  and  located  in  Chi- 
cago, where  he  handled  trains  for  the  races  at 
Washington  Park  and  Hawthorne  for  four 
years,  and  also  had  charge  of  the  Hawthorne 


GEORGE  M.  BECKER. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


291 


freight  yards.  In  1894  he  came  to  Freeport  as 
conductor  on  the  Freeport  division,  and  in  1896 
took  his  present  run  on  No.  93  and  No.  94,  local, 
to  Dubuque. 

Mr.  Waugh  was  born  in  Washington, 
Tazewell  county,  111.,  in  1859,  and. is  the  son  of 
J.  C.  and  Susan  (Zaners)  Waugh,  of  Wichita, 
Kansas.  In  1892  he  married  Emma  Morris,  by 
whom  he  has  two  children,  Bernice  and  Buda. 
Mr.  Waugh  is  Chief  Conductor  of  the  O.  of  R. 
C.,  No.  235,  of  Freeport,  and  is  a  member  of 
Rinaldo  Lodge  No.  98,  K.  of  P.,  of  Freeport. 


railroad  men.  They  are  George,  our  subject; 
Henry,  section  foreman  on  the  I.  C.  near  Kenner, 
La.,  Joseph,  supervisor  of  tracks  on  the  Wilson 
district,  of  the  I.  C.,  and  William  A.,  supervisor 
of  tracks  for  the  I.  C.  between  Memphis  and 
Dyersburg,  Tenn. 

George  M.  Becker,  our  subject,  married 
Miss  Catherine  Schneckerberger,  and  three  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  them,  viz:  William  A., 
Walter,  and  Lena.  He  resides  in  Vicksburg, 
Miss.,  and  is  a  valued  citizen.  Having  risen 
from  the  ranks  to  his  present  responsible  position, 
indicates  him  as  an  employe  of  sterling  worth 
and  an  efficient  railroad  man. 


EORGE  M.  BECKER,  roadmaster  of 
the  fifteenth  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  entered  the  service  of  the 
company  as  a  laborer  on  the  section 
at  Kenner,  Louisiana,  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen. From  a  laborer  he  was  promoted  to  sec- 
tion foreman,  after  four  years  work  in  the  former 
capacity.  As  a  section  foreman  he  was  employed 
six  years  on  the  road,  and  resigned  to  accept  a 
similar  position  with  the  Louisville,  New  Orleans' 
&  Texas  R.  R.  He  was  with  the  latter  road 
when  it  was  absorbed  by  the  Illinois  Central, 
and  was  then  appointed  supervisor  of  tracks 
on  the  Wilson  district,  which  position  he  held 
two  years.  He  was  then  transferred  to  Baton 
Rouge,  La.,  as  supervisor  of  tracks  on  the  New 
Orleans  district,  remaining  on  that  district  four 
years.  In  June  1897,  he  was  sent  to  Jackson, 
Miss.,  as  supervisor  of  tracks  and  trains  of  the 
Natchez  district,  and  in  August  1900  was  pro- 
moted to  his  present  position.  Mr.  Becker  is 
a  native  of  Kenner,  Louisiana,  where  he  was 
born  on  July  29th,  1857,  and  is  the  son  of 
George  and  Francis  (Armbrtister)  Becker,  both 
natives  of  Germany,  who  emigrated  to  America 
and  settled  in  the  South.  Mr.  Becker  Sr.  is  one 
of  the  oldest  living  employes  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, having  been  connected  with  the  road  for 
over  thirty-five  years  as  section  foreman,  and  is 
now  living  retired  at  Kenner.  In  the  parental 
family  there  were  four  sons,  all  of  whom  became 

17 


JOHN  J.  SHAUGHNESSY,  who  is  an 
engineer  on  the  Illinois  Central,  was 
born  in  Amboy,  Illinois,  April  27,  1869. 
His  father,  P.  H.  Shaughnessy,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Limerick,  Ireland,  and  came  to  this 
country  when  a  boy,  locating  in  Montreal,  Can- 
ada, where  he  engaged  in  farming  in  that  vicin- 
ity for  a  few  years,  then  came  to  the  United 
States  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  and  located  in 
Freeport,  where  he  engaged  in  teaming  for  a 
number  of  years.  He  was  employed  by  the  I.  C. 
R.  R.  for  about  thirty-five  years  as  foreman  in 
coal  shed,  watchman,  etc.  He  now  resides  in 
Amboy,  111.  His  wife,  Nora  (Matthews) 
Shaughnessy,  also  a  native  of  Limerick,  came  to 
Freeport  when  young.  She  is  the  mother  of 
seven  children :  Mary  is  married  to  John  Flan- 
agan, and  resides  on  a  farm  six  miles  south  of 
Dixon,  111.,  and  has  three  children ;  Anna,  wife  of 
Thomas  Monahan,  died  in  1897,  leaving  two 
children ;  John  J.,  subject ;  William,  a  railroad 
conductor;  Elizabeth  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
two;  Daniel  is  a  boiler  maker  in  the  I.  C.  shops 
in  Chicago;  and  Frank  in  school. 

John  J.  Shaughnessy  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Amboy.  In  1887  he  entered 
the  freight  office  of  the  Illinois  Central  at  Amboy 
as  a  clerk,  where  he  remained  four  years,  then 
began  firing  on  a  freight  engine  on  the  Amboy 


292 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


division.  After  four  years  in  this  position  he 
was  promoted  to  the  position  of  engineer  in 
August  1895,  and  now  runs  from  Freeport  to 
Clinton,  111.  He  has  never  lost  time  on  account 
of  sickness  or  accident.  Mr.  Shaughnessy  is 
a  member  of  the  Catholic  church.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Democrat.  Socially  he  is  connected  with 
the  B.  of  L.  E. 


].  McDONALD,  conductor,  Amboy 
division,  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
was  born  in  Johnstown,  Pa.,  April 
4,  1873.  His  father,  John  J.,  a  sailor, 
and  his  mother,  Margaret  (Balentine),  both  died 
when  our  subject  was  quite  young.  He  received 
his  education  in  the  parochial  school  of  the  Catho- 
lic church  in  LaSalle,  111.,  and  began  working  in 
the  glass  works  at  Ottawa,  when  a  boy,  remain- 
ing there  about  eighteen  months.  He  then 
worked  for  Zimmerman  Brothers  at  the  Opera 
House  in  LaSalle  for  three  years,  then  spent 
about  two  years  in  the  parochial  house  at  LaSalle, 
after  which  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C. 
R.  R.  at  Freeport  in  1895,  as  a  brakeman,  and 
remained  in  that  position  until  August  3,  1898, 
when  he  was  promoted  to  his  present  position  of 
conductor.  Mr.  McDonald  is  a  member  of  the 
Catholic  church.  Socially  he  belongs  to  the  B. 
of  R.  T.  and  the  O.  of  R.  C.  He  is  independent 
in  his  political  views. 


JAMES  H.  LEWIS  is  the  well-known  con- 
ductor on  the  "local"  in  the  Centralia 
district    of    the    Illinois    Central,    with 
which  road  he  became  identified  in  1881  as 
brakeman,  being  promoted  to  conductor  in   the 
freight  service  in   1888.     He  was  appointed  to 
his  present  run  in   1897,  previous  to  which  he 
was   on   the    fast   "Manifest"    freight   for   three 
years. 

Mr.  Lewis  is  a  native  of  Allentown,  Penn., 
where  he  was  born  February  7,  1861,  but  came 


west  to  St.  Clair  county,  Illinois,  at  the  age  of 
seven  years,  and  since  1875  has  been  a  resident 
of  Centralia.  The  parents  of  our  subject  were 
Thomas  F.  and  Eliza  J.  (Deiter)  Lewis,  natives 
of  Pennsylvania,  the  former  of  whom  is  de- 
ceased, while  the  latter  is  now  making  her  home 
in  Irvington,  111.  On  October  13,  1883,  James 
H.  Lewis  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Belle  R.  Fouts,  who  is  a  daughter  of  David  and 
Elizabeth  (Gudgel)  Fouts,  of  Indiana.  To  our 
subject  and  wife  have  been  born  four  children, 
three  daughters  and  one  son,  viz :  Prue  C., 
Mollie  F.,  Hazel,  and  Benjamin  Harrison.  The 
family  resides  in  a  commodious  home  on  the 
Boulevard.  Socially  Mr.  Lewis  is  connected 
with  "  E.  T.  J."  Lodge  No.  412,  B.  of  R.  T.,  of 
Centralia. 


DSAAC  GOODWIN,  conductor  on  the  Am- 
boy division  of  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road, was  born  in  LaSalle  county,  111., 
December  19,  1856.  His  father,  Godfrey 
Goodwin,  is  a  farmer  living  at  Tonica,  LaSalle 
county,  111.  His  mother,  prior  to  her  marriage, 
was  Miss  Julia  A.  Acker.  Isaac  Goodwin  at- 
tended school  at  Tonica  and  worked  on  his 
father's  farm  until  sixteen  years  of  age.  At  that 
age  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Chicago  & 
Paducah  Railroad  as  a  brakeman,  and  remained 
in  the  service  of  the  company  two  years.  He 
then  entered  the  shops  of  the  Piano  Manufactur- 
ing Co.,  at  Piano,  111.,  where  he  remained  two 
and  one-half  years,  after  which  he  returned  to 
railroading  and  was  brakeman  on  the  C.  B. 
&  Q.  about  two  years.  After  three  years  of  farm 
life,  Mr.  Goodwin  entered  the  service  of  the  I. 
C.  R.  R.  as  a  brakeman,  holding  the  position 
until  1896,  when  he  was  appointed  conductor 
and  remains  in  that  capacity  to  the  present  time. 
On  November  20,  1895,  Mr.  Goodwin  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Allen,  of 
Freeport.  She  was  born  March  31,  1873,  at 
Amboy,  where  she  graduated  from  the  high 
school  in  1889.  She  taught  school  in  Lee 
county  for  five  years.  Of  this  union  three  chil- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


293 


dren  have  been  born :  Mar}-,  born  September 
23,  1896;  Allen,  born  October  15,  1897;  God- 
frey, born  February  20,  1899.  Mr.  Goodwin 
is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the 
B.  of  R.  T. 


USTIN  HALL,  engineer  on  Amboy  divi- 
sion, Illinois  Central  Railroad,  entered 
the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  rail- 
road as  a  fireman  on  the  Springfield 
division,  in  1884,  was  promoted  to  engineer  in 
1892  and  commenced  running  on  the  extra  list 
in  the  Clinton  district.  He  is  now  in  the  freight 
service  on  the  Amboy  division,  Clinton  district, 
and  stands  first  in  line  of  promotion  to  passen- 
ger engineer.  Mr.  Hall  has  been  remarkably 
successful  in  his  career  as  engineer,  owing  to 
the  careful  handling  of  his  lever  and  strict  at- 
tention to  orders. 

Mr.  Hall  was  born  in  DeWitt  county,  Illi- 
nois, June  19,  1858,  and  was  married  October  2, 
1876,  to  Miss  Lyda  Langford,  to  whom  have  been 
born  two  sons  and  one  daughter,  Lawrence  H., 
Albert  and  Ollie.  Mr.  Hall  is  a  member  of  the 
B.  of  L.  E.,  Clinton  Division  No.  315. 


ICHAEL  CURRAN,  conductor  on  the 
Amboy  division,  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road, was  born  in  LaSalle,  Illinois. 
April  22,  1870  and  is  the  son  of 
David  and  Ellen  (Carroll)  Curran,  both  living 
in  LaSalle.  His  father  has  been  an  employe  of 
the  I.  C.  R.  R.  for  many  years,  and  his  four  sons 
are  all  railroad  employes. 

Michael  Curran  received  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  LaSalle.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen  he  began  his  active  career  as  a  mail 
carrier  to  business  firms,  also  acting  as  messen- 
ger, which  occupation  he  followed  for  three 
years.  May  27,  1890  he  entered  the  service  of 
the  I.  C.  R.  R.-as  a  freight  brakeman  on  the  Am- 
boy division  where  he  remained  until  November 


Marion. 


19,  1890.  On  the  1  8th  of  December  of  that  same 
year  he  began  switching  in  the  LaSalle  yards, 
but  after  a  short  time  returned  to  braking  on 
the  Amboy  division.  October  15,  1895  he  was 
promoted  to  freight  conductor  where  he  served 
for  two  years,  was  yardmaster  at  LaSalle  for 
three  months,  then  returned  to  the  position  of 
freight  conductor  which  he  still  retains.  Mr. 
Curran  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church.  So- 
cially he  is  connected  with  the  O.  of  R.  C.  In 
his  political  views  he  is  a  Democrat, 

****** 

T.  GHENT,  engineer  at  Carbondale, 
111.,  began  his  railroad  career  on  the 
Shawneetown  &  Carbondale  Railroad 
as  a  fireman  between  Carbondale  and 
In  1880,  he  crossed  the  cab  and  for 
two  years  had  charge  of  the  levers.  In  1885,  he 
began  working  for  the  Illinois  Central  company 
at  Carbondale,  and  for  two  years  was  a  fireman 
on  a  freight  engine  between  Centralia  and 
Mounds,  and  then  served  on  a  passenger  engine 
on  the  same  division  two  months.  His  first  en- 
gine was  No.  234,  with  "  Bill  "  Platt,  engineer, 
and  the  next  was  No.  188,  on  which  he  served 
under  "  Hank  "  McMullen.  In  the  fall  of  1887, 
Mr.  Ghent  was  promoted  to  a  seat  on  the  right 
side  of  the  engine,  and  since  that  date  has  at 
different  times  been  employed  on  nearly  all  of 
the  Illinois  Central  lines  in  the  southern  part  of 
Illinois.  He  began  as  an  engineer  on  a  switch 
engine  in  the  Centralia  yards  and  then  for  a 
time  had  charge  of  an  engine  between  Centralia 
and  Cairo.  At  different  times  he  has  been  sta- 
tioned at  Pinckneyville  and  ran  both  ways  out 
of  that  city,  but  since  February  1898,  he  has  been 
stationed  at  Carbondale  and  held  a  position  at 
the  head  of  a  train  between  that  city  and  Brook- 
lyn. 

Mr.  Ghent  was  born  in  Chatham  count}-, 
Tenn.,  not  far  from  the  city  of  Nashville.  He 
was  married  December  4,  1887,  at  Cairo,  111., 
to  Mrs.  Lou  L.  Mahaffey,  nee  Owen,  of  Carbon- 
dale,  111.,  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of 


294 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


two  children,  Harry  and  Bulah.  By  her  first 
marriage  Mrs.  Ghent  has  one  daughter,  Edyth 
Mahaffey.  Mr.  Ghent  is  one  of  those  fortunate 
ones  who  always  seem  to  escape  unharmed  from 
whatever  calamity  may  overtake  them.  He 
has  experienced  three  head  end  collisions',  two  in 
1886  and  one  on  June  5,  1891,  but  has  never 
been  injured  while  at  work  on  the  railroad.  So- 
cially Mr.  Ghent  affiliates  with  Division  No.  512 
B.  of  L.  E.  of  East  St.  Louis.  Mrs.  Ghent  is  a 
member  of  the  Eastern  Star  Lodge  at  Pinckney- 
ville,  111. 


duty.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Order  of  Foresters, 
and  is  democratic  in  his  political  views.  Mr. 
Clancy  was  married  to  Miss  E.  I.  Sadler,  step- 
daughter of  Wm.  Rieger,  Nov.  21,  1899. 


ANIEL  F.  CLANCY,  brakeman  on  the 
Amboy  division  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,  was  born  in  Lena,  111.,  Janu- 
ary 17,  1878.  He  is  the  son  of  Martin 
and  Catherine  (Sweeney)  Clancy,  who  now  make 
their  home  in  Freeport.  The  father  is  a  former 
employe  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  They  have  reared  a 
family  of  nine  children  all  of  whom  are  living. 
Hannah,  married  Daniel  Marker  and  resides  in 
Freeport;  James,  a  painter  by  occupation,  lives 
in  Pearl  City  ;  John,  a  butcher,  resides  in  Free- 
port;  Thomas  is  a  physician  residing  in  Nora, 
111.,  Mary,  wife  of  Daniel  McNeil,  resides  in 
Belvidere,  111.,  Martin  resides  in  Freeport  and  is 
blacksmith  ;  William  makes  his  home  in  Freeport 
and  is  a  fireman  on  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  ;  Daniel  F., 
subject  of  this  sketch  ;  Nora  resides  in  Evans- 
ville,  Ind.,  the  wife  of  Louis  Schlauch. 

Daniel  F.  Clancy  was  educated  in  St.  Mary's 
parochial  school  at  Freeport.  In  1893  he  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  call  boy  for  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  at 
Freeport  where  he  remained  two  years,  was  then 
employed  in  numbering  cars  in  the  Freeport  yard 
six  months,  after  which  he  became  switch  tender 
for  about  five  months,  and  was  switchman  six 
months,  being  then  promoted  to  assistant  yard- 
master.  In  February  1899  he  began  braking  on 
freight  trains  on  the  Amboy  division  in  which 
position  he  still  remains. 

Mr.  Clancy  was  born  and  reared  in  the 
Catholic  faith  in  which  he  is  now  a  communicant, 
and  which  has  instilled  in  him  a  strong  sense  of 


rlLLIAM  L.  MAINE,  engineer  on  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad,  is  a  native 
of  the  Empire  State,  and  was  born  in 
Broome  county,  November  22,  1839. 
He  is  the  son  of  Perry  J.  and  Olive  (Miller) 
Maine.  The  former,  a  miller  by  trade,  died 
January  4,  1900,  at  Amboy  at  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty-five  years  and  two  months  ;  the  latter 
died  in  1896,  aged  seventy-four  years. 

When  our  subject  was  six  years  of  age  the 
family  moved  to  Connecticut,  and  later  when  he 
was  fourteen  came  west,  locating  at  Amboy,  111. 
Here  he  completed  his  education,  commenced  in 
the  district  schools  of  Connecticut.  At  the  age 
of  eighteen,  he  arranged  with  his  father  to  be 
allowed  his  time,  and  went  into  the  coal  and  de- 
livery business  in  Amboy,  which  he  followed  for 
two  years.  About  this  time  he  became  interested 
in  the  mining  business  in  the  Great  West,  and 
in  1859  started  for  Pike's  Peak,  but  went  as  far 
as  Kansas  and  then  returned  to  Amboy,  bought 
back  his  old  business  and  continued  in  it  for  three 
years.  In  1863  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I. 
C.  R.  R.  as  a  fireman  on  the  Amboy  division. 
At  the  end  of  ten  months  he  was  given  an  engine 
in  the  Amboy  yards,  where  he  remained  twenty 
months  and  was  then  given  a  regular  run  as  an 
engineer  on  the  Amboy  division,  January  i,  1866. 
From  this  time  until  1871,  he  ran  a  freight  en- 
gine and  was  then  given  a  passenger  run.  Dur- 
ing his  long  service  of  thirty-six  years  Mr.  Maine 
has  never  caused  an  injury  to  a  passenger  or  em- 
ploye, a  record  few  can  parallel. 

Mr.  Maine  was  united  in  marriage,  June  12, 
1860,  to  Miss  Harriet  A.  Santee  a  native  of  the 
state  of  Pennsylvania.  At  the  time  of  their  mar- 
riage Mrs.  Maine  resided  in  Missouri,  and  Mr. 
Maine  drove  450  miles  in  going  after  and  return- 
ing home  with  his  wife.  Mrs.  Maine  was  born 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


295 


March  3,  1843.  By  her  union  with  Mr.  Maine, 
she  is  the  mother  of  four  living  children :  Corne- 
lius W.  is  a  farmer  living  near  Amboy;  May 
Belle  is  the  wife  of  Gilbert  Finch  and  resides  in 
Amboy ;  Anna  E.  married  W.  S.  Jenkins  and  re- 
sides in  Clebtirne,  Texas;  Florence  V.  is  still 
at  home  with  her  parents.  Mr.  Maine,  with  his 
family,  attends  the  Adventist  church.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  also  of 
the  B.  of  L.  E.  Mr.  Maine  is  prominent  in  rail- 
road circles,  having  been  President  of  the  Free- 
port  R.  R.  Sound  Money  League  in  1896,  and 
is  also  President  of  the  R.  R.  Employes  and  Tele- 
graph Operator's  League.  While  in  Amboy  he 
was  alderman  for  eleven  years.  Mr.  Maine  is 
a  man  of  remarkable  health  and  vigorous  con- 
stitution, having  required  the  doctor's  services 
but  once  during  his  entire  life.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics. 


W.  EAGLESON,  engineer  at  Car- 
bondale,  111.,  began  his  railroad 
Q  career  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years, 
at  East  St.  Louis,  where  he 
served  as  an  apprentice  for  a  year  and  a  half  in 
the  shops  of  the  Cairo  Short  Line,  beginning  in 
1879.  He  then  went  to  Springfield,  Ohio,  to 
the  shops  of  the  Ohio  Southern  Railroad,  fin- 
ished his  trade  in  1882,  and  then  secured  a  posi- 
tion as  fireman  on  the  Ohio  Southern  Railroad 
in  the  passenger  and  freight  service  between 
Springfield  and  Jackson.  In  the  spring  of  1884 
he  was  given  a  seat  on  the  right  side  of  the  en- 
gine, and  his  first  run  in  the  capacity  of  engineer 
was  between  Bainbridge  and  Springfield,  and  in 
October  1888,  he  began  work  for  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad  between  Mandan,  N.  Dak.,  and 
Glendive,  Montana,  and  retained  that  position 
until  the  spring  of  1894.  Mr.  Eagleson's  next 
position  was  with  the  Bluff  line  at  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  and  the  next  between  St.  Elmo  and  Marion, 
111.,  of  the  Chicago  &  Eastern  Illinois.  At  the 
last  named  place  he  was  one  of  the  oldest  em- 
ployes on  the  line,  helped  build  the  road,  and 


stood  at  the  head  of  one  of  its  passenger  trains 
for  two  years.  Severing  his  connection  with  that 
company  in  1897,  Mr.  Eagleson  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  the  C.  &  T.  Railroad,  now  a  part  of  the 
Illinois  Central  system,  and  located  at  Murphys- 
boro,  111.,  and  in  July  of  the  following  year, 
moved  to  Carbondale  to  accept  his  present  po- 
sition. His  run  is  on  the  Johnson  City  branch, 
is  eighteen  miles  in  length,  and  his  engine 
draws  the  local  freight  and  coal  train. 

Mr.  Eagleson  was  born  in  Chillicothe,  O. 
He  was  married  at  Washington  Court  House, 
of  that  state,  to  Miss  Nettie  Howland,  a  native 
of  the  same  place,  and  two  children,  Ruth  and 
Helen,  have  been  born  to  them.  Socially  our 
subject  affiliates  with  Division  No.  512,  B.  of 
L.  E.,  East  St.  Louis  ;  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
Dickinson  Lodge  No.  32,  of  Dickinson,  N.  Dak., 
and  also  Columbian  Chapter  No.  n,  R.  A.  M. 
Mr.  Eagleson  is  a  man  of  marked  ability,  and  in 
whatever  line  of  work  or  business  enterprise  he 
has  ventured,  he  has  met  with  success.  His 
railroad  career  has  been  free  from  serious  ac- 
cidents, and  from  his  earnings  has  built  for  him- 
self and  his  family  a  very  comfortable  home  in 
Carbondale. 


'  AMES  DARDIS  is  an  engineer  in  the 
freight  service  in  the  Centralia  district, 
St.  Louis  division,  of  the  Illinois  Central. 
He  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  as 
fireman  on  the  St.  Louis  division  in  1891,  serving 
first  as  fireman  on  a  switch  engine  at  DuQuoin, 
111.,  and  later  in  the  same  capacity  from  Centra- 
lia to  Mounds.  Strict  attention  to  duty  was  re- 
warded January  25,  1896,  by  his  promotion  to 
engineer. 

Mr.  Dardis  was  born  in  Troy,  New  York, 
.  and  his  first  experience  in  railroading  was  ac- 
quired on  the  Fitchburg  Railroad.  Leaving  the 
employ  of  the  latter  company  in  1891,  he  came 
west  and  at  once  entered  the  service  of  the  I. 
C.  where  he  is  considered  a  careful  and  pains- 
taking employe.  He  is  connected  with  B.  of 
L.  E.  No.  24,  of  Centralia,  in  which  city  he  re- 


296 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


sides  with  his  estimable  family.  His  wife,  prior 
to  her  marriage,  was  Miss  Minnie  Burns.  They 
have  three  daughters,  Pauline  L.,  Zera  M.  and 
Freda  M. 


JB.  ANDRUSS,  conductor  on  the  Am- 
boy  division,  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
Q    has  been  in  the  service  for  a  number 
of     years.      His     grand-parents     emi- 
grated   to    Illinois    from    Massachusetts    at    an 
early  day.     Jay  L.   Andruss,  his   father,   was  a 
farmer  through   life,   and   died   in    1864.        His 
mother,    Ellen    (Adams)    Andruss,    is    also    de- 
ceased.    The  family  consisted  of  four  children : 
Lee,  a  salesman  living  in  Wheaton,  111. ;  William, 
who  will  be  mentioned  more  at  length  elsewhere 
in  this  sketch ;  Robert,   station  agent  at   Plain- 
field  for  the  E.  J.  &  E. ;  and  our  subject. 

J.  B.  Andruss  was  born  in  Amboy,  111., 
August  16,  1863.  His  education  was  acquired 
in  the  public  schools  of  Binghamton.  When 
quite  young  he  worked  on  a  farm  for  about  two 
years,  then  drove  a  delivery  wagon  at  Amboy 
for  another  year.  November  25,  1882,  he  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  freight 
brakeman,  running  between  Amboy  and  Du- 
buque,  in  which  position  he  remained  for  eigh- 
teen months.  At  this  time  he  received  an  injury 
to  his  hand  and  was  made  passenger  brakeman, 
also  serving  at  times  as  baggage  master.  In 
December  1885,  he  was  promoted  to  freight  con- 
ductor, which  position  he  retained  until  1887, 
when  he  severed  his  connection  with  the  I.  C. 
R.  R.,  and  entered  the  service  of  the  C.  &  N.  W. 
R.  R.  at  Belle  Plaine,  Iowa,  as  freight  brake- 
man  and  switchman,  remaining  there  about  three 
months  when  he  was  re-instated  in  the  I.  C.  R. 
R.  and  promoted  to  extra  passenger  conductor 
in  1896,  and  in  1899  was  made  passenger  con-, 
ductor,  running  on  the  Amboy  division.  On 
the  ist  of  January,  1884,  he  married  Miss  Alice 
Binnes,  of  Amboy.  She  died  in  November  1894. 
October  8,  1896,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Carrie 
Benham,  of  Elgin.  Mrs.  Andruss  was  born 
September  7,  1867.  She  was  educated  in  the 


public  schools  of  Elgin,  also  taking  a  course  in 
bookkeeping,  and  was  bookkeeper  in  the  service 
of  a  large  publishing  company  for  many  years. 
Mr.  Andruss  is  the  father  of  one  child,  Maud 
E.,  born  April  13,  1885,  who  is  attending  the 
public  schools  of  Freeport.  Mr.  Andruss,  with 
his  estimable  wife,  is  a  member  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  church.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
O.  R.  C.  and  likewise  belongs  to  the  Masonic 
fraternity.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a  Demo- 
crat. 

William  Andruss,  brother  of  our  subject, 
was  born  May  3,  1859.  He  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  of  Binghamton,  111.  His 
early  life  was  spent  on  a  farm,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C. 
R.  R.  as  freight  brakeman  on  the  Amboy  divi- 
sion where  he  remained  two  years,  and  was  then 
sent  to  Waterloo,  Iowa,  in  the  same  capacity. 
He  was  promoted  to  conductor  in  1883,  and  re- 
mained in  the  service  of  the  company  until  June 
1898,  when  he  entered  the  service  of  the  C. 
G.  W.  R.  R. 

In  1877  ne  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  C.  Shew,  of  Amboy.  by  whom  he  has  two 
children,  Jay  and  Charles. 


T.  CUNNINGHAM  is  one  of  the -old 
and  well-known  engineers  in  the 
LQ  freight  service  on  the  St.  Louis  divi- 
sion of  the  Illinois  Central.  He  en- 
tered the  service  of  the. I.  C.  in  1869  as  a  fireman, 
working  on  both  the  Centralia  and  Wapella  dis- 
tricts. In  1873  he  was  promoted  to  engineer, 
serving  three  years.  Deciding  to  embark  in 
business,  he  asked  for  and  obtained  a  leave  of 
absence,  and  during  his  first  five  years  in  business 
often  ran  as  an  "  extra."  In  1887  ne  again  be- 
came an  extra,  and  three  years  after  disposed  of 
his  business  and  resumed  the  occupation  of  a 
regular  engineer,  thus  proving  that  there  is  an 
irresistable  charm  in  railroad  work.  Mr.  Cun- 
ningham was  born  in  Marion  county,  Illinois. 
He  is  a  member  of  B.  of  L.  E.  No.  24,  and  is 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


297 


president  of  the  Railroad  branch  of  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  at  Centralia.  Our  subject  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  church  in  1876  and  was  super- 
intendent of  the  sabbath  school  for  nine  years  in 


succession. 


HARLES  BURGESS  is  a  well-known 
conductor  in  the  employ  of  the  Illinois 
Central.  He  began  as  brakeman  on 
July  1 6,  1884,  and  received  his  promo- 
tion to  conductor  July  16,  1889.  He  is  at  pres- 
ent in  the  freight  service  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
having  charge  of  a  preferred  run  from  Cham- 
paign to  Centralia. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Mattoon,  111.  He 
is  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  Champaign, 
and  owns  a  fine  home  on  the  corner  of  Neil  and 
Green  streets  in  that  city.  Socially  Mr.  Burgess 
is  connected  with  Division  No.  112,  O.  R.  C., 
of  Centralia,  Illinois. 


telegraphy,  and  familiarized  himself  with  rail- 
road station  work.  After  six  months  in  the 
apprenticeship  he  became  ticket  clerk  for  the  I. 
C.  R.  R.  at  Grand  Crossing  remaining  there  six 
months,  and  was  then  made  assistant  ticket 
agent  at  the  Twenty-second  Street  station  where 
he  remained  four  years.  The  next  five  years 
were  spent  at  Thirty-ninth  Street  as  agent.  In 
1891  he  was  given  his  present  position  of  ticket 
agent  at  Freeport.  September  14,  1887,  Mr. 
Rowley  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Susie 
E.  Wandell,  of  Battle  Creek,  Mich.  She  was 
born  January  21,  1864.  By  this  union  Mrs. 
Rowley  is  the  mother  of  two  children,  Leon  E., 
born  August  24,  1888,  and  Irma  May,  born 
December  27,  1892.  The  family  are  regular  at- 
tendants of  the  First  Presbyterian  church.  Mr. 
Rowley  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
Subordinate  and  Endowment,  and  the  M.  W.  A. 
In  his  political  views  he  is  a  Republican. 


W.  ROWLEY,  ticket  agent  for  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  at  Freeport, 
111.,  may  truly  be  called  a  "railroad 
man,"  having  been  born  at  the  sta- 
tion where  his  father  resided  at  that  time,  'midst 
the  rumble  of  wheels  and  the  scream  of  whistles, 
in  the  town  of  Loda,  111.,  November  14,  1864, 
and  his  whole  life  has  been  spent  in  railroad 
work.  His  father,  O.  F.  Rowley,  who  was  sta- 
tion agent  at  Loda  for  twenty-five  years,  died  in 
1874;  his  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Phoebe 
L.  Wood,  is  still  living  in  Freeport.  Of  their 
family  of  five  children,  two  only  are  living: 
Belle,  wife  of  C.  E.  Harwood,  whose  home  is 
in  Chicago,  and  our  subject,  second  and  fourth 
in  order  of  birth  respectively.  Those  deceased 
are  Orlando ;  Elipha,  married  to  E.  L.  Valen- 
tine, died  in  1897;  and  Frank,  who  died  in  1892. 
H.  W.  Rowley  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Loda,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  be- 
gan work  for  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  a  student  of 


AM  HANSON,  engineer  at  Carbondale, 
111.,  began  his  railroad  career  as  a 
wiper  and  helper  in  the  round  house 
at  Pinckneyville,  111.  September  21, 
1891,  he  secured  a  position  as  fireman  at  that 
place,  running  between  there  and  East  St.  Louis 
and  also  south  to  Paducah,  firing  for  five  years 
under  Engineer  George  Adams.  His  first  reg- 
ular engine  was  No.  19,  and  later  he  used  Nos. 
23  and  341.  September  9,  1898,  Mr.  Hanson 
was  set  up  to  engineer,  working  first  in  the 
Brooklyn  yards  on  a  switch  engine  from*  Septem- 
ber 1 1  of  that  year  until  February  of  the  follow- 
ing year,  and  then  went  to  Pinckneyville  where 
he  had  a  run  between  that  place  and  East  St. 
Louis,  and  also  south  to  Brooklyn.  April  9, 
1899,  he  came  to  Carbondale  and  for  a  time  ran 
extra  out  of  that  city,  but  now  has  charge  of 
the  night  switch  engine. 

Mr.  Hanson  was  born  in  Rockwood,  111.  In 
1862  he  was  married  at  Tamaroa,  111.,  to  Miss 
Nettie  Vaughn,  of  that  place,  and  they  have  be- 
come the  parents  of  a  family  of  four  children. 


298 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


whose  names  in  the  order  of  their  birth  are  as 
follows:  Eva,  Worth,  Ruby  and  Sam.  Social- 
ly Mr.  Hanson  affiliates  with  Division  No.  217, 
B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Pinckneyville.  He  has  never 
received  an  injury  since  he  has  been  on  the  road, 
has  made  a  marked  success  as  an  engineer,  and 
is  very  popular  among  his  fellow  workmen. 


1833. 


'ILLIAM  L.  BEALS,  conductor  on 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  Amboy 
division,  is  a  native  of  the  state  of 
Maine,  and  was  born  at  Leeds,  July 
He  is  the  son  of  George  and  Elmira 
J.  (Luce)  Beals.  His  father,  who  spent  his 
life  in  tilling  the  soil,  was  born  March  27,  1804, 
and  died  November  16,  1883.  The  mother  was 
born  October  12,  1809,  and  died  November  4, 
1860.  Our  subject  is  the  oldest  and  the  last 
survivor  of  the  family  of  four  children.  Those 
deceased  are:  Amos,  born  May  6,  1835,  a  fire- 
man of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  was  killed  by  the  explo- 
sion of  engine  No.  51,  at  Pana,  111.,  November 
4,  1864;  Emily,  born  March  8,  1840,  died  July 
27,  1842;  Roscoe  L.,  born  July  5,  1847,  died 
February  16,  1852. 

William  L.  Beals  received  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  Leeds,  where  his  boyhood 
was  spent  in  assisting  his  father  on  the  farm. 
In  1853,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  he  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  A.  R.  R.  as  a  watchman,  serving 
six  months.  In  1854,  May  ist,  he  came  west, 
and  at  Bloomington,  111.,  entered  the  service  of 
the  I.  O.  R.  R.  as  a  brakeman  under  George  C. 
Newton,  conductor,  remaining  in  that  position 
about  two  years,  then  served  as  baggageman  for 
seven  years.  At  this  time  he  left  the  railroad 
and  engaged  in  business  in  Warren,  111.,  for  two 
years,  and  was  also  American  Express  messen- 
ger for  several  months.  He  then  returned  to 
the  I.  C.  R.  R.  and  held  the  position  of  freight 
conductor  for  twelve  years,  after  which  time  he 
was  appointed  passenger  conductor  on  the  Am- 
boy division  where  he  is  serving  at  the  present 
time.  In  1863,  while  in  the  service,  he  met  with 


a  serious  accident,  and  was  taken  up  and  carried 
nine  miles,  supposed  to  be  dead.  On  the  3ist 
of  March,  1862,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Elvira 
M.  Wheeler,  also  a  native  of  Leeds.  She  is 
the  daughter  of  Abram  Wheeler,  a  farmer,  who 
was  born  May  27,  1800,  and  died  February  12, 
1869.  Her  mother,  who  was  Mahala  Mitchell, 
was  born  January  23,  1809,  and  died  April  19, 
1899.  Mrs.  Beals  was  born  January  26,  1835. 
Her  union  with  Mr.  Beals  has  been  blest  with 
one  son,  Mirtal  S.,  born  July  4,  1871.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Freeport  and 
the  business  college  at  Dixon.  For  seven  years 
he  has  been  stenographer  in  the  office  of  traffic 
manager  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  in  Chicago.  Mr. 
Beals  is  the  last  of  the  forty  charter  members 
who  organized  the  Conductors'  Brotherhood, 
Amboy  Division  No.  i.  In  Masonic  circles  he 
has  taken  the  thirty-second  degree,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Blue  Lodge  No.  278,  of  Warren,  and  is 
also  a  member  of  the  O.  R.  C.  of  Freeport.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican.  The  family  attend 
the  First  Presbyterian  church. 


JAMES  P.  DOOLEY,  passenger  conductor 
on  the  Amboy  division,  was  born  in  Am- 
boy, 111.,  February  26,  1868.  His  father, 
James  Dooley,  formerly  in  the  employ 
of  the  Illinois  Central  at  Amboy,  is  now  living  at 
Dixon.  The  mother,  Katherine  (Cramer) 
Dooley,  is  deceased.  They  were  the  parents  of 
four  children,  as  follows:  James  P.;  John  H., 
mail  carrier  in  San  Francisco,  was  formerly  ser- 
geant in  the  First  Regiment,  regular  infantry, 
and  saw  service  in  Cuba,  taking  part  in  the 
battle  of  San  Juan  Hill.  He  served  eight  years 
in  the  First  and  Seventeenth  regiments,  and  took 
part  in  the  Indian  trouble  at  Pine  Ridge.  The 
two  remaining  members  of  the  family  are  Nellie 
and  Katie,  who  are  still  under  the  parental  roof. 
James  P.  Dooley  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Amboy,  and  in  that  city  learned  the 
tinning  trade,  where  he  worked  at  it  for  some 
three  and  a  half  years.  July  21,  1887,  he  entered 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


301 


the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  a  freight  brake- 
man,  running  on  the  Amboy  division  until  the 
2ist  of  November,  1891,  when  he  was  promoted 
to  freight  conductor.  This  he  held  until  Aug- 
ust 27,  1899,  when  he  was  made  a  regular  pas- 
senger conductor  on  the  same  division.  Mr. 
Dooley  is  a  Catholic  by  faith,  and  a  Democrat 
in  politics.  He  has  for  some  years  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  O.  R.  C. 


'ILLIAM  F.  FLUCK  is  an  engineer 
on  the  Champaign  district  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  and  comes  of  railroad 
stock.       His   father,   Martin   Fluck, 
was  an  engineer  on  the  Chicago  division  for  sev- 
eral years  at  the  time  of  the  war,  serving  also  as 
night  foreman  at  Champaign  for  a  term  of  ten 
years.     He  retired  on  account  of  ill-health   in 
1897,  and  died  in   1898.     Our  subject  entered 
the  service  of  the  I.  C.  in  1879  as  a  fireman  on 
the  Champaign  division.     He  was  promoted  to 
engineer  in  1886,  and  worked  in  the  freight  ser- 
vice until  August  1899,  when  he  was  promoted 
to  the  passenger  service.     During  his  term  in 
the  freight  service,  he  was  for  four  years  on  the 
local.     Mr.  Fluck  was  born  at  Champaign,  111., 
October  2,  1860,  and  was  a  resident  of  Chicago 
at  the  time  of  the  big  fire  in  1871,  but  is  again 
a   citizen   of   his    native   city.       On    April    28, 
1886,   Mr.   Fluck  was  married  to   Miss  Jennie 
Miller,    who   was    born    February    8,    1865,    in 
Taylorsville,    Indiana,   and   is   the   daughter   of 
Joseph    B.    and    Mary    J.     (DeShay)     Miller. 
To   Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fluck  have  been  born  two 
daughters,    Nina    Mae,    born    March    17,    1889, 
who  is  now  attending  school  and  studying  music, 
in  both  of  which  she  is  very  proficient,  and  Jessie 
Orilla,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three  years,  one 
month    and    nine    days.       Mr.    Fluck    has    one 
brother  and  five  sisters  living,  viz :     Martin  J., 
chief  clerk  in  the  master  mechanic's  office  of  the 
Big  Four,  in  Urbana;  Augusta,  stenographer  in 
the  same  office ;  Amelia,  who  is  the  wife  of  Frank 
H.  Moore,  an  engineer  on  the  Illinois  Central ; 


Emma,  Dara  and  Rosa,  at  home.  The  mother 
of  this  family  departed  this  life  May  27,  1899, 
the  father  having  preceded  her  to  his  final  home 
February  12,  1898.  Mr.  Fluck  is  a  member  of 
Division  No.  24,  B.  of  L.  E. 


S.  WEIGEL  is  a  conductor  in  the 
freight  service  in  the  Champaign 
district  of  the  Illinois  Central.  He 
entered  the  service  of  the  company 
as  a  switchman  in  the  Champaign  yards  in  1889, 
and  on  May  28,  1891,  was  made  brakeman  on 
the  Champaign  district.  Strict  attention  to  duty 
soon  won  promotion,  and  on  November  12,  1892, 
he  was  made  a  conductor,  at  present  having  a 
local  run  from  Champaign  to  Centralia.  Mr. 
Weigel  was  born  at  Danville,  111.,  December  6, 
1868,  and  there  received  his  education,  coming 
to  Champaign  in  1888.  June  10,  1891,  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Emma  Lange,  of  Champaign. 
They  have  one  son,  Harold.-  Our  subject  is  a 
member  of  the  O.  R.  C.,  of  Centralia,  and  B.  of 
R.  T.,  of  Champaign. 


,ORNELIUS  J.  SULLIVAN,  mechanic 
in  the  Illinois  Central  shops  at  Free- 
port,  was  born  in  Clinton,  111.,  May 
27,  1874.  His  father,  F.  Sullivan,  a 
former  employe  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  died  January 
27,  1896.  His  mother,  Catherine  Sullivan,  is 
now  living  at  Clinton.  They  have  reared  a  fam- 
ily of  nine  children,  namely :  John,  a  business 
man  in  Chicago;  Daniel,  living  in  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  is  timber  inspector  for  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  Co. ; 
Edward,  a  former  employe  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R., 
lives  in  Clinton ;  Mortimer  is  engaged  in  busi- 
ness in  Chicago;  Floy,  living  in  Clinton,  is  a 
boiler  maker  for  the  I.  C.  R.  R. ;  Mary,  living  in 
Clinton ;  Cornelius ;  Margaret,  a  dressmaker  in 
Clinton ;  Honora,  also  living  in  Clinton.  Corne- 
lius J.  Sullivan  attended  the  Clinton  schools  until 


302 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


the  age  of  nineteen,  when  he  entered  the  shops  of 
the  I.  C.  R.  R.  at  Clinton,  where  he  served  an 
apprenticeship  of  three  years.  In  1894  he  was 
assigned  to  service  in  the  Burnside  shops  in  Chi- 
cago, as  a  boiler  maker,  and  remained  there  until 
October  9,  1898.  On  the  9th  of  December,  the 
same  year,  he  began  work  in  the  shops  at  Free- 
port,  where  he  still  remains.  In  his  religious 
belief  Mr.  Sullivan  is  a  Catholic,  and  politically 
he  is  a  Democrat.  He  is  a  young  man  of  ster- 
ling qualities,  and  is  energetic  to  a  marked  de- 
gree. 


THOMAS  A.  KYLE,  engineer  on  the  Illi- 
nois  Central  Railroad,   Freeport  divi- 
sion,  was   born  February   i5th,    1849. 
His   father,    John  Kyle,    was  a  ship- 
builder and  sailor,  and  navigated  between  Eng- 
land  and   the   United   States.     He   died   at   an 
early  age.     His  wife,  Georgina  (Boland)  Kyle, 
is  still  living  in  England. 

Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  schools  of 
England.  He  began  life  as  a  sailor,  sailing  be- 
tween Liverpool  and  the  United  States,  also  mak- 
ing trips  to  the  West  Indies  and  South  America. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  emigrated  to  the 
United  States,  remained  in  New  York  City  for 
about  a  year,  then  came  west  and  located  in 
Whitesicle  county,  111.,  where  he  worked  on  a 
farm  for  three  years.  At  this  time  he  went  to 
Aurora  and  entered  the  service  of  the  C.  B.  & 
Q.  R.  R.  as  fireman,  and  at  the  end  of  three  years 
and  six  months,  in  1873,  was  promoted  to  en- 
gineer, in  which  capacity  he  remained  until  Feb- 
ruary, 1888.  He  then  left  the  employ  of  the 
C.  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  and  in  September  of  that  year 
entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  and  came  to 
Freeport  and  worked  until  January  1889,  when 
he  abandoned  railroading  for  a  year,  during 
which  time  he  was  engaged  in  the  dray  and  ex- 
press business  in  Aurora.  Then  entering  the 
service  of  the  B.  &  O.  R.  R.  as  engineer,  he  re- 
mained with  them  one  year  and  seven  months, 
then  took  leave  of  absence  and  came  back  to  his 
old  position  with  the  I,  C-  R.  R.,  which  he  still 


retains.  Mr.  Kyle  was  married  on  the  22nd  of 
December,  1870,  to  Miss  Mary  B.  Elliott,  of 
Kewanee,  111.  Mrs.  Kyle  was  born  March  7, 
1853.  As  a  result  of  this  union  they  have  four 
children:  Walter  E.,  born  March  8,  1871,  is  an 
engineer  in  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  and  re- 
sides with  his  parents  ;  Ralph  H.,  born  Sept.  8, 
1874,  is  a  fireman  on  a  passenger  train  on  the  I. 
C.  R.  R.  ;  Grace,  born  November  30,  1879,  was 
educated  in  the  schools  of  Aurora,  and  is 
a  graduate  of  the  Harlowe  Business  College  of 
Freeport;  Gertrude,  born  October  9,  1882,  at- 
tended the  public  schools  of  Aurora.  Mr.  Kyle 
is  liberal  in  his  religious  views.  Socially  he  is 
a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  and  belongs  to  the  B.  of 
L.  E.,  and  O.  of  E.  S.  He  is  a  Republican  in 
politics. 


xOBERT  PETRIE,  engineer,  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  Freeport  division,  is 
__  _  a  native  of  Herkimer,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
was  born  January  15,  1853.  His 
father,  Julius  E.  Petrie,  who  was  an  employe  of 
the  C.  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  died  July  4,  1872.  His 
mother,  formerly  Mary  Keating,  died  in  1877. 
Our  subject  was  the  oldest  of  four  children, 
having  one  brother  and  two  sisters,  as  follows  : 
Edwin,  an  employe  of  the  Santa  Fe  R.  R.  in 
Arizona;  Nettie,  married  to  Mr.  Blanchard,  re- 
sides in  Aurora,  111.  ;  Annie,  wife  of  Mr.  M. 
O'Mailia,  lives  in  Knightstowri,  Ind. 

Robert  Petrie  attended  school  in  Aurora, 
to  which  place  the  family  emigrated  in  1857. 
At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  began  working  in  a 
brickyard,  but  after  a  short  time,  August  12, 
1868,  entered  the  service  of  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  R.  R. 
as  an  engine  wiper  at  Aurora,  and  served  in 
that  position  until  September  i,  1870,  when  he 
began  firing  on  an  engine.  January  n,  1877, 
he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  engineer  and 
remained  with  the  said  company  until  .the  28th 
day  of  February,  1888.  August  23,  1888,  he 
entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  at  Freeport, 
and  was  assigned  a  freight  run  from  Freeport 
to  Chicago,  and  afterwards  was  given  a  run  be- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


303 


tween  Chicago  and  Dubuque.  On  July  i,  1899, 
he  was  assigned  to  a  passenger  run  between 
Freeport  and  Dodgeville,  Wis.,  which  position 
he  still  retains. 

On  the  22nd  day  of  July,  1879,  Mr.  Petrie 
was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  A.  Cunningham,  of 
Aurora,  111.,  who  was  born  Nov.  17,  1857.  By 
her  union  with  Mr.  Petrie  she  is  the  mother  of 
nine  children:  Katherine  A.,  born  May  8,  1880; 
is  a  milliner  and  resides  with  her  parents  ;  Joseph 
R.,  born  Dec.  8,  1881,  is  employed  in  the  I.  C. 
R.  R.  shops  at  Freeport;  Lillian  N.,  born  Dec. 
26,  1883,  and  Robert  E.,  born  March  6,  1885, 
are  both  attending  the  Freeport  schools  ;  Annie 
N.  E.,  born  Nov.  26,  1887;  Harry,  born  Aug.  23, 
1889;  Eddie,  born  Dec.  4,  1891;  John,  born 
March  31,  1895;  Lois,  deceased,  born  March  8, 
1899.  Mr.  Petrie  is  socially  connected  with  the 
B.  of  L.  E.  and  the  A.  O.  tJ.  W.  In  politics  he 
affiliates  with  the  Republican  party. 


G.  SPENCE,  is  an  engineer  in  the 
freight  service  of  the  St.  Louis 
Q  division  of  the  Illinois  Central. 
He  entered  the  service  of  the  com- 
pany on  January  18,  1887,  as  fireman  on  the  old 
switch  engine  "One  Spot,"  with  Bob  Jennings  as 
engineer.  His  first  trip  as  fireman  was  on  en- 
gine No.  232,  F.  P.  Morse,  engineer,  after  which 
he  was  given  a  permanent  position  as  fireman  on 
No.  235,  with  W.  G.  Welden,  now  traveling  en- 
gineer of  the  St.  Louis  division  of  the  I.  C.  He 
was  promoted  to  engineer  in  October  1889,  tak- 
ing charge  of  No.  235,  the  same  engine  on  which 
he  had  done  most  of  his  firing. 

Mr.  Spence,  who  is  a  native  of  Indiana 
county,  Penn.,  was  married  to  Miss  Mildred 
Bicknell,  April  23,  1890.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Samuel  G.  and  Fanny  Bicknell.  The  father  was 
an  engineer  for  about  thirty-eight  years,  most  of 
the  time  on  the  I.  C.,  and  is  now  retired.  Mr. 
Spence  owns  a  comfortable  home  on  South  Elm 
street,  in  Centralia.  Socially  he  is  connected 
with  B.  of  L.  E.  No.  24,  of  that  city. 


EORGE  W.  FARNUM,  conductor  on 
Freeport  division  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, residing  at  Madison,  Wis.,  was 
born  in  Pottsville,  Pa.,  July  31,  1856. 
His  parents  removed  to  Freeport  while  he  was 
young  and  his  education  was  received  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  that  city.  During  school  days  he 
worked  in  summer  in  a  brickyard  and  attended 
school  in  winter.  He  worked  in  a  machine  shop 
at  Freeport  for  two  years,  then  worked  a  few 
months  for  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul 
on  the  section.  December  6,  1874,  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  assistant  in  freight 
office  where  he  remained  until  July  4,  1875,  when 
he  began  working  in  the  yards  as  switchman, 
remaining  in  that  position  until  1886;  then  went 
on  gravel  train  as  conductor  during  the  summer 
of  that  year.  In  November  1886  he  took  a  regu- 
lar freight  train  on  the  road  between  Amboy 
and  Dubuque,  running  until  June  1887,  when  he 
was  transferred  to  the  construction  train  on  the 
Madison  line.  On  the  2ist  of  December,  1887, 
he  went  back  on  the  main  line  running  a  freight 
until  February  27,  1888,  then  took  construction 
work  again,  this  time  between  Freeport  and  Chi- 
cago, until  August  1888,  then  ran  a  regular 
freight  between  Freeport  and  Chicago  until  No- 
vember 6,  1888,  and  from  that  time  until  June 
1 8,  1891,  took  a  freight  run  between  Madison 
and  Freeport.  At  that  time  he  was  given  the 
milk  run  from  Freeport  to  Chicago  which  he 
retained  up  to  March  15,  1892,  then  took  the 
Dodgeville  passenger  run  for  two  months,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  on  a  passenger  train 
running  between  Freeport  and  Madison.  Dur- 
ing these  twenty-five  years  of  service  Mr.  Farnum 
has  met  with  no  accidents  on  the  road,  has  never 
been  suspended  nor  even  reprimanded,  has  never 
missed  a  pay  nor  has  he  ever  laid  off  four  weeks. 
On  the  26th  of  October,  1881,  Mr.  Farnuin 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Josephine  Sul- 
livan, of  Lena,  111.  They  have  six  children  — 
Agnes,  Isabella,  Clement,  George,  Mark,  and 
Regina.  Mr.  Farnum  is  a  member  of  the  Catho- 
lic church.  Socially  he  belongs  to  the  O.  of  R. 
C.,  K.  of  P.,  and  the  M,  W,  of  A.,  and  political- 
ly is  a  Democrat, 


304 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


JOHN  A.  ABRELL,  conductor  on  the  Am- 
boy  division  of  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road, first  entered  the  employ  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad  as  switchman  at 
Pana,  111.,  July  16,  1891,  and  after  two  years  in 
that  capacity  he  was  made  baggageman  on  the 
Diamond  Special  from  Chicago  to  St.  Louis.    He 
then  began  braking  on  the  Clinton  district  of 
the  Amboy  division,  and  on  the  29th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1896,  was  promoted  to  conductor. 

Mr.  Abrell  was  born  March  24,  1872,  at 
Osage  Mission,  Kansas,  and  was  married  to  Miss 
Laura  Jones,  of  Salem,  111.,  October  1898.  They 
have  one  son,  Donald.  He  is  a  member  of 
State  Center  Lodge  No.  400,  O.  R.  C,  and  is 
likewise  connected  with  the  Masonic  order. 


,RVILLE  W.  BROWN,  station  agent 
at  Centralia,  is  a  native  of  Irvington, 
Illinois,  born  February  20,  1869.  He 
began  railroad  work  as  operator  at 
Irvington  in  1886,  and  when  competent  to  man- 
age a  station  served  as  extra  operator  and  station 
agent  at  various  points  along  the  line  of  the  Cen- 
tralia district  of  the  Chicago  division  until  1888, 
when  he  was  appointed  to  serve  at  Dubois  from 
which  place  he  was  transferred  to  Anna  in  1892. 
Three  years  later  he  was  transferred  to  DuQuoin, 
and  to  Centralia  in  August  1899,  and  placed  in 
charge  of  freight  and  passenger  business. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  W.  H.  Brown, 
is  a  native  of  Princeton,  New  Jersey,  and,  learn- 
ing the  carpenter's  trade,  secured  employment 
in  the  bridge  and  building  department  of  the  Cen- 
tral for  whom  he  worked  many  years.  He  was 
also  in  the  employ  of  the  Louisville  &  Nashville 
for  a  time  and  also  the  Montgomery  &  Prattville 
road.  He  is  now  living  in  well  earned  retire- 
ment at  Irvington,  having  passed  his  allotted 
three  score  and  ten.  His  wife,  a  native  of  Ports- 
mouth, Ohio,  has  passed  the  three  score  mile- 
stone of  life. 

Mr.  Brown  was  married  February  23,  1890, 
to  Miss  Minnie  E.  Strauss,  to  whom  four  chil- 


dren  have  been  born.     The  first  died  in  infancy 
unnamed,  Delos  H.,  Orin  O.,  and  Zula  May. 

Mr.  Brown  has  achieved  what  he  is  and  has 
solely  by  his  own  efforts,  and  by  his  close  at- 
tention to  the  duties  of  his  office  has  merited  the 
confidence  of  his  employers.  He  is  a  member  of 
Hiawatha  Lodge  No.  291,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  also 
member  of  Anna  Encampment  No.  69,  both  of 
Anna,  111.,  and  member  of  Centralia  Lodge  No. 
201,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 


NDREW    S.    HART,    Illinois    Central 
_  Railroad   conductor,   on   the   Freeport 

/[  ]\  division,  was  born  in  Crawford  coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  March  14,  1854. 
His  father,  Amos  H.  Hart,  was  a  farmer, 
and  died  in  1877,  aged  forty-eight  years.  His 
mother,  Cornelia  W.  (Foster)  Hart  is  now  liv- 
ing in  Allegan  county,  Mich.,  at  the  age  of  six- 
ty-nine years.  The  family  consists  of  three  chil- 
dren :  Andrew  S.,  our  subject,  George  A.,  a  con- 
ductor on  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  resides  in  Chicago; 
Mary  C.  married  Frank  A.  Allen,  a  train  bag- 
gageman on  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  and  resides  in  Chi- 
cago. The  family  moved  from  Pennsylvania  to 
Plainwell,  Mich.,  in  1869.  Our  subject  attended 
school  in  Edinboro  and  Plainwell  during  the  win- 
ter months,  and  in  summer  worked  on  his 
father's  farm.  January  3,  1870,  he  entered  the 
service  of  the  G.  R.  &  I.  R.  R.  as  freight  brake- 
man  between  Kalamazoo  and  Big  Rapids,  re- 
maining in  that  position  nine  months.  He 
served  as  brakeman  on  a  passenger  train  four 
months,  and  as  baggageman  one  year,  and  then 
at  the  age  of  nineteen,  was  appointed  freight 
conductor,  being  the  youngest  conductor,  so  far 
as  statistics  indicate,  that  was  ever  given  a  posi- 
tion of  so  much  importance.  On  the  i6th  of 
June,  1879,  he  left  the  service  of  the  railroad, 
and  worked  on  a  farm  a  shor-t  time.  July  29, 
1875  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R  R.  as 
a  switchman  at  Chicago;  in  1879  went  to  firing 
in  the  general  service;  in  May  1882  took  the  posi- 
tion of  freight  conductor  on  the  Chicago  division ; 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


305 


January  i,  1886,  was  appointed  trainmaster  of 
the  Rantoul  division  with  headquarters  at  Ran- 
toul,  111.,  where  he  remained  until  May  i,  1888, 
when  he  was  employed  in  various  capacities  un- 
til August  1888,  when  he  was  transferred  to  the 
C.  M.  &  N.,  and  was  made  a  passenger  conduc- 
tor, running  between  Chicago  and  Freeport, 
afterwards  running  to  Dubuque,  Iowa.  In  1897, 
on  ac'count  of  failing  health,  he  temporarily  re- 
linquished active  service  and  went  to  Arizona 
for  the  benefit  of  his  health.  At  the  end  of  seven 
months  he  returned  partially  restored,  and  was 
given  his  former  run,  but  found  the  work  was 
too  exacting  and  in  June  1898,  was  given  a  pas- 
senger run  between  Freeport,  111.,  and  Dodge- 
ville,  Wis.,  which  he  still  retains.  August  18, 
1874,  Mr.  Hart  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Mary  E.  Kimball  of  Grand  Rapids,  Mich. 
Mrs.  Hart  was  born  Feb.  19,  1855.  Her  union 
with  Mr.  Hart  was  blessed  with  two  children : 
Herbert  E.,  born  Aug.  8,  1876,  is  a  fireman  in 
the  I.C.  R.  R.  yards  at  Freeport ;  Harry  E.,  born 
Sept.  9,  1878,  is  bookkeeper  for  the  DeMund 
Lumber  Co.,  of  Phoenix,  Ari.  March  15,  1899, 
Mr.  Hart  married  Miss  Elizabeth  R.  Allen,  of 
Manchester,  Iowa.  She  was  born  June  25,  1858. 
Mr.  Hart  is  a  member  of  Apollo  Commandery 
No.  i  of  Chicago,  K.  of  P.  No.  219  of  Chicago, 
and  likewise  belongs  to  the  O.  of  R  C.,  Chicago 
No.  i.  In  his  religious  views  he  is  a  Methodist. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 


ENRY  A.  BALL,  engineer  on  Clinton 
district,  Amboy  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  became  identified 
with  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Aug- 
ust 10,  1888,  in  the  position  of  fireman  on  the 
Clinton  district,  where  he  remained  until  Feb- 
ruary n,  1892,  at  which  time  he  was  promoted 
to  the  right  side,  and  took  a  regular  run  the  fol- 
lowing December,  being  assigned  to  engine  No. 
511.  He  is  now  in  the  freight  service  between 
Clinton  and  Centralia,  and  has  been  on  his  pres- 


ent engine,  No.  445,  three  years.  He  has  been 
very  lucky,  as  well  as  capable  in  his  experience, 
having  never  made  out  a  personal  injury  report 
while  in  service. 

Mr.  Ball  was  born  May  12,  1855,  in  Canton, 
Ohio,  within  two  blocks  of  the  place  where  Maj. 
McKinley  resided  at  the  time  of  his  election  to 
the  presidency.  On  the  I2th  of  May,  1875,  Mr. 
Ball  was  married  to  Miss  Frances  Braucher,  and 
has  one  son  and  one  daughter.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  B.  of  L.  E.,  No.  315,  and  is  likewise 
connected  with  Plantagenet  Lodge  No.  25,  K. 
of  P.,  of  Clinton. 


M 


D.  HOWARD,  general  foreman  for 
the  Illinois  Central  at  Champaign, 
HI-  is  an  honored  employe  of  the  road. 
He  was  born  in  the  village  of  LeRoy, 
McLean  county,  111.,  June  26,  1859.  After  com- 
pleting the  course  of  study  in  the  public  schools 
of  that  town  he  entered  the  University  of  Illinois 
at  Champaign,  taking  a  three  years'  course  in 
mechanical  engineering.  It  was  while  a  student 
at  the  university  in  1880,  that  our  subject  first 
entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  in  the  shops  at 
Champaign.  After  working  some  months  he 
returned  to  school,  leaving  again  to  accept  a 
position  as  assistant  chief  civil  engineer  on  the 
Fort  Scott  &  Wichita  R.  R.  He  served  in  this 
capacity  for  nine  months  during  which  period 
over  one  hundred  miles  of  the  road  were  located 
and  laid  out.  The  road  changing  hands,  our  sub- 
ject returned  to  the  employ  of  the  I.  C.  as  fireman 
under  R.  D.  Davis.  He  was  promoted  to  en- 
gineer in  February  1883,  serving  in  the  freight 
and  passenger  service  until  September  1899, 
when  he  was  appointed  general  foreman  at 
Champaign,  with  a  clear  record  of  nineteen  years 
on  a  locomotive. 

Mr.  Howard  is  a  man  of  excellent  qualities 
and  keen  intellect,  honored  and  respected  by  his 
fellow-citizens,  as  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  he  is 
serving  his  sixth  year  as  a  member  of  the  Cham- 
paign city  council,  representing  the  fourth  ward. 


306 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ARION   MCCLELLAND,  conductor 

on  the  Amboy  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  entered  the  service 
of  the  road  as  brakeman  on  the  Clin- 
ton district  of  the  Amboy  division,  September 
9,  1888,  and  was  promoted  to  conductor  Novem- 
ber 20,  1892,  serving  as  extra  for  a  time,  and  in 
1896  took  a  regular  run  in  the  freight  service, 
running  from  Clinton  to  Centralia,  where  he  is 
still  employed. 

Mr.  McClelland  is  a  native  of  Centralia, 
where  he  was  born  in  1865.  He  is  a  member  of 
Division  No.  112,  O.  R.  C.,  Plantagenet  Lodge 
No.  25,  K.  of  P.,  and  is  a  Mason  in  high  stand- 
ing, being  connected  with  DeWit  Lodge  No.  84, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Goodbrake  Chapter  No.  59,  and 
Commandery  No.  66,  all  of  Clinton,  Illinois. 


M.  FAGG,  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
passenger  conductor,  Amboy  division, 
is  a  native  of  McLean  county,  111., 
where  he  was  born  November  8,  1857. 
His  father,  Thomas  Fagg,  a  farmer  who  is  now 
living  in  Washington  county,  Neb.,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-two  years,  was  born  in  Loudoun  coun- 
ty, Va.  The  mother,  Susan  (Westcott),  is  liv- 
ing, aged  seventy-eight.  Her  father  was  a  na- 
tive of  England  and  came  to  the  U.  S.  in  early 
life.  Our  subject  is  one  of  a  family  of  seven  chil- 
dren :  Mary  E.  married  A.  C.  Miller  and  resides 
in  Forreston,  111. ;  Vina  married  S.  M.  Adams 
and  lives  in  Washington  county,  Neb. ;  William 

B.  is  a  blacksmith  and  wagonmaker  in  Birming- 
ham,  Iowa;   Clarence   W.   is   a  wagonmaker   in 
Washington  county,  Neb.;  T.  M.,  our  subject; 
Frank  M.  resides  in  Washington  county,  Neb. ; 
Charles  E.,  farmer,  lives  in  Washington  county, 
Neb. 

After  attending  the  public  schools  in  McLean 
county,  T.  M.  Fagg  worked  on  a  farm  for  some 
years,  and  in  1880,  entered  the  service  of  the  I. 

C.  R.  R.  as  freight  brakeman.     He  served  two 
years  in  that  capacity  and  was  then  made  freight 
conductor    which    position    he   held    for    sixteen 


years.  In  1898  he  was  promoted  to  passenger 
conductor  and  is  now  running  on  the  Amboy 
division  between  Freeport  and  Centralia.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  O.  of  R.  C.  ;  the  I.  C.  Lodge 
of  Masons  No.  178;  Freeport  Chapter  No.  23; 
Freeport  Commandery  No.  7,  and  Cherry  Camp 
No.  64,  M.  W.  of  A.  Politically  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican. 

Mr.  Fagg  was  married  on  the  29th  of  April, 
1884,  to  Miss  Mollie  Boylan,  of  Blooming- 
ton.  She  was  born  August  9,  1861.  They  have 
two  children  :  Delia  M.,  born  Sept.  8,  1885,  is  at- 
tending the  Freeport  high  school;  Lillian  F., 
born  October  16,  1891,  is  also  in  school 


JOHN  E.  HARRINGTON,  conductor  on 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  Freeport 
division,  was  born  in  Waukesha,  Wis., 
November  21,  1864.  He  is  the  son  of 
Michael  and  Mary  (Mulhern)  Harrington,  in 
whose  family  are  seven  children.  The  father  is 
a  railroad  man.  Our  subject  was  educated  in 
the  public  and  parish  schools  of  Waukesha.  At 
the  age  of  sixteen  he  became  water  boy  on  the 
N.  W.  R.  R.,  and  remained  in  that  position  for 
one  summer,  then  went  to  the  Grand  Pacific  at 
Chicago,  where  he  remained  three  years,  then 
worked  for  the  Rock  Island  R.  R.  for  two  and 
one-half  years  as  passenger  brakeman.  In  1889 
he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  freight 
brakeman  and  worked  in  that  capacity  until  July 
i,  1891,  when  he  was  promoted  to  conductor, 
which  position  he  still  holds.  June  17,  1896, 
Mr.  Harrington  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  Patrick  Grant,  deceased, 
and  Jennie  (Hughes)  Grant.  Mrs.  Harrington 
was  born  in  Freeport,  111.,  September  4,  1874, 
and  was  educated  in  the  public  and  parochial 
schools  of  that  city.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harrington 
have  one  child,  John  Grant,  born  March  15, 
1898.  They  are  members  of  the  Catholic  church. 
Mr.  Harrington  belongs  to  the  Improved  Order 
of  Red  Men,  and  O.  of  R.  C.,  and  politically 
is  a  staunch  Democrat. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


307 


P.  FREEMAN,  conductor  on  the 
Springfield  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  had  his  first  railroad 
experience  in  the  employ  of  the  Bluff 
Line,  which  he  entered  as  brakeman  in  October 
1888,  running  from  Springfield  to  Alton.  In 
1889  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,  acted  as  brakeman  on  the  Springfield 
division  one  year,  and  was  promoted  to  conduc- 
tor in  1890  and  is  now  in  the  freight  service  on 
that  division. 

Mr.  Freeman,  who  is  a  son  of  Walter  and 
Sally  (Short)  Freeman,  who  were  natives  of 
Virginia,  was  born  at  Culpepper  Court  House, 
Virginia,  in  1862,  and  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Eleanor  Chapman  in  1885.  She  is 
a  daughter  of  Stephen  G.  and  Sarah  (Oder) 
Chapman,  natives  of  Indiana  and  Kentucky,  re- 
spectively. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Freeman  have  one 
daughter,  Delia  B.  Mr.  Freeman  is  a  member 
of  the  M.  W.  A.,  No.  333,  of  Springfield,  III, 
and  the  O.  R.  C.,  No.  400,  of  Clinton. 


ENRY  LUDWIG,  one  of  the  younger 
of  the  Central  engineers,  was  born  in 
Dunleith,  now  East  Dubuque,  Illinois, 
March  28,  1873.  He  attended  the 
schools  of  his  native  place  until  the  age  of  six- 
teen, and  then  began  earning  his  own  way,  se- 
curing a  position  with  a  confectionery  company 
in  the  city  at  the  other  end  of  the  big  bridge. 
Here  for  four  and  a  half  years  he  worked  faith- 
fully, meanwhile  attending  the  night  school  in 
the  Bayless  Business  College,  fitting  himself  for 
a  higher  position  in  the  world.  Coming  to 
Freeport  he  secured  employment  in  the  machin- 
ery department  of  the  Illinois  Central  shops,  se- 
curing, six  months  later,  a  seat  in  the  left  side  of 
a  locomotive,  September  23,  1893.  October  14, 
1899,  he  was  examined  and  promoted  to  engineer 
and  started  in  with  fair  prospects  of  a  long  and 
useful  career  at  the  throttle  and  lever. 

Mr.  Ludwig  is  an  only  child  of  Henry  and 
Magdalena    (Fiene)    Ludwig.     The    father,    for 


many  years  a  grocer  of  Dunleith,  was  born  in 
Germany,  May  19,  1848,  and  died  at  Dubuque 
December  17,  1893.  The  mother,  also  a  native 
German,  was  born  August  15,  1848,  and  died 
on  her  fortieth  birthday  in  Dubuque. 

Mr.  Ludwig  was  married  in  Dubuque  June 
12,  1895,  to  Miss  Lucy  G.  Taulty,  of  that  city. 
Two  children  have  been  born  to  them,  Maylou,  a 
daughter,  born  April  12,  1896,  and  Harry,  born 
June  20,  1897.  Our  subject  is  a  member  of 
Union  Lodge  No.  138,  B.  of  L.  F.,  and  of  the 
fraternal  order  A.  O.  U.  W.,  at  Elmhurst,  111. 


M.  STUART,  who  is  a  conductor  on 
I  p~>\  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  Amboy 
j  [  o  division,  was  born  in  Normal,  111., 
September  21,  1867.  His  parents, 
C.  M.  and  Catherine  (Stevens)  Stuart,  are  both 
deceased.  The  family  came  from  Kentucky  in 
1860,  and  located  in  Normal.  There  are  six 
children,  our  subject  being  the  youngest.  Mary 
married  D.  B.  Little,  assistant  auditor  of  the 
I.  I.  &  I.  R.  R.,  Kankakee,  111.;  George  M.  is 
a  passenger  conductor  on  the  C.  &  A.  R.  R. ; 
Alpha  is  principal  of  the  Jefferson  school  in 
Bloomington,  111. ;  Alice  married  Milvin  Stine 
and  resides  near  Saybrook,  111. ;  Lee  is  manager 
of  the  Electric  Light  &  Power  Co.  at  Normal. 

Our  subject  was  educated  at  the  State 
Normal,  graduating  in  1886,  and  also  took  a 
complete  course  in  Evergreen  City  Business  Col- 
lege. He  then  accepted  a  position  in  the  At- 
lanta National  bank,  at  Atlanta,  111.,,  where  he 
remained  for  four  years,  resigning  to  organize 
the  Waynesville  bank,  of  which  he  was  cashier 
for  three  years.  Giving  up  this  position,  he  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  C.  &  A.  Railroad  as 
brakeman,  where  he  remained  two  years,  then 
worked  three  months  for  the  K.  C.  &  P.  R.  R. 
in  the  same  capacity,  and  was  then  offered  the 
position  of  night  ticket  clerk  at  Shreveport,  La., 
where  he  remained  one  year.  In  1898,  on  ac- 
count of  the  yellow  fever  epidemic,  he  left  the 
south  and  came  to  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  at  Blooming- 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ton,  August  16,  1898,  and  was  made  freight 
brakeman.  On  the  3ist  of  August,  1899,  he  was 
promoted  to  freight  conductor  on  the  Amboy 
division,  which  position  he  still  retains.  Mr. 
Stuart  was  married  on  the  28th  of  April,  1891, 
to  Miss  Ella  M.  Lambert,  of  Atlanta,  111.  She 
was  born  May  15,  1868.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stuart 
attend  the  Christian  church.  Mr.  Stuart  is  a 
Mason,  and  also  belongs  to  the  B.  R.  T.  In 
politics  he  votes  the  Republican  ticket. 


I.  TAYLOR,  a  conductor  in  the 
freight  service  of  the  Illinois 
Q  Central,  received  his  first  intro- 
duction to  railroad  life  as  brake- 
man on  the  Short  Line  division  of  the  L.  &  N. 
R.  R.  out  of  Louisville,  Ky.,  commencing  his 
career  in  September  1887,  and  working  two 
years.  He  then  took  a  position  as  brakeman  on 
the  A.  T.  &  S.  F.,  remaining  with  that  company 
eighteen  months,  after  which  he  transferred  to 
the  L.  E.  &  St.  L.  out  of  Louisville,  Ky.  From 
the  latter  place  he  was  sent  to  the  L.  S.  R.  R., 
serving  six  months  as  brakeman,  and  at  the  end 
of  that  period  was  promoted  to  conductor  and 
transferred  to  the  Marion  route,  where  he  re- 
mained until  September  3,  1892.  After  working 
for  a  short  time  on  the  M.  P.  R.  R.,  and  the 
Terminal  Association  of  St.  Louis,  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  I.  C.  as  brakeman  on  the 
Springfield  division.  On  January  23,  1894,  he 
was  sent  to  the  South  end  and  promoted  to  con- 
ductor December  15,  1896.  Mr.  Taylor  is  a  na- 
tive of  Shelbyville,  Shelby  county,  Ky.,  his  birth 
occurring  Oct.  22,  1865.  On  February  21,  1899, 
he  was  married  at  Mt.  Vernon,  Mo.,  to  Miss 
Lydia  Jones,  whose  father  was  a  prominent 
druggist  of  that  city,  but  is  now  deceased.  So- 
cially he  is  connected  with  DeWitt  Lodge  F.  & 
A.  M.  No.  84,  O.  R.  C.  No.  112,  of  Centralia, 
111.,  Goodbrake  Chapter  No.  59,  and  Clinton 
Commandery  No.  66,  of  Clinton,  111. 


E.  GILLEN  is  an  engineer  in  the 
passenger  service  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral  on  the  Chicago  division.  He 
entered  the  service  of  the  company 
as  fireman  on  a  switch  engine  in  the  Champaign 
yards  in  1884.  In  November  1887  he  was  pro- 
moted to  engineer,  serving  first  in  the  freight 
service  until  September  10,  1899.  On  this  date 
he  entered  the  passenger  service,  taking  charge 
of  engine  No.  965,  and  filling  the  vacancy  made 
by  the  promotion  of  H.  D.  Howard  to  general 
foreman.  During  his  service  as  fireman  he  was 
for  two  years  with  R.  D.  Davis,  traveling  engi- 
neer of  the  Illinois  Central. 

Mr.  Gillen,  who  is  a  native  of  Champaign, 
having  been  born  there  in  1860,  married  Miss 
Georgeama  Jones,  who  was  born  February  16, 
1873,  to  H.  W.  and  Olie  Jones,  natives  of  In- 
diana. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gillen  have  one  daughter, 
Ruth  Leone,  born  May  22,  1899. 


LDWARD  CURTIN,  who  is  a  freight 
conductor  on  the  Freeport  division  of 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  is  the 
son  of  Michael  Curtin,  a  native  of  Ire- 
land, who  came  to  the  U.  S.  in  early  life  and 
located  near  Aurora,  111.  He  is  a  farmer,  and  is 
now  living  at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  The 
mother  of  our  subject,  Ellen  (Hennessey),  is 
also  living. 

Edward  Curtin  was  born  in  Aurora,  111., 
where  he  received  his  education.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-one  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C. 
R.  R.  at  Freeport  as  a  freight  brakeman,  running 
between  Chicago  and  Dubuque.  In  November 
1895,  he  was  promoted  to  freight  conductor, 
which  position  he  now  holds.  November  23, 
1893,  Mr.  Curtin  was  married  to  Miss  Effie  G. 
Bradford,  who  was  born  in  Dubuque,  Iowa, 
September  12,  1875.  She  is  the  daughter  of 
Charles  Bradford,  who  has  been  switch  tender 
for  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  at  Dubuque  for  many  years. 
Mr.  Curtin  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church. 
He  belongs  to  the  O.  of  R.  C.  and  in  his  political 
views  is  independent. 


F.  H.  SCHERMERHORN. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


311 


FH.  SCHERMERHORN,  formerly  em- 
ployed as  locomotive  engineer  on  the 
Q    Illinois  Central   Railroad,  and  resid- 
ing in  Freeport,  111.,  was  born  in  Lex- 
ington, Greene  county,  New  York,  Aug.  6,  1852. 
He  is  the  eldest  son  of  Rev.  P.  V.  and  Lydia  A. 
(Williams)  Schermerhorn,  the  former  a  minister 
in  the  M.  E.  church,  having  died  in  1898,  while 
the  latter  is  still  living  in  Stamford,  Delaware 
county,   New   York.     Their  family  consisted  of 
nine  children,  of  whom  five  are  living.     Abram, 
a  brother  of  our  subject,  formerly  an  engineer 
in  the  employ  of  the  I.  C.  railroad,  lives  in  Free- 
port,  Illinois. 

F.  H.  Schermerhorn  was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  eastern  New  York.  At  the  age  of 
fourteen  years  he  entered  the  high  school  of 
Albany,  from  which  he  graduated  at  the  age  of 
eighteen.  He  then  entered  the  Albany  Medi- 
cal &  Surgical  Institute,  where  he  remained 
eighteen  months,  when  on  account  of  impaired 
health  he  was  forced  to  abandon  the  idea  of  be- 
coming a  surgeon,  and  after  traveling  in  the  west 
for  several  months,  accepted  a  position  in  the 
freight  office  of  the  N.  Y.  C.  &  H.  R.  railroad  at 
Athens,  N.  Y.  It  was  during  his  stay  at  Athens 
that  the  Merchants  Dispatch  Transportation  Co. 
was  organized  under  the  management  of  the 
Yanderbilts,  and  he  had  the  honor  of  billing  the 
first  car  load  of  freight  ever  shipped  by  that  or- 
ganization. He  came  west  and  located  at  Am- 
boy,  111.,  August  9,  1873,  and  entered  the  service 
of  the  I.  C.  September  22,  1873,  as  a  locomotive 
fireman  on  the  north  division  between  Amboy 
and  Dunleith,  where  he  remained  until  December  . 
3,  1879,  when  he  was  promoted  to  the  right  side 
and  retained  that  position  until  1893  when  he 
left  the  employ  of  the  company. 

Mr.  Schermerhorn  was  married  February 
22,  1873,  to  Miss  Rena  R.  Johnson,  of  Jewett, 
X.  Y.,  a  very  amiable  and  accomplished  lady  of 
strong  religious  sentiments  and  high  moral 
character,  uniting  with  the  M.  E.  church  early 
in  life.  She  was  born  April  13,  1849.  Of  the 
three  children  born  to  this  union,  two  are  living, 
viz :  John  Guy,  born  in  1878,  and  Esther  Belle, 
born  in  1887. 

18 


Our  subject  was  a  charter  member  of  Am- 
boy Lodge  No.  35,  B.  of  L.  F.,  and  when  pro-> 
moted  joined  Amboy  Division,  No.  72,  B.  of 
L.  E.,  in  which  he  always  took  an  active  interest 
and  was  chairman  of  the  Grievance  committee 
at  the  time  he  left  the  service.  In  1888  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Legislative  committee, 
from  the  Amboy  district,  and  spent  the  following 
winter  in  Springfield,  111.,  promoting  legislation 
in  the  interest  of  railroad  men.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Excelsior  Lodge  No.  97,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
and  of  Amboy  Chapter,  No.  194,  R.  A.  M.  In 
politics  he  affiliates  with  the  Republican  party. 


JOHN  R.  ROSEBRUGH,  former  agent  of 
the   Illinois    Central   at   Freeport.     The 
family  of  our  subject  is  of  Scotch  origin, 
his   grandfather   having   been   a    Scotch 
Presbyterian  minister.     His  father,  John  Rose- 
brugh,  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  Grove- 
land,  Livingston  county,  New  York.     He  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  and  also  held  many  of- 
ficial positions,  dying  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine 
years. 

J.  R.  Rosebrugh,  also  a  native  of  the  Empire 
State,  was  born  in  Groveland,  Livingston-  Co., 
January  5,  1829.  He  was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  New  York,  and  at  the  Temple  Hill 
Academy  in  Geneseo,  New  York,  and  at  the  age 
of  seventeen  he  began  teaching  school  in  the 
district  where  Senator  Charles  H.  Carroll  re- 
sided. In  the  spring  of  1848  he  went  to  Te- 
cumseh,  Mich.,  and  taught  in  a  branch  of  the 
University  at  that  place  for  three  years.  He 
then  embarked  in  the  general  merchandise  busi- 
ness in  the  same  town  and  remained  in  the  busi- 
ness two  years.  Coming  to  Freeport  September 
10,  1856,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R. 
as  cashier  and  held  the  position  for  one  year, 
when  he  was  appointed  station  agent,  having 
charge  of  passenger  and  freight  business,  and  re- 
mained there  until  1865,  when  he  went  to  Amboy 
and  served  as  clerk  in  the  office  of  Mr.  Jacobs, 
superintendent  of  the  Amboy  division,  for  a  few 


312 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


months.  At  this  time  Mr.  Rosebrugh  severed 
his  connection  with  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  and  accepted 
a  posjtion  with  Wicker,  -Meckling  &  Co.,  railroad 
contractors,  with  whom  he  remained  about  one 
year,  then  went  to  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  and  assisted 
in  opening  the  books  and  starting  the  passenger 
and  freight  departments  in  that  place  which  en- 
gaged him  nine  months.  He  was  then  employed 
in  Chicago  by  Miner  T.  Ames  &  Co.,  coal  mer- 
chants, remaining  with  them  about  six  months, 
then  became  assistant  manager  of  the  Otto  Gas 
Engine  Co.,  which  position  he  retained  for  two 
years.  He  then  went  to  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  and 
took  charge  of  the  management  of  the  hospital 
as  steward,  where  he  remained  seven  years.  In 
1888  he  came  to  Freeport  and  purchased  the 
Palace  Livery,  which  business  still  occupies  his 
attention.  November  8,  1852,  Mr.  Rosebrugh 
was  married  to  Miss  Julia  E.  Taylor,  of  Tecum- 
seh,  Mich.  They  have  one  son,  Henry  P.,  ,born 
July  31,  1854.  He  was  for  twelve  years  em- 
ployed as  brakeman  and  conductor  of  the  I.  C. 
R.  R.,  and  is  now  associated  with  his  father  in 
business.  Mr.  Rosebrugh  is  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  church,  and  also  belongs  to  the  Ma- 
sonic and  Odd  Fellow  fraternities.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Democrat,  and  is  now  alderman  of  the 
second  ward  of  Freeport.  He  has  often  been 
solicited  to  allow  his  name  to  be  used  in  connec- 
tion with  political  positions,  but  has  uniformly 
declined. 


ARVEY  C.  REEP,  began  his  railroad 
career  August  18,  1889,  as  baggagemas- 
ter  with  Conductor  William  Beadles. 
He  then  went'  into  freight  service  in  the 
Paducah  yards  as  switchman,  until  1894  when  he 
was  appointed  general  yardrhaster,  serving  two 
years  when  he  went  on  the  road"  'as  conductor, 
running  a  local  freight  betwen  'Paducah  and 
Newbern.  Our  subject  has  a  remarkably  good 
record,  having  had  no  accidents  to  himself  -or 
his  train.  His  father  was  A.  H.  Reep,  who  died 
in  1894.  Mr.  Reep  married  Miss  Lizzie  Clark,  of 
Youngstown,  Ohio,  and  has  a  bright  boy  Clyde, 


who  is  attending  school.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Paducah  Division  of  the  Order  of  Railway  Con- 
ductors, in  which  he  has  filled  some  of  the  offi- 
cial chairs.  He  is  prominent  in  the  Masonic  or- 
der, holding  membership  in  the  Blue  lodge. 
Chapter,  Commandery  and  Shrine.  He  also 
affiliates  with  the  "  Best  People  On  Earth " 
known  to  the  outer  world  as  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks.  Mr.  Reep's  home  is 
at  No.  440  South  Sixth  street,  Paducah,  Ky. 


JOHN  HAYS  WILSON,  depot  master  of 
the    Illinois   Central    Railroad   at    Free- 
port,   was  born   in   Union  county,   Pa., 
June  8,    1837.     H's   grandfather,    Hugh 
Wilson,  was  one  of  the  judges  of  the  U.  S.  dis- 
trict court.     His   father,  also  Hugh   Wilson,  a 
tanner  and  fanner,  was  born  in  Union  county, 
Pa.,   in    1792,   and   died   in    1873.     His   mother, 
Jane  (Foster),  died  in  April  1879. 

John  H.  Wilson  was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  his  native  county  and  took  an 
academic  course  of  three  years  at  Mifflinburg 
Academy.  He  assisted  on  his  father's  farm  until 
1857,  when  the  family  emigrated  to  Freeport,  then 
a  town  of  about  6,000  inhabitants.  Here  he  taught 
school  one  term,  and  then  secured  a  position  with 
the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  clerk  in  the  superintendent's 
office  at  Amboy.  He1  remained  in  that  position 
thirteen  months,  when  he  took  a  position  in  the 
train  service  and  served  five  years  in  that  capacity. 
He  then  began  making  up  trains  at  Amboy, 
later  clerked  in  the  office  at  Decatur,  and  then 
returned  to  Amboy  and  became  one  of  the  yard- 
masters.  January  21,  1870,  he  lost  his  right  arm 
in  the  service  of  the  company,  after  which  he 
came  to  Freeport  and  learned  to  write  with  his 
left  hand.  He  is  now  a  splendid  penman,  and 
a  model  of  neatness.  In  1871  he  became  yard- 
master  of  Freeport  yards  and  retained  that  po- 
sition for  sixteen  years,  and  in  1887  was  made 
car  accountant,  which  position  he  held  until 
1890,  when  the  new  depot  was  erected  in  Free- 
port  and  he  was  made  depot  master,  where  he 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


313 


still  serves,  attending  upon  twenty-seven  passen- 
ger trains  daily,  from  6 130  A.  M.  to  7  :oo  P.  M. 
His  service  for  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  has  always  been 
pleasant.  Mr.  Wilson's  household  is  made  up 
of  himself  and  two  sisters,  Mary  and  Martha. 
The  latter  has  taught  school  in  Freeport  for 
eighteen  years.  Of  the  family,  eight  are  living: 
six  in  Freeport  and  two  in  Pennsylvania.  Mr. 
Wilson  is  a  Prohibitionist,  and  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  Centennial  Lodge  of  Good  Templars 
in  1876,  and  first  Chaplain;  assisted  in  organiz- 
ing the  Independent  Order  of  Mutual  Aid  in 
1879,  and  has  been  connected  with  all  the  tem- 
perance organizations.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  one  of  the  charter  members  of 
John  H.  Adclams  Lodge.  The  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  of  Free- 
port. 


E.  BANKS,  a  conductor  running 
between  Centralia  and  Clinton, 
Q  was  born  in  Kansas  September  8, 
1857.  Owing  to  peculiar  circum- 
stances he  does  not  know  in  what  county  he  first 
saw  the  light.  His  birth  occurred  during  the 
troublous  border  warfare  in  which  the  father 
was  taken  prisoner  by  one  of  the  factions  the  day 
the  boy  was  born,  and  the  fright  killed  the 
mother  the  same  day.  Escaping  from  his  cap- 
tors .  the  father  returned,  and  taking  what  was 
left  of  his  little  family,  returned  to  Indiana  to 
make  them  a  home.  On  the  outbreak  of  the  war 
he  enlisted,  and  fell  in  battle  near  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  the  birthplace  of  himself  and  wife. 

Mr.  Banks  grew  up  without  a  parent's  care, 
living  on  the  farm  until  attaining  his  majority, 
attending  the  country  schools.  His  first  expe- 
rience in  railroad  work  was  when  he  joined  the 
force  of  the  Illinois  Central  at  Centralia,  August 
15,  1886,  as  brakeman  under  the  instruction  of 
Conductor  W.  Cone,  running  to  Clinton.  In 
January  1890  he  was  promoted,  and  most  of  the 
time  since  he :  has  been  in  charge  of  a  way  freight 
between  the  two  cities  above  named. 

Mr.   Banks  was  first  married  at  Brownton, 


Jackson  county,  Indiana,  to  Miss  Anna  Apple- 
gate.  Of  their  five  children  two  are  living, 
Walter  and  Eva.  His  second  marriage  was 
with  Miss  Anna  Gassier,  a  native  of  Centralia, 
and  a  daughter  of  John  M.  and  Mary  Magda- 
lene (Hockenyas)  Gassier,  German  settlers  of 
that  city.  Of  the  second  marriage  one  child  was 
born,  Cleona.  Mr.  Banks  is  a  careful  and 
painstaking  operative,  enjoying  the  confidence 
of  his  superiors. 


THOMAS  J.  McKEE,  conductor,  living 
at  Centralia,  was  born  a  few  miles  south 
of  Carlyle,  111.,  September  23,  1855, 
and  is  the  son  of  J.  A.  McKee,  of 
Fleming  county,  Ky.,  and  Mary  B.  Huey.  At 
the  age  of  eleven  his  parents  moved  with  him  to 
Centralia  where  he  attended  the  winter  schools 
and  worked  on  fruit  farms  in  the  summer.  In 
1873  he  secured  a  place  as  brakeman  on  the  Illi- 
nois Central  under  Conductor  J.  D.  Williams 
on  a  local  freight  between  Centralia  and  Wapel- 
la.  Early  in  1880  he  was  examined  and  promoted 
to  conductor  running  extra  until  his  resignation 
in  November  of  that  year.  For  the  next  three 
years  he  was  employed  mostly  in  the  southwest. 
Worked  a  short  time  as  car  repairer  at  Little 
Rock,  going  from  there  to  Fort  Worth,  Texas, 
engaging  in  construction  work  on  the  Missouri, 
Kansas  &  Texas  and  was  soon  in  charge  of  the 
"  front  "  train  —  the  one  that  carried  material 
to  the  front.  Leaving  that  road  he  secured  work 
on  the  Texas  Pacific  between  Fort  Worth  and 
Beard,  Texas.  After  that  he  worked  at  various 
points  as  switchman  and  yardmaster  for  several 
roads  as  the  traffic  made  a  demand  for  men. 
Returning  east  he  secured  work  for  a  time  in 
the  Twenty-first  St.  yards  of  the  Terminal  com- 
pany at  St.  Louis,  and  after  another  sojourn  in 
Texas  secured  work  at  New  Orleans  in  the  yards 
on  the  New  Orleans  &  North  Eastern  road  be- 
ing soon  promoted  to  night  yardmaster.  Janu- 
ary 10,  1884,  he  re-entered  the  service  of  the 
Central  at  Centralia  braking  under  Charles  Pratz 


314 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


on  the  way  freight  between  Centralia  and  Cairo, 
and  seven  months  later  he  was  promoted  and 
given  a  train,  the  way  freight.  In  1891  was 
promoted  to  the  passenger  service  having  at  the 
present  time  a  regular  run  between  Centralia 
and  Cairo. 

Mrs.  McKee,  who  is  a  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Barbara  (Nullet)  Hutchmacher  was  born 
in  New  Orleans.  Of  the  five  children  born  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  McKee  four  are  living.  They  are 
F.  Edna,  Thomas  P.,  Charles  E.,  Amos  F.,  and 
James  R.  deceased..  ,  .  .  . 

Mr.  McKee  is  one  of  the  most  popular  con- 
ductors on  the  line. 


JOHN   A.   HOGAN,  one  of  the  younger 
engineers  of  the  Central  system,  comes  of 
railroad     stock.        His     father,     Patrick 
Hogan,    emigrated    from    the    Emerald 
Isle  when  a  young  man,  and  made  his  way  to 
the  west,  securing  work  with  the  Illinois  Central 
with  which  company  he  remained  many  years. 
For  a  long  period  he  served  as  train  baggage- 
man and  later  was  employed  in  the  boiler  room 
of  the  shops  at  Amboy  where  he  worked  until 
the  shops  were   removed  to  other  points.     He 
still  resides  at  Amboy  retired  from  active  labor. 
He  married  Eliza  Lowrey,  who  bore  him  eight 
children,  two  sons  and  six  daughters. 

John  A.  Hogan  was  born  at  Amboy,  March 
17,  1870,  and  was  reared  in  his  native  place,  at- 
tending the  public  schools  until  the  age  of  fif- 
teen. At  that  age  he  entered  the  boiler  shops, 
where  his  father  was  employed,  as  a  boiler 
maker  apprentice,  remaining  three  years  before 
starting  out  to  see  the  world.  He  traveled  to 
Denver  to  accept  a  position  in  the  shops  of  the 
Union  Pacific  R.  R.  We  next  find  him  at 
Topeka,  Kans.,  in  the  employ  of  the  A.  T.  &  S. 
F.  and  from  that  point  he  journeyed  to  Missouri 
Valley,  Iowa,  entering  the  employ  of  the  F.  E. 
&  M.  V.  R.  R.  which  he  served  seven  months 
and  was  transferred  to  their  shops  at  Chadron, 
Nebraska,  on  the  Black  Hills  division,  remain- 


ing in  the  west  six  months.  Returning  to  his 
native  state  he  secured  work  with  the  C.  &  A. 
at  Bloomington,  where  he  was  employed  until 
January  7,  1892,  at  which  time  he  accepted  a 
place  as  fireman  on  the  Illinois  Central.  Until 
1898  he  served  on  the  left  side  of  the  engine  and 
after  a  thorough  examination  was  thereupon 
licensed  to  sit  on  the  other  side  of  the  cab.  Mr. 
Hogan  is  a  thorough,  careful  man  in  his  craft 
and  will  in  time  win  the  recognition  of  his 
superiors.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Union  Lodge 
No.  138,  B.  of  L.  F.  His  present  home  is  in 
Freeport. 


KNOWLES,  a  passenger  conduc- 
tor on  the  Central,  has  been  in 
Q  the  service  since  October  16,  1880, 
having  begun  braking  on  the 
Springfield  division,  between  Springfield  an'd 
Gilrnan,  under  freight  conductor  E.  Clifford, 
where  he  remained  until  February  1884.  He 
was  then  transferred  to  the  Amboy  division  be- 
tween Clinton  and  Centralia,  under  James  Mc- 
Hugh,  and  was  promoted  to  freight  conductor 
on  the  same  division  in  October  1887,  and  given 
the  through  "Manifest"  run  between  Clinton 
and  St.  Louis  over  the  tracks  of  the  Big  Four, 
and  held  that  position  until  April  igth,  1897. 
August  4,  1897,  he  was  promoted  to  the  passen- 
ger service  and  given  his  present  run  between 
Freeport  and  Centralia. 

Mr.  Knowles  was  born  at  Terre  Haute,  In- 
diana, March  4,  1862,  and  removed  when  a  small 
lad  with  his  parents  to  Shelby  county  near  the 
county  seat,  when  about  ten  years  of  age ;  he  be- 
gan his  railroad  career  at  the  age  of  eighteen. 
His  schooling  was  secured  in  the  public  schools. 
The  father,  Daniel  Knowles,  is  a  native  of  New 
York  state ;  the  mother,  Lydia  Anderson,  died 
young,  leaving  a  family  of  five  children,  three  of 
whom  are  still  alive.  Mr.  Knowles  was  married 
November  n,  1891,  to  Miss  Minnie  L.  Lillord, 
a  native  of  Clinton,  Illinois.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  O.  R.  C.  and  O.  R.  T.  at  Clinton,  Illinois, 


-  AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


315 


C.  MITCHELL,  conductor  on  the 
Freeport  division  of  the  Illinois 
Q  Central,  was  born  in  Elgin,  111., 
May  23,  1869.  His  parents, 
William  and  Mary  (Dedrick)  Mitchell,  reside  in 
Elgin,  111.,  where  his  father  is  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising. Their  family  consists  of  three  chil- 
dren. W.  C.  ;  Ada,  forewoman  in  a  garment 
factory  in  Aurora,  and  Henry,  a  school  boy. 

W.  C.  Mitchell  received  his  education  in 
Fort  Scott,  Kansas.  He  worked  on  a  farm  for 
his  father,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  entered  the 
service  of  the  St.  Louis  &  San  Francisco  R.  R, 
company  as  brakeman,  running  between  Anthony 
and  Beaumont,  Kansas,  for  two  years.  He  then 
came  to  Freeport  and  commenced  braking  for 
the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  and  in  1898  was  promoted  to 
conductor  on  Freeport  division  where  he  is  now 
running.  He  has  only  lost  six  weeks  of  service 
on  account  of  disability.  Mr.  Mitchell  was  mar- 
ried on  the  7th  of  October,  1893,  to  Miss  Sophie 
Kline,  of  Elgin.  She  was  born  May  24,  1872; 
and  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Elgin.  Her 
father  is  a  carpenter.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mhchell 
have  one  child,  Gladys,  born  December  19,  1894. 
The  family  are  Methodists. 


THOMAS     CAREY,     road     supervTsOr, 
Sixth   division   of  the   Illinois   Central 
Railroad,  was  born  in  Watertowji,  N. 
Y.,  February  25,   1859.       His  father, 
James  Carey,  who  came  to  the  'U.   S.  in  early 
life,  is  now  living  retired  in  Scales  Mound,  111. 
He  was  section  foreman  for  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  for 
thirty  years.-    The  mother,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Margaret  Quinn,  is  still  living.     They  have 
two  children,  James,  a  section  foreman  of  the 
I.  C.  R.  R.  at  Scales  Mound,  and  Thomas. 

Thomas  Carey  was  educated  in  the  district 
schools  of  Scales  Mound,  and  at  the  age  of  thir- 
teen he  began  working  on  the  section  with  his 
father  on  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  attending  school  in 
winter  and  working  on  the  road  in  summer  for 
three  vears.  He  then  worked  in  a  stone  quarry 


one  year,  and  farmed  for  one  season.  At  the 
age  of  nineteen  he  returned  to  work  on  the  sec- 
tion for  some  months,  then  went  to  braking  on 
freight  which  he  did  for  three  months.  In  May 
1 88 1  he  was  appointed  section  foreman  at  East 
Dubuque.  He  remained  as  section  foreman 
and  was  foreman  of  construction  for  eighteen 
years,  then  was  appointed  supervisor  of  thir- 
teenth section,  Sixth  division,  with  headquarters 
at  Freeport,  Sept.  6,  1898.  On  the  23rd  of  June, 
1885,  Mr;  Carey  was  married  to  Miss  Alice  Mc- 
Donnell, who  was  born  May  17,  1864,  in  Du- 
buque, Iowa.  They  have  four  children :  J. 
Donald,  born  May  28,  1889;  John  J.,  born  Octo- 
ber I,-  1891;  Loretta,  born  September  8,  1893; 
Corena  M.,  born  September  12,  1895.  Mr. 
Carey  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church.  ••  So- 
cially he  belongs  to  K.  of  P.,  also  Endowment 
Rank,  and  C.  O.  F.  He  is  independent  in.  pol- 
itics. 


JOSEPH    A.    BLACKMAN,    one    of  ;the 
veteran  engineers  of  the  Central  system, 
is   of    foreign    birth.     His    father,    John 
Blackman,    was    a    native    of    England 
where  he  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade.    Coming 
to  America  with  his  family  in  1852  he  settled 
first    at    Windham,    Ohio,    and    six    years    later 
moved  to  Dixon,  Illinois,  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing.    Here  he  died  July   17,    1885.     His   wife, 
Martha  Cooper,  was  born  at  Hilgate,  Norfolk, 
England,  August   12,    1821,  and  died  near  Dixon, 
January   13,   1899.     She  was  a  woman  of  great 
natural   refinement.     At  the  time  of  her  death 
there  were  of  her  children,  five  sons  and  three 
daughters  living. 

Jos.  A.  Blackman  was  born  at  Oxlode  Down- 
ham,  Isfe  of  Ely,  Cambridgeshire,  England,  June 
21,  1845.  Most  of  his  schooling  was  secured 
during  the  six  years  the  family  lived  in  Ohio. 
On  coming  to  Illinois  he  worked  on  the  farm  un- 
til attaining  his  majority  in  1866  when  he  secured 
a  position  as  fireman  on  the  Central.  Septem- 
ber 10,  1873.  Mr.  Blackman  was  considered  pro- 
ficient enough  to  manage  an  engine  and  was 


316 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


promoted  to  the  rank  of  engineer  and  placed 
in  that  service  on  the  road  where  he  has  main- 
tained his  position  ever  since  with  credit  to  him- 
self and  satisfaction  to  his  employers. 

Mr.  Blackman  was  married  December  22, 
1873  to  Miss  Agnes  Blocher,  of  Amboy,  and  to 
them  have  been  born  four  children  as  follows : 
Henry  J.,  born  October  6,  1874,  died  September 
22,  1884;  Georgia  A.,  born  May  29,  1882,  died 
aged  six  days;  Estelle  Alice,  born  September 
16,  1886;  Ruth  Agnes,  born  August  13,  1889. 

Mr.  Blackman  was  one  of  the  first  to  become 
identified  with  the  B.  of  L.  E.  having  held  mem- 
bership many  years  with  the  Amboy  Division, 
No.  72,  joining  the  order  in  1875.  He  is  identi- 
fied with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  affiliating  with 
the  Illinois  Central  Lodge  No.  178  of  Amboy. 
Mr.  Blackman  is  popular  with  his  fellow  engi- 
neers and  stands  well  with  his  employers. 


JL.  MAX  FIELD,  a  veteran  conductor  on 
the  Central  at  Centralia,  was  born  at 
Q  Rome,  now  Dix,  in  Jefferson  county, 
Illinois,  June  7,  1853,  the  eldest  of  a 
family  of  twelve  children  all  of  whom  are  living. 
Mr.  Maxfield  began  railroading  at  the  age  of 
twenty  at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder.  For  a  few 
days  he  worked  on  the  section  in  the  Centralia 
yards  under  Chris.  Davis,  and  was  then 
set  to  work  shoveling  coal  onto  the  en- 
gines in  the  yards  at  what  was  to  him  then  good 
wages,  a  dollar  and  a  quarter  a  day.  When  he 
was  promoted  to  brakeman  by  trainmaster  J. 
W.  Seymour,  on  the  run  between  Centralia  and 
Cairo,  at  a  dollar  and  seventy-three  cents  a  day, 
he  thought  he  was  drawing  munificent  wages. 
After  three  years  twisting  brakes,  Mr.  Maxfield 
was  surprised  one  evening  to  be  ordered  to  UHin 
to  take  charge  of  a  wrecking  train  and  clear  up 
a  wreck..  From  that  time  on  he  was  in  charge  of 
a  train  having  his  monthly  wages  increased  from 
sixty-six  the  first  to  seventy-five  dollars  the  third 
year.  After  about  four  years  in  the  freight  ser- 
vice between  Centralia  and  Cairo  he  resigned 


February  9,  1881  and  did  not  re-enter  the  ser- 
vice until  August  27,  1886,  when  he  was  given  a 
run  between  Centralia  and  Champaign  and  has 
been  regularly  in  that  service  since,  excepting 
some  ninety  days  when  there  was  sickness  in  his 
family.  During  all  his  service  he  has  not  suf- 
fered a  suspension  nor  received  a  demerit  mark, 
and  the  two  wrecks  in  which  he  has  been  in- 
volved have  been  chargeable  to  others  and  not 
to  him. 

Mr.  Maxfield  was  married  to  Miss  Hattie 
Morrison.  Her  mother  was  born  in  Gilford 
county,  North  Carolina.  Her  brother,  James 
K.  Morrison,  was  for  many  years  an  em- 
ploye of  the  Central,  and  has  been  engaged 
the  past  seven  years  as  passenger  conductor  in 
the  service  of  the  Minneapolis  &  St.  Louis  line 
below  St.  Paul.  Mr.  Maxfield's  parents,  John 
and  Charlotte  Maxfield,  now  reside  at  Farina, 
Illinois. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Maxfield  ten  children  have 
been  born,  of  whom  Charles  E.,  the  eldest,  is 
now  braking  on  the  Champaign  division  of  the 
Central ;  Caryol,  now  Mrs.  Maddox ;  Ida  B., 
James  L.,  C.  Harold,  Clinton  C.,  Earnest  R., 
George  W.,  Marion  M.,  and  Raymond  V. 


W.  NALL,  a  conductor  in  the  freight 
service  of  the  Illinois  Central  on  the 
Louisiana  division,  was  born  in  New 
Orleans  in  1868.  He  is  a  son  of 
Mick  Nail,  well  known  all  over  the  I.  C.  system, 
having  been  in  active  service  for  forty  years,  and 
is  now  a  conductor  on  the  Clarksdale  branch. 

Mr.  Nail  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central  in  1888,  as  operator  at  Arcola,  Miss., 
where  he  worked  eight  months.  He  then  en- 
tered the  train  service  as  brakeman,  and  had  only 
been  there  a  short  time  when  he  received  notice 
from  J.  M.  Turner,  superintendent,  who  had 
been  observing  him  closely  and  noticed  his  adapt- 
ability, to  take  the  examination  for  conductor. 
Having  successfully  passed  the  examination,  he 
was,  on  October  27111,  1891,  placed  in  charge  of 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


317 


the  local  freight  with  Engineer  C.  J.  Swett,  and 
has  since  served  there  satisfactorily.  Mr.  Nail's 
career  on  the  road  has  been  successful.  He  has 
had  a  few  minor  accidents,  but  none  -of  conse- 
quence. Socially  he  is  connected  with  Division 
No.  367,  O.  R.  C.,  of  McComb  City,  of  which  he 
served  as  Chief  for  one  year.  Mr.  Nail  is  mar- 
ried and  has  two  children,  Rosemond  Inez,  aged 
five  years,  and  Lawrence  Alton,  aged  two.  He 
is  a  popular  man  on  the  road,  and  is  recognized 
by  the  officials  as  a  valued  employe. 


TEPHEN  Q.  FORD  is  an  engineer  in 
the  passenger  service  on  the  Louisi- 
ana division  of  the  Illinois  Central. 
He  entered  the  service  of  the  road  on 
August  I,  1876,  as  a  wiper  in  the  round-house 
at  McComb  City,  serving  as  such  for  two  months, 
and  afterward  working  in  a  boiler  shop.  In 
1878  he  obtained  a  position  as  fireman  with  En- 
gineer James  Greener,  but  in  July  of  that  year 
resigned  on  account  of  the  prevalence  of  yellow 
fever.  Returning  to  McComb  City  in  May  1879, 
he  was  re-employed  as  fireman,  and  remained  in 
that  capacity  until  promoted  to  engineer.  On 
promotion  he  was  given  charge  of  a  switch  en- 
gine, and  later  was  with  a  construction  train. 
In  1882,  he  went  for  a  period  of  five  months  to 
the  Southern  Pacific  R.  R.  running  a  switch  en- 
gine during  that  time,  but  returned  to  the  I.  C. 
and  remained  for  a  short  time  at  McComb  City 
as  engineer  in  the  yards  there.  He  then  went 
back  to  the  Southern  Pacific,  and  was  subsequent- 
ly employed  as  switchman  and  night  yardmaster 
by  the  Santa  Fe  R.  R.  at  Rosenberg,  Texas. 

Remaining  in  the  latter  company,  four 
months  he  took  a  position  as  engineer  on  the 
Texas  Pacific  R.  R.  and  afterward  on  the  Inter- 
national &  Great  Northern  R.  R.  where  he  served 
five  months.  He  then  returned  to  McComb 
City,  Miss.,  and  re-entered  the  service  of  the  I. 
C.  as  fireman,  and  after  a  year  was  promoted  to 
engineer  in  the  freight  service.  In  January  1900, 


he  was  again  promoted  to  engineer  in  the  passen- 
ger service,  since  which  time  he  has  had  a  regu- 
lar run  on  engine  No.  389,  between  Canton, 
Miss.,  and  New  Orleans. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Sumpter  county, 
Ala.,  on  August  6,  1859,  and.  is  the  son  of  Dr. 
D.  U.  and  Elizabeth  A.  (Wilson)  Ford.  Dr. 
Ford  was  a  prominent  physician,  and  served  as 
physician  and  surgeon  for  the  A.  &  C.  Railroad. 
Both  parents  are  now  deceased. 

Mr.  Ford  was  married  to  Miss  Edith  M. 
De  Chantal,  a  native  of  Canada,  but  residing  in 
New  Orleans,  and  they  have  the  following 
children,  viz :  Herbert,  Donald,  Adele,  Maud, 
Charles,  Stephen  and  Estelle. 

Socially,  our  subject  is  a  member  of  Magno- 
lia Division  No.  196,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  McComb 
City;  where  he  resides,  and  is  well  and  favorably 
known  among  the  employes  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral. 


ICHAEL  KELLY,  an  experienced  and 
popular  engineer  on  the  Memphis 
division,  began  his  railroad  career  in 
1869  on  the  Paducah  &  Memphis 
R.  R.,  serving  as  fireman  until  promoted  to  en- 
gineer in  1879,  when  he  was  given  engine  No. 
3,  a  Rogers,  in  the  switch  and  freight  service. 
Soon  after  he  went  on  the  road  and  was  given 
engine  No.  28,  a  Baldwin,  pulling  the  pile 
driver,  and  was  in  this  service  fourteen  years 
along  the  whole  line  between  Louisville  and 
Memphis.  He  was  then  transferred  to  the 
freight  department  and  at  present  has  a  "pre- 
ferred" run  between  Paducah  and  Memphis 
During  his  long  experience  he  has  pulled  the 
throttle  of  every  make  of  engine  produced  in 
America,  including  the  old  time  wood  burner, 
common  to  the  early  days  of  railroading. 

Our  subject  has  turned  out  many  good  en- 
gineers who  fired  for  him,  among  them  J.  Mul- 
vin  and  W.  Yates.  Mr.  Kelly  has  never  been 
injured  in  his  thirty  years  of  experience,  a  piece 
of  good  fortune  vouchsafed  only  a  few  who  have 
spent  so  many  years  of  life  "on  the  rail." 


318 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Mr.  Kelly  is  a  temperate,  whole-hearted 
man,  and  is  held  in  highest  esteem  by  everybody. 
He  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  came  to  America 
with  his  parents  when  he  was  six  months  of  age, 
and  has  worked  his  own  way  up.  Our  subject 
married  Miss  Mary  Erbin,  of  Mayfield,  Ky., 
January  1877,  and  they  have  seven  chidren  liv- 
ing and  two  dead.  Those  living  are  Kate,  grad- 
uated from  Paducah  high  school,  Johnny,  Nora, 
Mary,  Berchal,  Michael  and  Martin.  Johnny 
is  employed  by  the  Illinois  Central  as  night 
caller.  Mr.  Kelly  is  a  charter  member  of  Divi- 
sion No.  225,  B.  of  L.  E.,  Paducah,  Ky.,  in  which 
he  has  held  all  the  official  chairs,  and  is  also  a 
member  of  Lodge  No.  26,  of  Knights  of  Pythias, 
of  Paducah,  as  well  as  the  Catholic  Knights. 
He  is  a  man  of  a  very  strong  will  and  sterling 
character.  There  is  one  incident  in  his  life  that 
needs  special  mention.  During  his  early  career 
Mr.  Kelly  was  on  too  intimate  terms  with  the 
liquor  habit,  and  it  was  predicted  by  everybody 
that  he  would  die  a  drunkard,  in  spite  of  the 
persuasions  of  others  and  his  wife's  earnest  pray- 
ers. About  fifteen  years  ago  Mr.  Kelly  went 
into  a  saloon  and  ordered  a  glass  of  whiskey. 
Just  as  he  was  about  to  raise  the  glass  to  his 
lips  he  resolved  to  make  a  new  start.  He  put 
the  full  glass  down  on  the  bar  and  left  the  room, 
and  has  never  tasted  liquor  since.  His  iron  will 
has  saved  him. 


,HARLES  W.  HARRELL,  a  popular 
young  engineer  in  the  freight  service 
of  the  Illinois  Central  on  the  Louis- 
iana division,  is  a  native  of  New  Or- 
leans, La.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  Mr.  Harrell 
became  identified  with  the  I.  C.  at  McComb  City, 
as  a  locomotive  fireman,  in  which  capacity  he 
was  employed,  first  in  the  freight  and  later  in  the 
passenger  service,  serving  two  years  in  the  lat- 
ter department.  On  October  I2th,  1894,  he  was 
promoted  to  engineer  and  given  charge  of  engine 
No.  708.  He  has  been  on  different  parts  of  the 
system  during  his  connection  with  the  road,  and 


is  at  present  on  the  north  end  of  the  Louisiana 
division.  Mr.  Harrell  married  Miss  Tucker,  of 
McComb  City,  Miss.,  and  their  union  has  been 
blessed  by  one  child.  He  is  a  member  of  Divi- 
sion No.  411,  B.  of  L.  F.,  and  of  Division  No. 
196,  B.  of  L.  E.  Mr.  Harrell  is  a  young  man 
of  great  capability,  attention  to  duty  being  his 
strong  point,  and  his  career  has  been  a  very  suc- 
cessful one,  devoid  of  accidents  or  injury.  He 
has  a  fine  record  and  is  in  line  for  promotion. 


ATRICK  H.  GEARY  is  one  of  the  oldest 
and   most   prominent   engineers   in   the 
service   of   the   Illinois   Central.     With 
the   exception   of  twenty-six   days,  ser- 
vice with  the  Southern  Pacific  R.  R'.  lie  liafe  been 
connected  with  the  I.  C.  since  April  I,  1866. 

Mr.  Geary  as  his  name  implies,  is  a  native  of 
the  Emerald  Isle.  He  was  born  at  Queenstown, 
Ireland,  March  21,  1841,  and  is  one  of  eight  chil- 
dren born  to  Michael  J.  and  Mary  Geary.  Mr. 
Geary  Sr.  was  a  contractor  in  the  old  country, 
and  coming  to  America  in  1856,  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  but  departed 
this  life  during  the  same  year.  On  the  death 
of  her  husband  Mrs.  Geary  returned  to  Ireland, 
where  she  died  in  1874. 

Mr.  Geary  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  city  in  Ireland,  and  was  fif- 
teen years  of  age  when  his  parents  came  to  this 
country.  He  held  various  positions  in  the  city 
of  New  Orleans  until  the  outbreak  of  the  civil 
war,  when,  in  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  E, 
First  Louisiana  Volunteers,  under  Col.  Vincent 
and  Brig.  Gen.  Blanchard.  His  company  was 
in  the  seven  days  fight  at  Richmond,  and  also  in 
numerous  other  engagements,  but  he  was  never 
injured.  He  was  discharged  at  Richmond  in 
1863,  and  returned  to  New  Orleans.  In  1866  he 
entered  the  employ  of  the  New  Orleans,  Jackson 
&  Great  Northern  R.  R.  (now  the  I.  C.  R.  R.) 
as  fireman,  working  in  that  capacity  until  1869, 
when  he  was  promoted  to  engineer  in  the  freight 
service.  He  remained  in  the  latter  branch  of 


ALLEN  G.  CROCKETT. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


321 


the  service  for  two  years,  when  he  was  promoted 
to  the  passenger  service,  where  he  is  now  em- 
ployed on  engine  No.  1175,  between  Canton, 
Miss.,  and  Xew  Orleans.  During  his  long  rail- 
road career  Mr.  Geary  has  had  but  two  accidents, 
one  in  1870,  when  the  boiler  of  his  engine  ex- 
ploded, and  the  other  in  1873  when  his  engine 
was  overturned.  In  neither  accident  was  any 
one  injured.  His  relations  with  his  superiors 
have  always  been  of  the  most  pleasant  nature, 
he  appreciating  the  many  favors  the  company 
has  shown  him,  and  the  company,  in  turn,  fully 
cognizant  that  in  him  they  have  a  faithful  and 
trusted  employe. 

Mr.  Geary  was  married  to  Miss  Margaret 
Herbert,  of  New  Orleans,  and  of  the  four  chil- 
dren born  to  them  only  one  survives,  Nellie,  wife 
of  W.  R.  Caston,  cashier  of  the  McComb  City 
bank.  Mr.  Geary  is  one  of  the  prosperous  and 
honored  citizens  of  McComb  City,  residing  in 
a  fine  home  on  North  Delaware  avenue.  He  is 
popular  with  all,  and  with  none  more  so  than  the 
officials  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad. 


LLEN    G.    CROCKETT,   a   highly   es- 
_  teemed    passenger    conductor    on    the 

l\  J_\  Louisville  division  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, was  born  in  Marion  Co.,  Kentucky, 
His  father  was  James  G.  Crockett,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  seventy-three  in  the  year,  1898,  and 
was  a  relative  of  the  famous  originator  of  the 
saying,  "  Be  sure  you're  right,  then  go  ahead." 
His  mother  is  still  enjoying  the  blessings  of  life. 
Our  subject  left  school  when  he  was  ten  years  of 
age,  and  began  train  service  on  the  L.  &  N.  rail- 
road, being  given  charge  of  a  freight  train  in 
1878,  serving  in  freight  and  passenger  service 
for  twelve  years  on  this  road.  He  resigned  to 
accept  a  position  as  conductor  on  the  C.  O.  &  S. 
W.  under  Trainmaster  James  Ross.  He  ran  a 
freight  train  out  of  Louisville  four  years,  when 
he  was  promoted  to  passenger  service  which  po- 
sition he  has  held  since  1894.  Mr  Crockett  has 
been  very  successful,  in  fact  one  of  the  luckiest 


railroad  men  on  the  road,  never  having  any  acci- 
dents or  injury.  He  is  a  member  of  Monon 
Division  No.  89,  O.  R.  C.,  being  chairman  of 
the  Grievance  board  for  the  entire  Louisville 
division.  During  his  term  of  office  he  has  had 
several  good  measures  put  through  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  men.  It  was  partly  through  his  efforts 
that  the  Greenland  pay  system  was  adopted  by 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  Mr.  Crockett 
stayed  with  the  committee  three  weeks  until  it 
was  put  through.  The  Monon  Division  should 
be  complimented  for  having  so  able  a  representa- 
tive. Mr.  Crockett  is  a  progressive,  successful 
railroad  man.  He  resides  at  1410  W.  Broad- 
way, Louisville,  Ky. 


•-T  OT  ALONZO  LOUTZENHISER,  one 
of  the  most  popular  conductors  on  the 
Louisiana  division  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, was  born  at  Champaign,  III,  in 
1863,  and  is  a  son  of  Alonzo  and  Eliza  (Weir). 
Loutzenhiser.  Mr.  Loutzenhiser  Sr.  came  of 
old  German  stock.  His  ancestors  had  been  ex- 
iled from  Germany  for  political  reasons,  and  emi- 
grated to  America,  settling  in  Susquehanna  Co., 
Pa.  He  was  in  his  youth,  a  great  athlete,  at  one 
time  making  a  running  jump  of  twenty-one  and 
one-half  feet.  He  was  employed  as  a  driver  on 
a  canal  boat,  when  fourteen  years  old,  and  the 
captains  of  the  different  boats  were  in  the  habit 
of  pitting  their  boys  against  each  other  when 
they  met.  Alonzo  Loutzenhiser  was  the  cham- 
pion of  his  section,  and  once  walked  four- 
teen miles  with  his  captain  to  take  part  in  a 
"mill."  He  afterward  left  Pennsylvania  and 
moved  to  Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in  the  tailor- 
ing business.  He  is  a  veteran  of  the  Mexican 
and  Civil  wars,  serving  in  the  latter  as  lieutenant 
of  Company  F,  I25th  Illinois  Cavalry,  having 
two  horses  shot  from  under  him.  He  also 
served  fourteen  years  as  deputy  sheriff  of  his 
county. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  of  Scotch 
descent,  received  her  education  at  Andover  Fe- 


322 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


male  Seminary,  at  Andover,  Mass.,  and  was  a 
woman  of  fine  literary  attainments. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  in 
the  city  of  Danville,  111.,  where  he  attended  and 
graduated  from  the  high  school.  He  then  be- 
gan the  study  of  medicine  at  Rush  Medical  Col- 
lege, from  which  he  graduated  with  honors.  Cir- 
cumstances, however,  prevented  him  from  prac- 
ticing. He  began  railroad  work  in  1883  as  a 
news  agent  on  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  between 
Rock  Island  and  St.  Louis,  where  he  served  only 
a  few  weeks,  when  his  money  was  stolen  and  he 
lost  his  position.  He  then  applied  to  P.  H. 
Houlihan,  now  superintendent  of  the  Hannibal 
&  St.  Joe  R.  R.,  and  after  a  great  deal  of  per- 
sistent effort,  secured  a  position  as  brakeman  in 
the  passenger  service  of  that  road.  After  hav- 
ing served  fourteen  months  as  passenger  brake- 
man, he  entered  the  freight  service.  He  was 
employed  in  that  capacity  only  six  weeks  when 
promoted  to  conductor.  He  remained  with  the 
C.  B.  &  Q.  road  until  1889,  when  he  went  to  the 
Chicago  &  Eastern  Illinois  R.  R.  at  Danville, 
and  was  with  that  company  about  five  months. 
He  then  went  to  Chicago  and  took  a  six  months' 
course  at  the  Chicago  College  of  Pharmacy,  re- 
ceiving a  certificate,  and  established  himself  at 
Kewana,  Ind.,  where  his  mother  bought  him  a 
drug  store. 

He  managed  it  successfully  for  about  a  year, 
but  sold  out  and  returned  to  railroad  work.  Go- 
ing to  Champaign,  111.,  he  entered  the  service  of 
the  Illinois  Central,  and  served  in  that  district 
as  brakeman  for  two  years,  making  occasional 
trips  as  conductor.  During  the  World's  Fair 
he  was  made  train  dispatcher  of  the  World's  Fair 
service,  serving  with  credit.  His  next  position 
was  as  conductor  on  a  suburban  express  out  of 
Chicago,  where  he  worked  two  years,  and  later 
was  for  eleven  months  in  the  freight  service  on 
the  Chicago  division.  He  then  went  to  McComb 
City,  where  after  a  short  service  as  brakeman, 
he  was  promoted  to  conductor,  and  has  been 
serving  in  that  capacity  on  the  Louisiana  division 
for  the  past  two  years. 

Mr.  Loutzenhiser  was  married  in  1893  at 
Waukegan,  111.,  and  has  three  children :  Mae, 


born  in  1894,  Claire,  born  in  1896,  and  Annie 
Louise,  born  in  1898.  He  belongs  to  Scotia 
Lodge  No.  272,  Knights  of  Pythias,  of  Chicago, 
and  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  367,  O.  R.  C., 
of  McComb  City,  where  he  resides.  He  is  a 
man  of  fine  literary  tastes,  a  contributor  to  the 
O.  R.  C.  Journal,  and  is  also  a  finished  musician, 
having  composed  several  pieces  of  merit.  Being 
a  well  read  man,  a  fluent  conversationalist,  well 
posted  on  current  topics,  and  a  man  of  easy  man- 
ners and  great  affability,  Mr.  Loutzenhiser  has 
gained  innumerable  friends  in  the  south,  and 
his  circle  grows  larger  every  day. 


JA.  WALKER,  an  engineer  in  the  freight 
department  of  the  Illinois  Central,  be- 
Q  gan  life  as  a  "hustler"  in  the  I.  C.  shops 
at  Aberdeen,  Miss.  After  a  service  of 
three  and  one-half  years  there,  he  went  as  fire- 
man on  the  Lexington  branch  of  the  road,  and 
worked  there  for  four  and  one-half  years.  In 
1893  he  went  to  McComb  City,  and  after  spend- 
ing two  years  as  fireman  on  the  Louisiana  divi- 
sion, was  examined  and  promoted  to  engineer, 
and  has  since  had  a  regular  run  on  that  division. 
He  has  been  fortunate  in  escaping  injury  and 
wrecks  during  his  service.  Mr.  Walker  is  a 
native  of  Aberdeen,  Miss.,  his  birth  occurring 
on  January  roth,  1865.  James  W.  Walker,  the 
father  of  our  subject,  residing  at  Aberdeen, 
Miss.,  was  born  in  Ireland,  but  came  to  America 
at  the  age  of  sixteen  years.  He  was  a  shoe- 
maker by  trade,  but  was  also  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising and  farming.  He  is  an  active  poli- 
tician, always  ready  to  take  part  in  the  issues  of 
the  day. 

J.  A.  Walker  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Rosa  McCaskill,  of  Aberdeen,  Miss.  They 
have  two  children,  John  and  Alexander.  So- 
cially he  is  connected  with  Division  No.  196,  B. 
of  L.  E.,  of  McComb  City,  where  he  has  a  com- 
fortable home  on  Broadway,  and  of  which  place 
he  is  a  valued  citizen. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


323 


"ILLIAM  F.  ROGERS,*  a  young 
freight  engineer  on  the  Evansville 
district  of  the  Illinois  Central,  was 
born  in  Rockport,  Iml.,  January  4, 
In  1890  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Ohio 
Valley  Railroad  watching  engines  at  Princeton, 
and  in  1892  hegan  firing  an  engine,  being  pro- 
moted to  engineer  December  15,  1897.  He  had 
a  mishap  on  his  first  trip,  running  into  an  L.  & 
N.  switch  engine  in  Henderson.  The  L.  &  N. 
man  was  at  fault,  being  on  the  Illinois  Central 
joint  track  and  had  no  flag  or  signal  out.  Our 
subject's  engine  was  demolished,  and  although 
he  stuck  to  his  engine,  applying  the  brakes,  he 
escaped  injury.  He  now  has  a  freight  run  on 
the  Evansville  district.  He  is  a  bright,  careful 
engineer,  and  makes  his  home  with  his  mother 
at  Henderson.  He  belongs  to  Division  No.  410, 
B.  of  L.  E.,  and  Division  No.  317,  B.  of  L.  F. 


"ILLIAM  C.  LOWRY,  a  prominent 
engineer  on  the  Vicksburg  division 
of  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley 
R.  R.,  has  been  an  employe  of  the 
company  since  1887.  He  began  his  career  in 
the  track  department  of  the  Natchez,  Jackson  & 
Columbus  R.  R.,  but  remained  there  only  a  short 
time,  going  to  the  Alabama  &  Vicksburg  R.  R. 
Leaving  the  service  of  the  latter  road,  he  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley 
R.  R.  as  fireman  with  Engineer  Rials,  and  re- 
mained with  him  for  six  months.  He  then  fired 
two  years  with  J.  H.  McGuire  and  was  then  pro- 
moted to  engineer,  and  after  serving  three 
months  as  a  hostler,  was  given  charge  of  a  switch 
engine  in  the  yards  at  -Vicksburg.  He  occupied 
that  position  only  one  week  when  transferred 
to  the  regular  freight  service  between  Vicks- 
burg and  New  Orleans,  and  has  since  remained 
there,  having  charge  at  the  present  time  of  en- 
gine No.  64  on  the  Vicksburg  division.  Mr. 
Lowry  was  in  a  serious  wreck  on  the  Grenada 
division  in  1897,  in  which  the  fireman  was  in- 
jured. He  has  had  good  success  since  being  on 


the  road,  never  meeting  with  any  injuries.  Mr. 
Lowry  was  born  in  Mobile,  Ala.,  on  March  12, 
1873.  His  father,  John  B.  Lowry,  who  is  a  car- 
penter and  a  farmer,  now  resides  at  Terry,  Miss, 
(jeorge  H.  Lowry,  a  brother  of  our  subject,  was 
formerly  an  employe  in  the  I.  C.  shops  at  Vicks- 
burg, but  is  now  in  the  train  service  of  the  South- 
ern Pacific  R.  R.  Mr.  Lowry  was  a  charter 
member  of  Division  No.  460,  B.  of  L.  F.,  and  is 
now  connected  with  Division  No.  281,  B.  of  L. 
E.,  of  Vicksburg.  He  is  a  popular  employe  of 
the  road  and  ranks  high.  Being  quite  a  young 
man,  from  the  progress  he  has  made,  his  pros- 
pects look  exceedingly  bright.  Our  subject  is 
what  may  be  called  a  self-made  man. 


M.  DUNN,  superintendent  of  the 
Louisiana  division  of  the  Illinois 
Q  Central,  residing  at  New  Orleans, 
began  his  railroad  career  in  1864,  as 
warehouseman  at  Brimfield,  Ind.,  for  the  Lake 
Shore  &  Michigan  Southern  R.  R.  Acquiring 
a  thorough  knowledge  of  telegraphy,  he  was  for 
a  number  of  years  employed  as  agent  and  opera- 
tor at  various  places.  His  first  position  was  at 
Sylvania,  Ohio,  during  the  years  1869  and  1870, 
from  which  place  he  went  to  White  Pigeon, 
Mich.,  remaining  there  until  1872.  Entering 
the  service  of  the  L.  &  N.  R.  R.  in  November  of 
that  year,  he  was  appointed  agent  at  Shepherds- 
ville,  Ky.,  and  in  March  1874,  was  promoted  to 
a  similar  position  at  Pulaski,  Tenn.  In  Novem- 
ber 1880,  he  was  sent  to  Owensboro,  Ky.,  as 
general  agent  for  the  O.  &  N.  R.  R.  (owned  by 
the  L.  &  N.)  and  was  later,  in  1881,  tendered 
the  position  of  master  of  trains,  for  the  New  Or- 
leans division,  with  headquarters  at  Mobile,  Ala. 
In  September  1883  he  again  received  promotion, 
being  appointed  superintendent  of  the  O.  &  N. 
division,  with  Russellville,  Ky.,  as  headquarters. 
Remaining  in  the  latter  position  until  January 
i,  1884,  he  was  transferred  to  Memphis  as  super- 
intendent of  the  Memphis  division,  and  in  Sep- 
tember j  886  was  offered  and  accepted  the  posi- 


324 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


tion  of  superintendent  of  Southern  lines  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  at  New  Orleans.  This  position 
being  finally  abolished  by  the  company  in  1894, 
he  was  then  appointed  superintendent  of  the 
Louisiana  division,  and  New  Orleans  terminals, 
which  position  he  is  now  filling.  The  life  of 
Mr.  Dunn,  has  been  a  particularly  active  one, 
and  faithfulness  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty  has 
characterized  his  entire  career. 


'ILLIAM  FLETCHER,  an  engineer 
in  the  freight  service  of  the  Yazoo 
&  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.,  began 
his  career  on  the  road  in  1890,  at 
Vicksburg,  Miss.,  as  a  fireman,  with  Engineer 
McLaughlin.  He  was  examined  for  promotion 
in  1895,  and  passing  a  highly  creditable  examina- 
tion, was  given  charge  of  an  engine.  He  has 
since  served  the  company  in  that  capacity  be- 
tween Vicksburg,  Miss.,  and  Wilson,  La.,  on 
engine  No.  93,  where  he  is  doing  good  work. 
His  ten  years  connection  with  the  road  as  fireman 
and  engineer  has  been  free  from  accidents  or 
injury.  Mr.  Fletcher  was  born  December  28, 
1867,  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  where  his  father,  John 
Fletcher,  deceased,  was  a  farmer.  Socially  he 
is  identified  with  Division  No.  281,  B.  of  L.  E., 
of  Vicksburg.  His  home  is  in  that  city,  where 
he  enjoys  a  wide  acquaintance,  his  many  good 
qualities  gaining  for  him  the  good  will  of  all. 
As  a  railroad  man  he  is  competent  and  careful, 
and  is  a  rising  young  man  on  the  road. 


D.  JONES,  a  well-known  and  pop- 
ular engineer  in  the  passenger 
service  of  the  Illinois  -Central,  is 
one  of  the  oldest  employes  on  the 
road.  He  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  in 
1858,  when  only  a  lad  of  fifteen.  His  first  work 
was  at  Tickfaw,  La.,  where  he  was  in  charge  of 
the  water  station  for  several  months.  He  then 


worked  as  engine  wiper  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  and 
at  New  Orleans,  and  while  in  the  latter  city  be- 
gan an  apprenticeship  in  the  1.  C.  shops  there. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  of  the  secession, 
our  subject  enlisted  in  the  New  Orleans  Light 
Guards,  First  Louisiana  Volunteers,  under  Col. 
Vincent  and  Captains  Dean  and  Willard.  This 
company  saw  service  in  the  seven  days  fight 
at  Richmond.  He  also  served  for  a  time  with 
Gen.  Jackson.  On  June  25th,  1863,  Mr.  Jones 
was  wounded  in  the  leg  and  was  for  six  months 
confined  in  a  hospital  at  Richmond,  Va.  On  his 
recovery  he  entered  the  cavalry,  under  Capt. 
Harry  Gilmore,  doing  duty  for  one  year,  and  in 
1865  was  in  the  hospital  at  Charlottesville,  Va., 
at  the  time  of  Lee's  surrender. 

Returning  to  New  Orleans,  our  subject  re- 
sumed work  in  the  shops  of  the  I.  C.,  where  he 
remained  until  July  1870,  leaving  the  shops  to 
assume  a  position  as  fireman  on  the  road.  He 
worked  at  this  only  a  few  weeks,  when  he  re- 
ceived promotion  to  -engineer  in  the  freight  ser- 
vice, between  Canton,  Miss.,  and  New  Orleans, 
which  position  he  held  until  1871.  In  the  lat- 
ter year  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Southern 
Pacific,  remaining  with  that  company  two  years. 
The  following  four  years  were  spent  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Texas  Pacific  R.  R.,  and  New  Orleans 
&  Mobile  R.  R.,  and  in  1877  he  returned  to  Mc- 
Comb  City,  Miss.,  and  re-entering  the  employ 
of  the  I.  C.  worked  as  engineer  in  the  freight 
service,  until  1885,  when  he  received  promotion 
to  the  passenger  service,  between  Canton,  Miss., 
and  New  Orleans,  which  position  he  still  holds. 

Mr.  Jones  was  born  May  2,  1844,  at  Charles- 
ton, S.  C.,  and  is  a  son  of  Edward  J.  and  Cath- 
erine M.  Jones,  of  that  city.  Edward  J.  Jones 
was  for  many  years  superintendent  of  the  ship- 
yards at  Savannah,  Ga.  He  was  a  contractor 
on  the  N.  O.  J.  &  G.  N.  R.  R.,  and  was  for  twenty 
years  roadmaster  for-  the  I.  C.,  then  known  as 
the  N.  O.  J.  &  G.  N.  R.  R.  Meeting  with  an  ac- 
cident he  was  obliged  to  retire  from  the  active 
service,  and  later  died  at  McComb  City. 

The  original  of  this  sketch  was  twice  mar- 
ried. His  first  wife  was  Miss  Harriet  M.  Chis- 
holm,  of  Charleston,  S.  C.,  who  departed  this  life 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


325 


in  1882,  leaving  four  children:  Harriet,  Sam- 
uel, Burton  and  Edward.  In  1883  Mr.  Jones 
was  united  to  Miss  Emma  A.  Burtus,  of  Bayou 
Sarah,  La.,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren :  Archie,  Jessie,  Florence  and  Ruth. 

Being-  one  of  the  oldest  men  in  the  service  of 
the  I  .C.,  Mr.  Jones  is  very  well  known  and  pop- 
ular in  railroad  circles.  He  has  presented  the 
Historical  Company  a  time-card  of  the  I.  C., 
used  on  the  Louisiana  division  in  1866,  which 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Socially  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  of  McComb 
City,,  where  he  resides  in  a  fine  home  on  Vir- 
ginia avenue. 


G.  WHEELOCK  is  an  old  and  faith- 

rful  employe  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
O  having  been  in  the  service  of  the  road 
since  1876.  His  first  experience  at 
railroad  work  was  acquired  in  1866,  on  the  C. 
&  A.  R.  R.  in  the  state  of  Illinois,  where  he  was 
employed  as  fireman  on  the  Chicago  division 
of  that  road.  After  a  service  of  four  years  with 
that  company  as  fireman  and  engineer,  he  went 
to  the  St.  L.  I.  M.  &  S.  R.  R.,  working  there  for 
two  years  as  engineer.  He  then  went  to  the  L. 
&  N.  R.  R.  remaining  one  year  with  that  com- 
pany. He  was  next  employed,  for  a  year,  on 
the  E.  P.  &  S.  W.  R.  R.  (now  the  I.  C.)  at  Eliza- 
bethtown,  Ky.  Coming  to  McComb  City  in  1876, 
he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  as  an  engineer 
in  the  freight  department,  and  after  a  faithful 
record  of  twelve  years  in  that  branch  of  the  ser- 
vice, was  promoted  to  the  passenger  department 
of  the  road,  where  he  is  now  employed.  He  is 
in  charge  of  a  regular  run  between  Canton,  Miss., 
and  McComb  City,  Miss.  Since  being  connected 
with  the  I.  C.  he  has  been  in  two  wrecks,  escap- 
ing injury  each  time. 

Mr.  Wheelock  is  a  native  of  Yates  county, 
New  York,  his  birth  occuring  there  October  10, 
1846.  His  father  was  Elias  Wheelock,  the  prcn 
prietor  of  extensive  woolen  mills  there,  but  who 
moved  to  Illinois  and  later  to  Missouri,  where 


he  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-nine  years. 
E.  G.  Wheelock,  was  married  in  New  Orleans, 
to  Miss  Sarah  E.  Hanrahan,  who  departed  this 
life  May  24,  1894,  leaving  five  children:  Warren 
O.,  Arthur  N.,  Nellie,  Louise,  and  Gladys.  He 
is  connected  with,  and  is  a  charter  member  of, 
Division  No.  196,  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  Lodge  No.  36,  K.  of  P.,  of  McComb  City, 
where  he  resides  in  a  comfortable  home  on  Mag- 
nolia street,  and  of  which  city  he  is  a  popular 
and  useful  citizen. 


PA.   C.    FERGUSON,   trainmaster   on 
the  New  Orleans  division  of  the  Ya- 
Q    zoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.,  with 
headquarters  at  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  is 
a  native  of  that  state,  born  November  13,  1861. 
His  parents  were  Carroll  and  Lucinda  (Patrick) 
Ferguson,  the  former  a  cotton  merchant,  died  in 
1866,  and  the  latter  is  still  living,  and  resides  in 
the  state  of  Louisiana. 

Mr.  Ferguson  received  his  early  training 
in  the  schools  of  Burnsville,  Miss.,  and  at  the 
age  of  sixteen  studied  telegraphy.  He  was  as- 
signed to  duty  as  operator  at  Corinth,  Miss.,  on 
the  Memphis  &  Charleston  R.  R.,  where  he  had 
previously  served  a  short  time  as  fireman,  and  in 
the  shops  of  the  company  at  Memphis.  After 
working  for  two  years  at  Corinth,  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  at  Winona, 
Miss.,  as  telegrapher,  working  there  seven 
months,  and  at  various  other  places  on  the  road 
for  a  short  time.  In  1880  he  was  called  to  the 
general  office  at  New  Orleans,  remaining  there 
until  April  i,  1881.  He  then  went  to  Houston, 
Texas,  securing  a  position  in  the  office  of  the  su- 
perintendent of  the  International  &  Great  Nor- 
thern R.  R.  at  that  point,  and  worked  there  until 
June  1881.  From  Houston  he  went  to  Colum- 
bus, Texas,  and  there  took  a  position  in  the  office 
of  the  chief  dispatcher  for  the  Galveston,  Harris- 
burg  &  San  Antonio  R.  R.,  where  he  was  occu- 
pied until  October  1881.  He  then  returned  to 
Houston  and  entered  the  employ  of  the  Texas 


326 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


&  New  Orleans  R.  R.  as  train  dispatcher,  serv- 
ing until  November  1882,  and  from  that  road  on 
the  latter  date  to  the  Houston,  East  &  West 
Texas  R.  R.  as  superintendent  of  telegraphy  and 
chief  dispatcher,  with  Houston  as  headquarters. 
Later  he  returned  to  the  Texas  &  New  Orleans 
R.  R.  as  train  dispatcher.  In  October  1883  that 
road  was  absorbed  by  the  Southern  Pacific,  and 
Mr.  Ferguson  became  chief  dispatcher  under  the 
new  management  in  June  1885,  and  held  that 
position  until  January  1888.  He  was  then  chief 
dispatcher  successively  for  the  Gulf,  Colorado 
&  Santa  Fe  R.  R.  at  Galveston,  for  one  year,  and 
the  Texas  Pacific  R.  R.  at  Marshall,  Texas,  for 
one  year.  In  1890  he  became  identified  with  the 
Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Texas  R.  R.  as  train 
dispatcher  at  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  and  on  October 
1st,  1891,  was  promoted  to  chief  dispatcher,  hold- 
ing the  latter  position  until  his  promotion  to 
trainmaster,  on  October  1st,  1899.  His  juris- 
diction extends  from  Vicksburg  to  Wilson,  La. 
Mr.  Ferguson  is  a  member  of  Lodge  No. 
65,  K.of  P.,  of  Houston,  Texas.  He  is  a  Metho- 
dist in  belief,  and  a  Democrat  in  politics.  The 
wide  experience  Mr.  Ferguson  has  had,  together 
with  his  natural  aptitude,  mark  him  as  a  man 
well  fitted  for  his  chosen  vocation.  His  many 
excellencies  of  character  win  for  him  the  regard 
of  all  with  whom  business  or  social  relations 
bring  him  in  contact. 


JAMES   ASHTON,   popular  conductor  of 
the  Illinois  Central,  residing  in  McComb 
City,    Miss.,    is    the    son   of   James    and 
Lydia  (Conway)   Ashton,  and  was  born 
March  17,  1856,  in  New  Orleans,  where  he  was 
reared   and   educated.     In    1868,   at  the   age  of 
twelve  years,  he  commenced  his  railroad  career 
as  a  newsboy  on  the  New  Orleans,  Opelousas  & 
Great    Western    Railroad    (now    a   part   of   the 
Southern    Pacific    Railway    System),    with    his 
father,  who  was  employed  as  baggageman.     Our 
subject  remained  in  this  position  until  the  road 
was  absorbed  by  the  Southern  Pacific,  when  he 


was  offered  a  position  as  passenger  brakeman, 
which  he  accepted ;  but  at  the  expiration  of  one 
year  he  was  transferred  to  the  freight  service 
in  the  same  capacity,  remaining  there  but  nine 
months  when  he  was  given  charge  of  a  bag- 
gage car.  This  position  he  occupied  fourteen 
months  when  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  freight 
train  as  conductor  and  continued  in  that  capaci- 
ty for  the  following  ten  years.  He  was  then  as- 
signed to  a  regular  passenger  run  and  remained 
there  for  nine  years.  After  a  satisfactory  ser- 
vice of  nineteen  years  as  conductor,  he  was  made 
general  instructor  and  examiner  of  the  employes 
on'  standard  rules,  and  was  retained  in  this  posi- 
tion for  six  years.  He  is  recognized  as  authori- 
ty on  all  rules  pertaining  to  train  service.  Feel- 
ing that  he  had  earned  a  rest,  Mr.  Ashton  re- 
signed from  the  service  and  for  the  next  seven 
months  traveled  all  over  the  western  part  of  the 
United  States  for  recreation.  Returning  to  New 
Orleans  he  decided  not  to  again  engage  in  rail- 
roading, but  his  desire  and  the  influence  of  his 
old  associates  getting  the  better  of  him,  he  again 
embarked  in  his  first  calling.  He  then  presented 
his  past  record  and  made  application  for  a  posi- 
tion as  brakeman  to  Mr.  R.  H.  Dwyer,  trainmas- 
ter of  the  Illinois  Central,  at  McComb  City. 
This  position  he  was  readily  given  and  held  for 
eleven  days  when  he  was  promoted  to  conductor 
in  the  freight  service,  where  he  is  at  present  en- 
gaged. 

Mr.  Ashton  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
367,  O.  R.  C.  of  McComb  City,  though  he  became 
identified  with  the  order  seventeen  years  ago 
when  he  joined  Division  No.  7,  O.  R.  C.  of 
Houston,  Texas.  He  has  served  as  Chief  Con- 
ductor of  Cresent  City  Division,  No.  108,  of  New 
Orleans,  which  is  conceded  to  be  one  of  the 
largest  and  most  prosperous  divisions  south  of 
the  Ohio  river. 

Mr.  Ashton  has  been  remarkably  success- 
ful, never  having  had  a  single  accident  in  his 
railroad  career  of  thirty-two  years.  He  has  been 
importuned  a  number  of  times  by  the  young  rail- 
road men  of  the  Illinois  Central  railroad  to  start 
a  class  of  instructions,  but  has  refrained  from  do- 
ing so  on  account  of  it  interfering  with  his  other 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


327 


business.  He  has  never  been  known  to  turn  a 
deaf  ear  to  any  aspirant,  and  is  always  ready 
ajul  willing  to  counsel  and  advise  young  men 
as  to  the  sure  and  proper  course  to  pursue  to  at- 
tain success.  Mr.  Ashton  feels  that  he  owes 
much  of  his  success  as  a  railroad  man  to  Mr.  W. 
F.  Owen,  superintendent  of  the  Southern  Paci- 
fic, at  New  Orleans,  who  took  great  interest  and 
pleasure  in  giving  him  useful  information  and  in 
elevating  him  to  his  present  high  standing. 
Honesty,  sobriety,  vigilance  and  fidelity  has  been 
his  motto  through  his  long  and  useful  railroad 
career. 


F.  BAKER  is  a  native  of  Lexing- 
ton, Ky.,  and  his  father,  William 
Q  A.  Baker,  still  resides  in  that  city. 
Mr.  Baker,  who  is  now  freight 
conductor  on  the  Memphis  division,  began  in  1887 
as  a  brak eman,  and  in  1889  he  was  promoted  to 
conductor  in  the  freight  service.  In  1893  he  went 
to  the  Southern  Pacific,  working  as  freight  con- 
ductor until  1895,  when  he  came  to  Paducah  to 
work  for  the  Illinois  Central.  He  now  has  a  pre- 
ferred run  between  Paducah  and  Memphis,  and 
he  is  very  successful  in  his  work.  Mr.  Baker  mar- 
ried Miss  Devney,  of  Evansville,  Ind.,  and.  has 
one  child,  a  boy  three  years  of  age.  Our  sub- 
ject belongs  to  Division  No.  290,  O.  R.  C. 


L.  McCLURE,  supervisor  of 
bridges  and  buildings  on  the  Ya- 
zoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R., 
wkh  headquarters  at  Leland, 
Miss.,  was  born  near  Londonderry,  Ireland,  on 
Oct.  16,  1847.  His  parents  were  John  and  Mary 
(Logan)  McClure,  farmers;  the  former  departed 
this  life  on  Aug.  14,  1888,  and  the  latter  on  Jan.  7, 
1889.  Mr.  McClure  arrived  in  America  in  1867, 
and  settled  in  Nashville,  Tenn.  He  there  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  Louisville  &  Nashville 


R.  R.  as  a  carpenter,  and  remained  with  the  com- 
pany until  1879.  He  then  went  to  Louisville, 
and  took  charge  of  a  force  of  forty-three  men 
engaged  in  the  construction  of  a  bridge  being 
built  by  the  Ohio  River  Bridge  company,  across 
the  Ohio  river  at  that  point,  and  was  occupied 
there  as  superintendent  until  the  work  was  com- 
pleted, a  term  of  two  years  and  ten  months.  He 
then  entered  the  service  of  the  Louisville  Bridge 
&  Iron  company,  as  superintendent  of  construc- 
tion, remaining  with  that  company  until  August 
22,  1872,  during  which  period  he  superintended 
the  construction  of  a  bridge  on  the  Owensboro 
&  Russellville  Railroad  at  Livermore,  Ky.,  cross- 
ing the  Gum  river.  He  also  constructed  the 
Louisville  &  Nashville  bridge  at  Danville,  Tenn., 
the  total  length  of  the  latter  being  about  1939 
feet,  consisting  of  eight  spans  of  208  feet  each, 
and  a  draw  of  275  feet.  On  the  completion  of 
that  work  Mr.  McClure  was  offered,  and  ac- 
cepted, the  position  of  superintendent  of  bridges 
and  buildings  for  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  R. 
R.,  and  during  his  incumbency  reconstructed 
nearly  all  bridges  between  Nashville,  Tenn., 
and  Decatur,  Ala.  In  1879,  he  was  transferred 
to  the  Henderson  division  of  the  St.  Louis  & 
South-Eastern  R.  R.  with  headquarters  at  Hop- 
kinsville,  Ky.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  construc- 
tion until  September  15,  1881.  He  then  retired 
from  railroad  work,  and  went  into  the  business 
of  contracting  and  building  at  Hopkinsville,  re- 
maining in  that  work  until  August  1890.  On 
that  date  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Louisville, 
New  Orleans  &  Texas  R.  R.  (now  the  Yazoo  & 
Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.)  as  supervisor  of  bridges 
and  buildings,  with  headquarters  at  Vicksburg, 
Miss.  For  convenience  he  has  been  located  at 
different  points  on  the  system,  and  has  his  office 
at  the  present  time  in  Leland.  Since  being  con- 
nected with  the  road,  Mr.  McClure  has  given 
the  highest  degree  of  satisfaction,  being  a  man 
who  thoroughly  understands  his  business,  the 
long  experience  in  which  has  so  completely  quali- 
fied him  for  his  position.  In  1877  Mr.  McClure 
was  joined  in  matrimony  to  Miss  Maria  E.  Cab- 
ler,  of  Columbia,  Tenn.,  but  a  native  of  Nashville. 
Six  children  have  been  born  to  them,  viz :  John 


328 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


W.,  aped  twenty-one,  chief  bookkeeper  for  Tan- 
ger  &  (Company,  of  Memphis,  Tenn. ;  Bessie  Lee, 
aged  eighteen ;  Eugene  A.,  aged  seventeen ;  Man- 
aged fourteen ;  George,  aged  five ;  and  Robert 
B.  aged  one  year.  Mr.  McClure  is  a  Master 
Mason,  being  connected  with  Memphis  Lodge 
No.  118.  His  family  attend  the  Methodist 
church.  Politically  he  is  a  democrat. 


in   1888. 


J.  McLAUGHLIN,  a  competent  and 
popular  engineer  in  the  employ  of  the 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R., 
entered  the  service  of  the  company 
His  first  experience  at  railroad  work, 
was  acquired  on  the  Richmond  &  Danville,  (Va.) 
R.  R.  where  he  was  for  a  time  employed  as 
fireman,  and  later  was  promoted  to  engineer. 
Coming  to  Vicksburg  he  at  once  secured  a  posi- 
tion as  fireman  on  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Val- 
ley R.  R.,  and  in  1890  was  given  a  regular  run 
in  the  freight  service  as  engineer  on  the  Vicks- 
burg division,  and  has  since  remained  there  in 
charge  of  engine  No.  79:  On  December  6,  1892, 
his  hand  was  caught  in  the  drive  wheel  of  his 
engine,  and  he  lost  four  fingers.  This  is  the  on- 
ly injury  he  has  sustained  during  his  railroad 
career.  Mr.  McLaughlin  is  a  native  of  Ireland, 
born  in  County  Derry,  on  June  18,  1865.  He  is 
connected  with  Division  No.  281,  B.  of  L.  E., 
of  Vicksburg,  where  he  makes  his  home,  and 
has  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances  and  friends. 


,  OBERT  BRENNAX,  a  popular  young 
engineer  in  the  freight  service  of  the 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.,  has 
been  with  the  company  since  Septem- 
ber 1 8,  1896.  He  was  first  employed  as  a  fire- 
man on  the  Tennessee  Midland  R.  R.  (now  the 
Nashville,  Chattanooga  &  St.  Louis  R.  R.)  where 
he  served  two  months.  Going  to  Memphis,  he 
became  identified  with  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi 


\  alley  R.  R.  as  fireman,  and  three  and  one-half 
years  service  in  that  capacity  was  followed  by 
promotion  to  engineer.  He  was  then  placed  in 
charge  of  engine  No.  82  and  has  since  remained 
in  the  freight  service  of  that  road.  He  has  at 
present  a  regular  run  on  engine  No.  275,  between 
Memphis  and  Vicksburg.  Mr.  Brennan  was 
born  in  Nashville,  Tenn.,  on  May  i,  1870,  and 
is  a  son  of  Cornelius  Brennan  deceased,  who 
was  a  blacksmith  in  the  employ  of  the  Nashville, 
Chattanooga  &  St.  Louis  R.  R.  Miss  Annie 
Lappin  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  became  the  wife  of 
Mr.  Brennan,  and  they  have  established  a  com- 
fortable home,  at  No.  158  Florida  avenue,  in 
the  city  of  Memphis,  where  they  have  a  large 
circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances. 


^ATRICK  WHALEN,  general  yardmaster 
of  the  Illinois  Central  at  McComb  City, 
has  had  a  railroad  experience  extend- 
ing over  more  than  twenty  years.  He 
first  began  with  the  Central  at  Centralia  as  brake- 
man  in  1879  and  two  years  later  was  made  con- 
ductor, running  between  Cairo  and  Centralia, 
which  position  he  held  for  thirteen  years,  when 
he  was  made  yardmaster  at  Centralia.  One  year 
later  he  accepted  a  position  as  conductor  on  the 
Cairo  Short  Line  and  was  thus  engaged  when 
the  road  was  absorbed  by  the  Central.  He  was 
shortly  after  transferred  to  Belleville  where  he 
served  as  yardmaster  and  conductor  some  six- 
teen months  and  for  a  like  period  in  the  yards 
at  Jackson;  Miss.,  when  on  February  9,  1897, 
he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  yards  at  McComb, 
his  present  assignment.  He  is  well  versed  in 
the  duties  of  conductor  and  yardmaster,  manag- 
ing efficiently  the  force  under  his  charge.  He  is 
a  member  of  McComb  City  Division  No.  367,  O. 
R.  C.  In  all  the  years  of  his  railway  experience 
Mr.  Whalen  has  been  involved  in  but  one  wreck, 
that  of  a  construction  train,  and  came  out  of 
that  without  injury.  He  is  well  liked  by  all 
under  his  authority  and  holds  the  confidence  of 
his  superiors. 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


331 


I  |     ^\      B.  RUGG,  who  resides  in  Ft.  Dodge, 

riowa,  has  been  an  engineer  for  twelve 
O  years,  and  a  fireman  for  four  years. 
His  first  work  was  with  the  old  St. 
Louis  Railroad,  where  he  worked  in  the  trans- 
portation department  for  two  and  a  half  years. 
He  then  began  with  the  Illinois  Central  as  a 
fireman,  which  position  he  held  for  four  years, 
and  in  September  1887  was  promoted  to  engineer, 
his  first  charge  being  engine  No.  197.  He  now 
runs  engine  No.  810,  and  has  sat  on  the  right 
side  of  it  since  1890.  His  run  is  between  Fort 
Dodge  and  Cherokee  and  Sioux  City. 

Mr.  Rugg,  a  native  of  Shelburne  Falls, 
Mass.,  was  born  Oct.  22,  1858.  He  is  a  son  of  Joel 
Rugg,  who  is  a  tanner  and  shoemaker  by  trade, 
and  who  resides  in  Iowa  county,  Iowa.  Our 
subject  married  Miss  Kate  Kennedy,  of  Chero- 
kee, Iowa,  and  they  have  two  children,  Marie 
and  Ruth.  He  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
226,  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  both  of 
Fort  Dodge,  Iowa.  He  was  never  in  any  wrecks 
of  any  kind,  and  never  injured.  The  family  res- 
idence is  at  No.  324  North  Seventh  street,  Fort 
Dodge,  Iowa. 


,HARLES  W.  GARDNER,  engineer, 
has  been  with  the  Illinois  Central  since 
February  1882.  He  first  began  work 
with  the  company  as  fireman,  and  three 
and  a  half  years  later  was  promoted  to  engineer. 
Mr.  Gardner  had  worked  for  the  Chicago  & 
North- Western  Railroad  before  joining  the  Illi- 
nois Central  company.  He  is  a  native  of  Lake 
county,  Ohio,  and  a  son  of  John  Gardner,  a 
farmer,  who  in  early  days  was  a  tanner  and  boot 
and  shoe  maker,  and  who  came  to  Fort  Dodge, 
Iowa,  many  years  ago,  and  died  there.  Our 
subject  married  Miss  A.  D.  Stevens,  of  Humbolt, 
Iowa,  who  has  borne  three  children :  Francis ; 
John  J.,  who  since  June  1899  has  been  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  fireman  on  the  Omaha 
division ;  and  Gertrude.  Mr.  Gardner  now  runs 
engine  No.  910,  between  Fort  Dodge  and 

19 


Sioux  City.  He  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
226,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Fort  Dodge,  also  the  Masonic 
order  and  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  Our  subject's  only 
wreck  was  a  head  end  collision,  in  which  he  had 
a  shoulder  dislocated.  Mr  Gardner  is  very  promi- 
nent in  railroad  circles,  and  is  now  secretary 
of  the  committee  of  adjustment,  and  was  chair- 
man of  the  same  during  the  trouble  of  1894.  He 
owns  a  finely  furnished  residence  at  No.  1205 
Fifth  avenue,  south,  Fort  Dodge,  Iowa. 


B.  CURLEY  was  born  in  Alta- 
mont,  Garnett  county,  Md.  His 
Q  father,  Thomas  Curley,  died  in 
1892,  being  an  old  railroad  man, 
having  served  as  section  foreman  on  various 
roads  for  many  years.  Mr.  Curley  was  educated 
in  Ohio  county,  Ky.,  and  at  the  Catholic  Brothers 
school  in  Louisville.  He  commenced  work  on 
the  railroad  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  driving  a  cart. 
He  next  carried  water  and  then  worked  on  the 
section,  and  in  various  positions  until  August 
1878,  when  he  began  on  the  Paducah  &  Eliza- 
bethtown  Railroad  as  brakeman,  in  which  place 
he  served  eleven  months.  Following  this  he 
served  as  fireman  two  years  and  ten  months  and 
was  then  given  an  engine  on  the  Elizabethtown 
&  Paducah  R.  R.,  remaining  until  1883,  when 
he  secured  a  place  on  the  L.  &  N.  as  engineer. 
In  1884  he  came  back  to  the  C.  O.  &  S.  W.  R.  R., 
running  freight  and  passenger,  and  has  since  re- 
mained in  that  service.  His  present  run  is  be- 
tween Louisville  and  Paducah  in  passenger  ser- 
vice. 

Our  subject  is  considered  one  of  the  Illinois 
Central's  best  engineers.  May  9,  1896,  with  thir- 
teen loaded  freight  cars  and  engine  No.  603, 
he  made  the  run  from  Central  City  to  Louisville, 
one  hundred  twenty-seven  miles,  in  three  hours 
and  thirty  five  minutes,  which  has  never  been 
equalled.  Mr.  Curley  has  never  been  seriously 
injured  in  his  long  service  on  the  road.  In  1894 
at  the  time  of  the  strike,  he  had  been  on  a  vaca- 
tion, came  back  and  took  an  engine,  not  knowing 


332 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


of  the  strike.  Somebody  threw  a  switch  and  the 
engine  was  thrown  on  the  side  and  cars  piled  up. 
Our  subject  is  a  member  of  L.  E.  Graves 
Lodge  No.  485,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Louisville,  being 
First  Assistant  Chief,  also  a  member  of  the 
Catholic  Knights  of  America,  to  which  lodge  he 
has  belonged  since  1883.  Mr.  Curley  is  a  jolly, 
goodnatured  man,  a  man  of  honor  and  one  who 
is  well  liked  by  the  community.  He  married 
Miss  Dooley,  of  Elizabethtown,  who  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  J.  Dooley,  who  has  been  section  foreman 
on  the  L.  &  N.  for  the  period  of  seventeen  years. 
Our  subject  has  a  nice,  comfortable  home  in 
Louisville.  -  . 


G.  NELSON  is  an  engineer  in  the 
passenger  service  on  the  Louisiana 
Q  division  of  the  Illinois  Central,  hav- 
ing a  regular  run  between  Canton, 
Miss.,  and  New  Orleans.  He  entered  the  service 
of  the  I.  C.  in  1880,  at  McComb  City,  as  a  coal 
heaver,  working  as  such  for  two  months.  He 
was  then  given  employment  in  the  shops  at  that 
place,  remaining  there  four  years,  when  he  re- 
ceived an  appointment  as  locomotive  fireman, 
at  which  he  worked  eight  months.  On  Septem- 
ber 13,  1883,  after  passing  a  creditable  examin- 
ation, he  was  promoted  to  engineer  in  the  freight 
service,  continuing  there  until  August  1st,  1898, 
when  he  was  promoted  to  the  passenger  service. 
His  entire  career  as  a  railroad  man  has  been 
spent  on  the  Louisiana  division  of  the  I.  C.,  with 
the  exception  of  two  months  in  1890,  which  were 
passed  in  the  state  of  Illinois  working  on  the 
Champaign  division  of  the  road.  He  has  been 
in  two  wrecks  while  in  the  employ  of  the  I.  C., 
the  second  and  most  serious  of  which  occurred 
on  March  I  ith,  1892.  It  was  caused  by  the  over- 
turning of  his  engine.  In  this  wreck  the  fireman 
lost  his  life,  and  our  subject  was  so  badly  injured 
that  he  was  obliged  to  retire  from  active  service 
for  sixteen  months. 

Mr.   Nelson  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  where 
he  was  born  October  2,  1863.     Olaf  Nelson,  his 


father,  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  emigrated 
to  America  in  1873,  settling  in  Water  Valley, 
Miss.  He  returned  to  Sweden  in  1875  to  bring 
his  family  to  this  country,  and  is  now  living  a 
retired  life  at  McComb  City.  A  _brother  of  Mr. 
Nelson,  Frederic  M.,  is  a  cabinet-maker  em- 
ployed in  the  shops  of  the  I.  C.  in  the  latter  city. 
The  union  of  Mr.  Nelson  and  Miss  Mattie 
Traylor  took  place  at  McComb  City,  and  resulted 
in  the  birth  of  three  children :  John  P.,  born 
June  25,  1883 ;  Ruby  V.,  born  in  1886,  and  Ed- 
win W.,  born  in  1894.  Mr.  Nelson  is  a  progres- 
sive and  prominent  resident  of  East  McComb 
City,  where  he  owns  a  comfortable  home,  be- 
sides considerable  other  property.  He  is  con- 
nected socially  with  Division  No.  196,  B.  of  L. 
E.,  of  his  home  city. 


'ILLIAM  L.  OAKLEY,  chief  train 
dispatcher  at  McComb  City,  Miss., 
was  born  at  Evansville,  Ind.,  Aug.  24, 
1858.  His  father,  W.  H.  Oakley, 
graduated  from  the  Kentucky  Military  Institute, 
as  a  civil  engineer,  in  1853,  and  shortly  after  laid 
out  the  Vincennes  &  Terre  Haute  R.  R.,  serving 
as  division  engineer  at  the  age  of  twenty.  He  was 
employed  successively  on  the  Evansville  &  In- 
dianapolis, and  the  "Big  Four"  line  between 
Marshall,  111.,  and  Vincennes,  Ind.  After  the 
war  he  served  for  a  time  as  cashier  and  pay- 
master on  the  Vincennes  &  Cairo  line,  since 
which  time  he  has  not  been  identified  with  rail- 
road work.  He  married  Maria  L.  Conant,  in 
April  1857,  at  Evansville,  where  he  has  continued 
to  reside  most  of  the  time  since  that  event. 

William  L.  Oakley  after  his  schooling  had 
been  secured  in  the  schools  of  his  native  town, 
began  his  railroad  career  in  1874  as  news  agent, 
and  in  half  a  year  was  promoted  to  brakeman 
between  Cairo  and  Vincennes,  at  which  he  was 
engaged  some  eighteen  months.  Having  in  the 
meantime  studied  telegraphy,  he  was  competent 
to  take  advantage  of  an  opening  in  that  depart- 
ment on  the  St.  Louis  &  South-Eastern,  and  after 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


333 


the  road  was  absorbed  by  the  Nashville,  Chatta- 
nooga &  St.  Louis  he  was  promoted  to  train 
dispatcher  and  was  again  promoted  to  chief  in 
that  department  when  the  Louisville  &  Nash- 
ville came  into  possession  of  the  road.  He  was 
filling  this  position  January  i,  1888,  when  he  ac- 
cepted an  offer  of  train  dispatcher  at  Cairo  for 
the  Illinois  Central,  and  remained  at  that  point 
until  October  7,  1892,  when  he  was  transferred 
to  the  Louisiana  division  with  headquarters  at 
McComb,  and  promoted  to  chief  dispatcher. 
Since  that  date  he  has  been  acceptably  filling  the 
position. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Oakley  occurred  at 
McLeansboro,  111.,  July  n,  1882,  Miss  Ora  Sul- 
lenger  linking  her  fortunes  with  his  at  that  time. 
Four  children  have  been  born  to  them :  Marie ; 
Harry,  a  student  of  mechanical  draughting ;  Lela 
B.  and  William  N.  J.  H.  Oakley,  a  brother,  has 
been  in  the  United  States  marine  service  for  a 
period  of  seven  years,  being  at  present  stationed 
at  Queenstown,  Ireland.  Mr.  Oakley  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Evansville  Lodge  No.  136,  K.  of  P.,  and 
of  the  American  Train  Dispatchers'  Association. 
Mr.  Oakley  has  never  failed  in  his  trust,  and  by 
his  careful  administration  of  his  official  duties 
has  merited  the  continued  confidence  of  his  em- 
ployers. 


'ILLIAM  A.  TAYLOR,  the  highly 
popular  young  man  who  holds  the 
responsible  position  of  train  dis- 
patcher for  the  Illinois  Central  at 
McComb  City,  Miss.,  was  born  at  Morristown, 
Tenn.,  in  1875.  He  began  his  railroad  career 
in  1893,  on  the  East  Tennessee  &  Georgia  R. 
R.  (now  the  Southern  R.  R.),  and  from  that 
year  until  coming  to  the  I.  C.  was  at  various  sta- 
tions along  that  road  as  telegraph  operator.  En- 
tering the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central,  in  the 
office  at  Water  Valley,  Miss.,  he  was  soon  pro- 
moted to  dispatcher,  and  is  now  on  "third  trick" 
from  midnight  until  8  A.  M.  Mr.  Taylor  served 
his  country  during  the  Spanish  American  war, 
being  a  member  of  Company  G,  2nd  Miss.  Vol. 


He  was  honorably  discharged  on  December  24, 
1898.  He  is  a  member  of  Elks  Lodge  No.  268, 
of  McComb  City,  and  of  the  K.  of  P.,  of  Water 
Valley.  For  a  young  man,  Mr.  Taylor  has  been 
eminently  successful  in  life.  He  is  of  jovial  na- 
ture, and  to  come  in  contact  with  him,  means 
the  laying  aside  of  all  care, .  and  enjoying  the 
present. 


JOHN  M.  McCANN,  one  of  the  prominent 
conductors  on  the  Paducah  district  of 
the  Illinois  Central,  has  a  preferred  run 
between  Paducah  and  Louisville.  Our 
subject's  railroad  life  began  at  South  Louisville, 
on  the  L.  &  N.,  where  he  was  employed  a  short 
time  in  transferring  cars,  then  for  seven  months 
was  switching  in  the  yards,  being  transferred  to 
the  road  where  he  broke  for  three  years,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  he  went  to  the  Short  Line  as 
switchman  and  brakeman,  remaining  one  year 
and  eight  months.  After  the  L.  &  N.  took 
charge  of  the  Short  Line,  he  quit  braking  and 
for  nearly  three  years  fired  on  the  road.  He 
then  went  back  to  braking  and  at  the  end  of 
eleven  months  was  promoted,  in  1884,  to  freight 
conductor,  running  freights  for  the  following 
four  years,  when  he  was  given  a  passenger  run 
between  Louisville  and  Cincinnati  and  Louisville 
and  Lexington,  holding  this  position  for  three 
years.  Tiring  of  railroad  work  he  quit  the  road 
and  embarked  in  business  in  Louisville,  but  not 
meeting  with  the  success  he  deserved,  at  the  end 
of  four  years  returned  to  railroading,  going  to 
the  Air  Line  as  brakeman,  but  at  the  end  of  six 
weeks  was  laid  off  on  account  of  slack  business. 
He  then  went  on  the  Louisville  Southern  as 
brakeman,  was  afterwards  put  in  the  yards  as 
foreman  of  an  engine,  and  part  of  the  time  acted 
as  extra  night  yardmaster,  but  on  account  of  a 
misunderstanding  left  the  Louisville  Southern 
and  returned  to  the  Air  Line  as  brakeman,  with 
a  promise  of  promotion,  which  shortly  followed, 
and  he  remained  with  this  road  for  three  years, 
when  he  came  to  Paducah  and  took  his  present 


334 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


run.  In  his  varied  and  interesting  railroad  ca- 
reer our  subject  never  had  a  serious  accident, 
never  burnt  a  journal  off,  was  never  injured, 
and  was  never  laid  off. 

John  M.  McCann  was  born  May  24,  1859, 
in  Henry  county,  Ky.,  but  was  educated  in  Louis- 
ville, and  on  May  24,  1881,  was  married  to  Miss 
Mattie  L.  Hook,  of  Louisville.  They  are  the 
parents  of  four  interesting  children,  as  follows: 
Alma  E.,  who  is  bookkeeper  and  stenographer 
for  the  Tennessee  Telephone  Co.,  of  Paducah; 
Frank  E.,  who  is  attending  the  high  school ;  Em- 
ery L.  is  a  vocalist  of  considerable  note,  and  is 
very  highly  spoken  of  by  those  who  have  heard 
her  sing ;  and  Cleo  W.,  a  graduate  of  the  schools 
of  Paducah.  Socially  Mr.  McCann  is  a  member 
of  Abraham  Lodge  No.  8,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of 
Louisville,  also  of  Wingo  Division  No.  290,  O. 
R.  C,  of  Paducah,  in  which  lodge  he  has  held 
nearly  every  office,  and  in  1899  served  as  Chief 
•of  the  Division.  Throughout  his  long  railroad 
career  Mr.  McCann  has  been  successful,  and 
there  is  no  better  known  or  more  popular  conduc- 
tor on  the  Louisville  division  than  the  subject  of 
this  sketch. 


,  OBERT  E.  ADDKISON  accountant  for 
the  Illinois  Central  at  Jackson,  Miss., 
entered  the  service  of  the  company  in 
August  1894,  as  a  brakeman  between 
Jackson  and  Natchez.  Serving  as  a  brakeman 
until  December  of  that  year,  he  occupied  the  posi- 
tion of  bill  clerk  at  Natchez  from  that  date  until 
March  1897.  He  next  served  as  ticket  clerk 
in  the  same  city  until  April  1898,  and  as  day  clerk 
at  Holly  Springs,  Miss.,  until  July  1898,  when 
he  was  appointed  manifest  clerk  in  the  freight 
department  of  the  I.  C.  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  which 
he  occupied  until  April  i,  1900,  when  he  was  pro- 
moted to  accountant.  Mr.  Addkison  was  born 
on  August  28,  1874,  in  Jackson,  Miss.,  where 
his  father,  Andrew  J.  Addkison,  a  farmer,  still 
resides.  David  E.  Addkison,  agent  for  the 
American  Express  company  at  Jackson,  is  a 
brother  of  our  subject.  Miss  Emma  C.  Muller 


became  the  wife  of  our  subject,  and  one  child, 
Andrew  Joseph,  is  the  result  of  their  union. 
They  reside  in  a  comfortable  home  on  Pearl 
street,  in  Jackson,  where  they  have  a  large  circle 
of  acquaintances  and  friends. 


JOHN  E.  LAWTON,  a  conductor  in  the 
freight  service  of  the  Yazoo  &  Missis- 
sippi Valley  R  R.  on  the  New  Orleans 
division,  with  headquarters  at  Wilson, 
La.,  is  a  native  of  Chesterfield  county,  West  Va., 
where  he  was  born  on  July  i8th,  1854.  Dr. 
Richard  Lawton,  his  father,  was  a  physician  who 
moved  to  middle  Tennessee  during  the  childhood 
of  our  subject,  and  practiced  his  profession  there 
until  his  death  in  1878.  He  was  followed  to  the 
grave  by  his  wife,  Phoebe  (Winfell)  Lawton, 
who  died  in  1888.  John  E.  Lawton  attended 
the  schools  of  Tipton  county,  Tenn.,  and  spent 
his  boyhood  days  on  a  farm,  his  father  hav- 
ing a  plantation.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  he 
began  running  a  market  wagon  in  the  city  of 
Memphis,  and  remained  at  that  business  a  year. 
He  then  worked  for  five  months  in  the  shops  of 
the  Memphis  &  Charleston  R.  R.,  and  on  June 
22nd,  1874,  began  his  active  road  career  as  a 
fireman,  between  Memphis  and  Chattanooga, 
where  he  served  three  years.  Promotion  to 
engineer  followed,  in  which  capacity  he  served 
only  two  months,  when,  on  account  of  slack  busi- 
ness he  returned  to  his  former  work  of  fireman, 
and  continued  there  for  six  months.  He  then 
took  charge  of  an  engine,  and  was  for  six  years 
in  the  freight  and  passenger  service  of  the  road, 
when  in  April  1884  he  resigned.  He  then  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  Louisville,  New  Orleans 
&  Texas  R.  R.  (now  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi 
Valley  R.  R.),  at  New  Orleans,  as  engineer  in 
the  passenger  service  of  that  road,  under  John 
Bradley,  superintendent,  John  A.  Grant,  builder 
of  the  road,  and  J.  M.  Edwards,  manager.  He 
held  that  position  four  and  one-half  years,  re- 
turning at  the  end  of  that  period  to  the  Memphis 
&  Charleston  R.  R.,  but  remained  only  two 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


335 


months,  when  he  again  returned  to  the  Louis- 
ville, New  Orleans  &  Texas  R.  R.  His  former 
position  with  this  road  was  in  the  passenger  ser- 
vice, but  on  account  of  the  long  run,  and  having 
his  home  at  Wilson,  La.,  he,  on  his  return,  went 
as  engineer  in  the  freight  service,  and  was  in  that 
hranch  of  the  service  until  November  ist,  1889. 
On  the  latter  date  he  was  appointed  foreman  of 
motive  power  at  Wilson,  and  held  that  position 
until  December  25,  1892.  He  then  resigned  from 
the  road,  and  retired  from  active  duty,  until 
August  5,  1893,  when  he  entered  the  employ  of 
the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  as  a  con- 
ductor in  the  freight  service  of  the  road,  between 
Wilson  and  Vicksburg,  where  he  is  now  em- 
ployed. The  marriage  of  Mr.  Lawton  and  Miss 
Susan  B.,  daughter  of  Col.  W.  R.  Patton,  of 
Hunts ville,  Ala.,  occurred  on  January  17,  1878. 
Their  union  was  blessed  by  three  sons :  William 
P.,  chief  clerk  in  the  office  of  the  trainmaster, 
at  Wilson ;  John  E.  Jr.,  and  Lee  H.,  attending 
school.  Mr.  Lawton  is  a  member  of  Division 
No.  231,  O.  R.  C,  of  Vicksburg,  Knights  of 
Pythias,  and  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 
His  family  are  attendants  at  the  Presbyterian 
church,  and  politically  he  affiliates  with  the  Dem- 
ocracy. Mr.  Lawton  has  a  subtantial  home  at 
Wilson,  La.,  of  which  place  he  is  a  progressive 
and  worthy  citizen. 


JOHN    H.    FUQUA,    a    competent    and 
trusted  engineer  on  the  Louisiana  divi- 
sion of  the  Illinois  Central,  was  born  in 
1865,  at  Shelby  ville,  Tenn.   Having  been 
left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age,  he  was  obliged 
to  make  his  own  way  in  life,  from  youth.     He 
determined  on  a  railroad  career,  and  found  his 
first  employment  in  the  shops  of  the  Louisville 
&  Nashville  R.  R.  at  Birmingham,  Ala.     Desir- 
ing active  service  on   the  road,   he   obtained   a 
position  as  fireman  on  the  Alabama  Great  South- 
ern R.  R.,  where  he  soon  found  promotion  to 
switch  engineer.     He  then  went  to  the  L.  &  N. 
R.  R.  as  engineer  out  of  Birmingham.     In  1898 


he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  as  engineer, 
where  he  is  now  successfully  serving.  He  is 
in  charge  of  engine  No.  749,  I.  C.  build. 

Mr.  Fuqua  had  a  narrow  escape  from  death 
while  on  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  R.  R.,  by 
the  derailment  of  the  engine.  His  engineer, 
James  McKay,  the  largest  engineer  in  the  coun- 
try at  that  time,  weighing  over  four  hundred 
pounds,  being  too  heavy  to  jump,  was  scalded  to 
death.  Of  the  social  organizations,  Mr.  Fuqua 
affiliates  with  Division  No.  196,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of 
McComb  City.  His  railroad  career  covers  a  pe- 
riod of  seventeen  years  of  successful  work,  and 
in  McComb  City,  where  he  makes  his  home,  he  is 
highly  respected. 


LLEN  C.  MARTIN,  general  foreman 
of  the  car  department,  is  a  native  of 
Covington,  La.,  born  July  14,  1851. 
He  lived  under  the  parental  roof  until 
the  age  of  twenty,  and  learned  his  trade  under 
his  father's  instruction.  Coming  to  McComb 
he  worked  at  his  trade  for  a  time,  and  in  April 
1874  secured  a  place  in  the  shops  of  the  New  Or- 
leans, Jackson  &  Great  Northern  Railroad.  Af- 
ter the  road  was  purchased  by  the  Central,  Mr. 
Martin  was  retained  on  the  force,  and  on  Feb- 
ruary i,  1883,  was  made  foreman  of  the  passen- 
ger shops,  where  he  was  employed  six  and  a 
half  years.  After  a  few  months  in  charge  of 
the  car  shops  at  New  Orleans,  he  was  ordered 
back  to  McComb  December  i,  1889,  and  for  five 
years  was  in  charge  of  the  freight  shops.  Since 
1894  he  has  been  in  full  charge  of  all  the  wood- 
working departments,  which  have  grown  to  large 
proportions. 

Mr.  Martin  was  married  at  McComb  in 
November  1873,  to  Miss  Emily  Easley,  and  they 
have  a  family  of  five  sons :  Albert  A.  and  Warie 
W.  are  machinists  in  the  shops  at  McComb ;  Ed- 
ward E.  is  an  apprentice  in  the  boiler  shops, 
while  Robert  C.  and  Archie  H.  are  still  in  school. 
Mr.  Martin  is  far  advanced  in  the  Masonic 
order,  holding  membership  in  Blue  Lodge  No. 


336 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


382,  at  McComb,  Chapter  No.  90,  at  Summit, 
and  St.  Cyr  Commandery  No.  5,  at  Water  Val- 
ley. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Honor  at  McComb.  The  family  are  communi- 
cants of  the  Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Martin  is 
a  man  well  versed  in  his  craft  in  all  its  branches, 
and  has  as  well  excellent  executive  ability,  being 
able  to  get  the  most  possible  out  of  a  given  num- 
ber of  men  without  friction. 


R.  OLIVER  B.  QUIN,  district  surgeon 
of  the  Illinois  Central  at  McComb 
City,  Miss.,  is  a  native  of  Holmesville, 
of  that  state,  his  birth  occuring  Decem- 
ber 6,  1857.  After  finishing  the  course  of  the 
high  school  at  Summit,  whither  his  parents  had 
removed,  he  began  the  study  of  his  profession 
under  the  tutelage  of  his  father,  Dr.  D.  H.  Quin. 
The  latter  attended  lectures  in  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania,  after  a  course  in  the  literary 
department  of  Kenyon  college  at  Cambridge, 
Ohio.  After  reading  under  his  father's  instruc- 
tion, Oliver  B.  Quin  attended  the  medical  de- 
partment of  the  University  of  Louisiana,  now  the 
Tulane  University,  graduating  in  1879.  He  im- 
mediately located  at  McComb  City  and  has  been 
in  constant  practice  here  ever  since.  In  1886, 
after  the  death  of  Dr.  C.  Hoover,  then  surgeon 
of  the  Illinois  Central  at  this  point,  Dr.  Quin 
being  recognized  as  the  leading  surgeon  there, 
was  offered  the  vacant  position,  which  he  ac- 
cepted. Owing  to  the  large  number  of  employes 
in  the  extensive  shops  and  the  large  number 
of  operatives  resident  at  McComb,  the  official 
practice  reaches  many  hundred  cases  every  year. 
Dr.  Quin's  jurisdiction  extends  from  Hazelhurst, 
Miss.,  to  Amite  City,  La. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  Quin  occurred  at  Vicks- 
burg,  Miss.,  December  9,  1880,  Miss  Sophie 
Clark  becoming  his  wife.  To  them  have  been 
born  four  children  —  Madge,  Mary,  Ella  and 
Oliver  Benton  Jr. 

Dr.  Quin  served  several  terms  as  selectman 
of  the  city,' and  then  at  the  earnest  solicitations 


of  his  friends,  accepted  the  nomination  of  mayor 
and  was  repeatedly  elected  to  that  office,  serving 
in  that  capacity  at  the  present  time.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  state  board  of  health  and  has  been 
prominent  in  the  financial  interests  of  the  city, 
having  served  as  director  of  the  bank  established 
in  the  city.  He  is  active  in  any  movement  to 
establish  new  enterprises  in  the  vicinity  where 
he  resides  and  in  the  state  as  well. 

The  secret  orders  have  received  from  Dr. 
Quin  a  cordial  support.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
McComb  Lodge  of  Masons  No.  382,  the  Summit 
Chapter,  No.  90,  Jackson  Commandery  No.  i, 
and  Hamasa  Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine  at 
Meridian,  Miss.,  Myrtle  Lodge,  K.  of  P.,  No.  36, 
Good  Will  Lodge  No.  104,  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  Me 
Comb  City  Lodge  No.  268,  of  the  Elks.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  American  Medical  Association 
and  the  Mississippi  State  Medical  Association. 

Dr.  Quin  is  a  man  of  broad  views,  a  typi- 
cal representative  of  the  new  and  progressive 
south,  and  one  whose  character  leaves  its  impress 
on  the  locality  where  he  has  made  his  home.  He 
is  a  man  of  culture  and  refinement,  a  true  son 
of  the  old  south.  As  a  citizen  and  practitioner 
none  stand  higher  than  Dr.  Quin. 


LEORGE  H.  FOSTER,  a  well  known 
engineer  in  the  freight  service  of  the 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.,  has 
been  ten  years  in  the  service  of  the 
company.  He  acquired  his  first  knowledge  of 
railroad  work  on  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  R. 
R.,  where  he  was  employed  four  years  as  a  fire- 
man, between  Pueblo  and  Salida,  Colo.  He 
then  served  for  two  years  in  the  same  capacity 
on  the  Alabama  &  Southern  R.  R.,  and  in  1889 
came  to  Vicksburg,  entering  the  employ  of  the 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  After  work- 
ing six  weeks  as  fireman,  he  was  promoted  to 
engineer,  and  has  since  been  employed  all  over 
the  road  and  its  branches.  He  is  at  present  on  a 
uvular  run  in  the  freight  service  on  engine 
No.  94,  between  Vicksburg  and  New  Orleans. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


337 


His  career  on  the  road  has  been  highly  success- 
ful. Mr.  Foster  was  born  in  Chattanooga,  Tenn., 
on  November  ist,  1861.  His  parents,  George 
D.  and  Rachael  (Rogers)  Foster,  were  respected 
residents  of  that  city,  where  Mr.  Foster  Sr.  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  a  carpenter,  and  was  a 
large  property  owner.  Both  are  now  deceased. 
Mr.  Foster  married  Miss  Minnie  Hoskins,  of 
Brookhaven,  Miss.,  and  with  her  resides  on  Bel- 
mont  avenue,  in  Vicksburg.  Of  the  social  or- 
ders Mr.  Foster  belongs  to  Division  No.  281, 
B.  of  L.  E.,  of  his  home  city.  Politically  he  is  a 
Democrat,  but  looks  to  the  qualifications  of  the 
man  more  than  to  party. 


JFRED  HOUSEAL,  a  young  engineer 
running  as  an  extra  in  the  freight  ser- 
Q  vice  of  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley 
R.  R.  has  been  with  the  company  since 
1891.  Beginning  as  a  fireman  on  the  Louisville, 
New  Orleans  &  Texas  R.  R.  (now  the  Y.  &  M. 
V.  R.  R.)  with  Engineer  Duffy,  he  served  there 
for  two  years,  when  he  resigned  and  entered 
the  University  of  Tennessee,  where  he  pursued 
his  studies  for  one  year.  In  1891  he  returned 
to  the  same  road  and  engaged  in  the  same  work, 
serving  one  year,  when  he  was  promoted  to  en- 
gineer in  the  yards  at  Memphis.  He  occupied 
the  latter  position  for  two  years,  and  in  1896  re- 
turned to  firing  for  one  year.  In  1897  he  was 
examined  and  promoted  to  engineer,  and  was 
in  the  freight  service  for  seven  months  between 
Memphis  and  Vicksburg.  Losing  his  position 
through  an  accident,  he  went  to  his  old  home  in 
South  Carolina,  where  he  remained  one  year, 
and  in  September  1898,  returned  to  Memphis. 
A  month  later  he  went  on  the  road  as  fireman  be- 
tween Vicksburg  and  New  Orleans,  and  in  March 
1899,  agrm  took  the  examination  and  was  pro- 
moted to  engineer,  since  which  he  has  been  an 
extra  between  Memphis,  Vicksburg  and  New  Or- 
leans. Mr.  Houseal  was  born  at  Newberry,  S. 
C,  on  January  i,  1874.  A  sketch  of  John  I., 
his  father,  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  book. 


On  August  17,  1899,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Daisy  Law,  a  native  of  Tracy  City, 
Tenn.,  but  a  resident  of  Memphis  at  the  time  of 
her  marriage.  She  is  a  daughter  of  P.  S.  Law, 
an  engineer  on  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley 
R.  R.  Mrs.  Houseal  is  a  member  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church.  They  reside  at  No.  16, 
Barton  avenue,  in  Memphis. 


E.  STUFFLEBEAM,  chief  clerk  in 
the  office  of  the  roadmaster,  for  the 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  at 
Vicksburg,  Miss.,  was  born  in  White 
Hall,  Washington  county,  New  York,  on  Octo- 
ber 26,  1871.  W.  G.  and  Olna  A.  (Mosher) 
Stufnebeam,  are  his  parents,  now  residing  in 
Idaho,  where  the  former  is  an  extensive  ranch 
owner  and  stockman.  Mr.  Stufflebeam  attended 
the  schools  of  his  native  place,  and  at  the  age  of 
thirteen  moved  with  his  parents  to  Idaho,  where 
he  continued  at  school  four  years  longer.  In 
1888  he  entered  the  Ogden  Military  Academy, 
at  Ogden,  Utah,  remaining  there  three  years, 
and  taking  a  full  classical  course.  His  business 
education  was  acquired  at  Coleman's  business 
college,  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  Idaho  and  became  associated  with  his 
father,  and  remained  there  until  1897.  He  came 
to  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  in  that  year,  securing  a  clerk- 
ship in  the  office  of  B.  E.  Mosher,  roadmaster 
of  the  New  Orleans  division  of  the  Y.  &  M.  V. 
R.  R.,  and  occupied  that  position  until  promoted 
to  chief  clerk,  on  October  20,  1898.  He  holds 
the  latter  position  at  the  present  time,  and  is 
filling  it  in  a  very  acceptable  manner,  being  well 
endowed  with  the  natural  talents  necessary  to 
make  a  success  of  his  work. 

On  January  3,  1893,  Mr.  Stufflebeam  was 
united  to  Miss  Helen  J.,  daughter  of  George  and 
Helen  J.  Osborn,  of  Troy,  N.  Y.  This  estim- 
able and  accomplished  lady,  who  possessed  those 
virtues  which  make  a  lovely  and  lovable  charac- 
ter, departed  this  life  on  May  27,  1899,  deeply 


338 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


mourned   by   the   many    friends   who  knew   and 
esteemed  her. 

Socially,  Mr.  Stufflebeam  belongs  to  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  the  World.  He  was  reared 
in  the  Presbyterian  faith,  and  in  politics  is  united 
with  the  Democratic  party. 


LANCE  L.  DAWSON,  master  mechanic 
of  the  shops  at  McComb  City,  Miss., 
has  had  nearly  twenty  years  experience 
in  railroad  operation.  He  is  a  native  of 
London,  England,  his  birth  occurring  February 
5,  1863.  His  father,  Lance  Dawson,  emigrated 
with  his  family  to  the  States  about  1869,  and 
after  a  short  sojourn  in  Chicago,  secured  employ- 
ment in  the  shops  of  the  Central  at  Champaign 
as  a  machinist.  Here  the  son  attended  school, 
and  when  of  sufficient  age  secured  a  place  as 
apprentice  to  the  machinist  trade  in  the  shops 
near  his  father.  Mr.  Dawson  began  his  appren- 
ticeship in  February  1880,  and  after  three  years 
in  the  shops  at  Champaign,  served  two  years  in 
the  Weldon  shops  at  Chicago.  After  his  term 
as  apprentice  he  returned  to  Champaign  working 
as  a  journeyman  until  January  i,  1887,  when  he 
was  appointed  foreman  of  the  Champaign  and 
Havana  line,  serving  one  year.  Until  January 
i,  1889,  he  was  again  at  work  in  the  shops  in 
Champaign,  and  was  on  that  date  transferred  to 
Rantoul,  as  foreman  of  that  branch,  with  juris- 
diction over  the  road  from  LeRoy  to  West  Leba- 
non, Ind.  December  i,  1890,  he  was  appointed 
night  foreman  of  the  Weldon  shops  at  Chicago, 
and  July  I,  1891,  was  sent  to  Champaign  as  as- 
sistant foreman  of  the  shops  there,  being  pro- 
moted to  the  foremanship  the  first  of  May  fol- 
lowing. For  nearly  five  years  he  was  in  charge 
of  the  Champaign  shops,  and  January  20,  1897, 
he  was  transferred  to  Louisville,  and  promoted 
to  general  foreman.  From  May  20,  1898,  to 
December  1st,  following,  he  served  as  master 
mechanic  at  the  Memphis  shops,  and  since  the 
latter  date  has  served  as  master  mechanic  at  the 
shops  at  McComb.  Mr.  Dawson  has  instituted 


many  improvements  in  the  shops  during  his  in- 
cumbency at  McComb.  He  instituted  an  air- 
brake instruction  room  in  the  round  house ; 
erected  separate  shops  for  overhauling  pumps ; 
built  an  air  engine  and  equipment  for  hoisting 
iron  to  the  furnace  of  the  foundry ;  built  a  series 
of  bins  for  the  assortment  of  scrap  iron,  and  by 
saving  out  hundreds  of  pounds  of  supplies  that 
were  in  good  condition,  saved  that  amount  of 
new  supplies,  while  the  waste  iron  not  fit  for  use 
is  on  a  level  of  the  cars  on  which  it  is  to  be 
loaded,  thus  saving  much  time  and  labor  in  get- 
ting it  aboard ;  had  the  paint  and  blacksmith 
shops  each  extended  thirty  feet;  installed  an  air 
hoist  in  the  ice  house ;  also  an  air  hoist  for  load- 
ing and  unloading  car  wheels;  built  an  air 
driven  hammer  for  straightening  bolts  which  had 
been  done  by  hand  prior  to  that  time ;  besides 
numerous  other  minor  improvements  in  various 
departments  under  his  jurisdiction. 

Mr.  Dawson  was  married  at  Rantoul,  111., 
July  2,  1895,  to  Miss  Harriet  Connor,  to  whom 
has  been  born  a  daughter,  Marjorie.  Of  the  so- 
cial orders,  of  which  Mr.  Dawson  is  a  member, 
may  be  mentioned  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  at 
Rantoul,  the  Court  of  Honor,  at  Champaign,  and 
the  National  Union,  at  Louisville.  As  a  pro- 
gressive, energetic  official,  Mr.  Dawson  holds 
high  rank.  Inventive,  ingenious,  and  of  excel- 
lent executive  ability,  it  is  no  secret  why  he  has 
succeeded  in  rising  above  many  who  started  out 
before  him  with  better  prospects  than  his. 


JAMES    McINTYRE,   a   well   known   en- 
gineer in  the  freight  service  of  the  Ili- 
nois  Central,  on  the  Louisiana  division, 
entered    the    service    of    the    Louisville, 
New     Orleans    &    Texas    Railroad     (now    the 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.),  on  February 
1 8th,  1888.     His  first  work  was  as  an  apprentice 
in  the  shops   at   New   Orleans,  but  he   worked 
there  only  four  months  when  he  decided  to  go 
to  the  regular   road   service.     Securing  a  posi- 
tion as  fireman,  he  served  in  that  capacity  until 


WILLIAM  F.  THOMAS. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


341 


September  1895,  when  he  was  promoted  to  en- 
gineer, and  appointed  to  a  regular  run  in  the 
freight  service  between  Vicksburg  and  New  Or- 
leans. In  1899  ne  was  transferred  to  McComb 
City,  and  has  since  remained  there.  Mr.  Mc- 
Intyre  was  born  in  Kenner,  La.,  on  August  9th, 
1865.  His  father  was  George  Mclntyre  Sr.,  a 
former  employe  of  the  I.  C.,  well  and  favorably 
known.  Socially  our  subject  is  connected  with 
Division  No.  196,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  McComb  City. 
He  is  considered  a  careful  and  painstaking  em- 
ploye, and  is  very  popular. 


'ILLIAM  F.  THOMAS,  one  of  the 
oldest  and  most  highly  esteemed  en- 
gineers in  the  passenger  service  on 
the  Aberdeen  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  is  a  native  of  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  but 
with  his  parents  moved  to  Rome,  Ga.,  where  he 
was  reared  and  educated.  Our  subject,  who  has 
seen  thirty-five  years  of  active  railroad  service, 
began  his  career  in  September  1865,  in  the  me- 
chanical department  of  the  Western  Atlantic 
Railroad,  where  he  worked  seventeen  months. 
He  then  went  to  the  Memphis  &  Chattanooga 
Railroad  in  the  construction  service,  and  in  Sep- 
tember 1868  was  promoted  to  the  passenger  ser- 
vice and  placed  in  charge  of  the  "Gov.  Patton," 
a  wood  burner.  While  in  the  fast  passenger 
service  of  this  road,  Mr.  Thomas  was  given  an 
engine  which  seven  men.  had  failed  to  run,  but 
his  superior  knowledge  of  mechanics  enabled  him 
to  remedy  the  trouble  and  successfully  operate 
it.  In  1879  Mr.  Thomas  resigned  his  position 
with  the  intention  of  retiring  to  farm  life,  and 
for  two  years  followed  that  occupation  in  Geor- 
gia, but  a  longing  for  his  old  work  on  the  road 
caused  him  to  again  enter  railroad  life.  In  1881 
he  entered  the  service  of  the  Selma,  Rome  & 
Dalton  Railroad,  between  Selma,  Ala.,  and  Rome 
and  Cleveland,  Tenn.  He  resigned  from  the 
latter  road  to  accept  a  position  with  the  Illinois 
Central,  where  he  began  service  on  July  2,  1882. 
He  commenced  work  at  Water  Valley,  Miss., 


under  Master  Mechanic  White,  where,  on  ac- 
count of  his  superior  knowledge  of  construction, 
he  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  work  train,  remain- 
ing there  from  the  beginning  of  the  work  on  that 
division  until  its  completion.  During  that  time 
he  had  charge  of  a  large  force  of  men.  Mr. 
Thomas  is  considered  an  expert  on  track  con- 
struction, and  is  noted  for  his  fine  connections  on 
switch  work.  Old  engineers  say  they  can  tell 
his  work  on  account  of  its  smoothness.  About 
the  time  of  the  completion  of  the  Aberdeen  divi- 
sion, the  railroad  found  it  necessary  to  secure  a 
supply  of  water  of  their  own,  as  up  to  that  time 
they  had  been  getting  water  from  the  Aberdeen 
Compress.  Accordingly  they  sunk  an  artesian 
well  347  feet  deep,  and  four  inches  in  diameter, 
which  threw  out  mud  and  water  combined,  and 
refused  to  clear  up.  Officials 'from  Chicago  and 
other  points  went  to  Aberdeen  to  try  and  remedy 
the  trouble,  as  they  must  have  water  that  was 
free  from  mud.  They  seemed  unable  to  remedy 
the  defect,  until,  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Kemp, 
the  division  superintendent,  Mr.  Thomas  sug- 
gested that  if  they  would  raise  the  pipe  and  take 
off  one  section,  the  water  would  clear  itself  in 
a  short  time,  as  the  space  between  the  bottom  of 
the  well  and  the  end  of  the  pipe  would  then  be 
so  great  that  the  force  of  the  water  could  not 
raise  the  mud  to  the  pipe.  This  was  done  and 
the  result  was  entirely  satisfactory. 

When  the  Aberdeen  division  was  completed 
our  subject  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  first  pas- 
senger engine  on  the  division,  and  has  since  re- 
mained in  that  branch  of  the  service,  with  the 
greatest  success.  Mr.  Thomas  ran  engine  No. 
1,417  two  hundred  twenty-five  thousand  miles 
with  but  one  general  repair,  and  this  engine  was 
in  the  yard  service  at  Durant  one  year  with  a 
mileage  of  twenty-five  thousand  miles  and  the 
valve  steam  packing  was  never  repaired.  During 
this  mileage  the  piston  packing  was  repaired  one 
time.  This  packing  was  composed  of  one  brass 
and  two  lead  rings,  with  the  old  style  hump 
gland.  The  gland  was  never  tightened  when  the 
steam  was  on  the  boiler  so  the  rings  could  expand, 
which  is  the  life  of  all  metallic  packing.  The 
swab  on  these  rods  was  renewed  every  thirty 


342 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


days.  This  is  the  best  mileage  Mr.  Thomas  ever 
made  with  metal  packing,  and  Mr.  McKenna, 
foreman  of  the  Durant  shops,  says  it  is  the  great- 
est mileage  he  ever  heard  of.  Mr.  Franklin, 
foreman  at  Jackson,  Tenn.,  repaired  this  engine. 
Mr.  Thomas  carries  in  his  seat  box  in  the  en- 
gine a  device  of  his  own  for  holding  the  balance 
valve  in  case  of  working  steam  only  on  one  side, 
it  taking  about  thirty  minutes  to  disconnect  and 
get  ready  to  move  engine  and  train.  The  en- 
gine above  referred  to  was  in  the  passenger  ser- 
vice on  the  Aberdeen  division,  and  during  round 
trips  of  216  miles  would  only  burn  four  tons  of 
coal.  No  derailment  occurred  during  this  mile- 
age. Mr.  Thomas  has  had  some  very  narrow 
escapes.  His  closest  call  was  in  1889  while  tak- 
ing a  theatrical  troop  on  a  special  from  Aberdeen 
to  Jackson,  Miss.  He  was  supposed  to  have  a 
clear  track,  but  when  within  a  mile  of  Canton, 
while  going  at  a  high  speed,  he  collided  with  an 
engine  in  charge  of  E.  Redmond,  who  was  in- 
stantly killed.  Both  engines  were  badly  dam- 
aged, but  Mr.  Thomas  escaped  injury,  which  was 
considered  miraculous.  He  has  turned  out 
many  fine  engineers,  among  them  D.  Longinotti, 
Sam  Culley,  and  others,  who  are  successful  men 
on  the  road.  The  Galena  Oil  company  pre- 
sented to  Mr.  Thomas  a  fine  patent  oiling  can 
made  of  nickel,  with  patent  spring  and  in  three 
sections,  for  using  less  oil  than  any  engineer  on 
the  Mississippi  and  Aberdeen  divisions.  His 
name  is  beautifully  engraved  on  the  can.  He 
keeps  this  can  in  his  parlor  to  show  his  friends 
and  kindred  that  he  is  the  most  economical  en- 
gineer on  the  above  divisions. 

Miss  Ellen  C.  Murchison,  of  Rome,  Ga.,  be- 
came the  wife  of  our  subject,  and  they  have  be- 
come the  parents  of  three  children,  all  of  whom 
have  received  the  benefits  of  a  college  education. 
One  of  the  daughters  is  now  musical  instructor 
in  the  public  schools  of  Durant.  The  son, 
Oscar  W.,  received  his  education  in  the  Missis- 
sippi Mechanical  College,  at  Starkville,  and  is  a 
fine  draughtsman.  He  is  now  a  locomotive  fire- 
man on  the  Aberdeen  division.  Mrs.  Thomas  is 
a  niece  of  the  late  Gov.  Murchison,  of  Texas, 
and  a  great  niece  of  Sir  Roderick  Murchison. 


Several  brothers  of  our  subject  are   successful 
railroad  men. 

Mr.  Thomas  and  his  family  are  active  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  church,  in  which  he  has 
served  many  years  as  warden.  He  is  a  deeply 
religious  man,  a  thorough  Christian  and  very 
benevolent,  having  given  largely  to  charities.  He 
is  a  man  who  deeply  believes  in  the  intervention 
of  Providence  to  protect  him  from  harm,  and 
when  asked  to  make  a  particularly  hard  run,  al- 
ways replies,  "If  God  is  willing."  The  first 
words  of  Bishop  C.  B.  Galoway,  when  he  comes 
to  Durant,  are:  "How  is  Mr.  Thomas,"  show- 
ing the  high  estimation  in  which  he  is  held  by 
that  dignitary.  Mr.  Thomas  is  also  prominent 
in  Masonic  circles,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Honor.  Being  a  great  reader  and 
student,  our  subject  keeps  abreast  of  the  times 
in  his  work,  and  now  ranks  one  of  the  three  high- 
est in  the  list  of  the  Illinois  Central  employes. 
He  is  a  substantial  citizen  of  Durant,  owning 
considerable  property,  and  is  a  man  of  whom  the 
city  may  well  feel  proud. 


'ILLIAM  T.  STEWART,  a  rising 
young  engineer  in  the  service  of  the 
Illinois  Central  on  the  Louisiana  di- 
vision, was  born  on  April  24,  1871, 
at  Canton,  Miss.  His  connection  with  the  road 
dates  from  1891,  when  he  began  work  as  fireman, 
in  the  freight,  and  was  afterward  employed  in 
the  passenger  service.  On  November  15,  1895, 
he  was  promoted  to  engineer,  and  given  a  regu- 
lar run  between  McConib  City,  Miss.,  and  New 
Orleans.  He  has  charge  at  present,  of  mogul 
engine  No.  757,  with  J.  D.  Harrell  as  fireman. 
His  brother,  Howard  Stewart,  is  also  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  I.  C.  as  fireman.  The  wife  of  Mr. 
Stewart,  was  formerly  Miss  Addie  Heisser, 
whose  father  was  for  a  long  time  connected  with 
the  I.  C.  as  foreman  of  the  car-repairing  depart- 
ment in  the  extensive  shops  of  the  company,  at 
Vicksburg,  Miss.  They  are  the  parents  of  two 
bright  children,  Rachael  and  Clara  F.  Mr. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


343 


Stewart  is  a  popular  member  of  Division  No. 
196,  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  is  also  connected  with  Can- 
ton Lodge,  No.  74,  K.  of  P.  and  B.  P.  O.  E. 
Lodge,  No.  1 68,  of  McComb  City.  Being 
a  young  man  possessed  of  more  than  ordinary 
ability  and  a  great  student  of  mechanics,  keeping 
abreast  of  the  times,  Mr.  Stewart's  future  should 
be  a  bright  one. 


THOMAS  A.  MOORE,  a  popular  conduc- 
tor on  the  Louisiana  division  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  is  a  native  of  Missis- 
sippi, and  a  son  of  G.  W.  Moore  who 
resides  at  East  McComb.  In  early  life,  Mr. 
Moore  learned  the  trade  of  a  baker  and  confec- 
tioner, becoming  an  expert  in  that  line.  He 
traveled  extensively  in  the  west  and  southwest, 
and  has  had  a  varied  experience,  especially  while 
roughing  it  in  the  uncivilized  districts  through 
which  he  traveled.  He  began  his  railroad  career 
on  the  Southern  Pacific  R.  R.  at  Vermillionville, 
La.,  and  was  afterward  employed  on  a  steamboat 
at  Gal'veston,  Texas.  He  returned  to  the  train 
service  of  the  Southern  Pacific,  working  eight 
months,  and  resigned  to  take  a  position  with  W. 
N.  Monroe,  a  contractor,  engaged  in  road  con- 
struction. He  then  went  to  Mexico,  with  Major 
Thiel,  and  in  1882  returned  to  civilization,  enter- 
ing the  employ  of  the  Texas  &  Mexican  R.  R. 
where  he  was  for  fourteen  months  in  charge  of 
a  powder  house.  His  next  occupation,  was  as 
driver  on  a  San  Antonio  street  car  and  afterward 
joined  a  circus  as  head  tent  man.  While  in 
this  employment,  he  was  severely  injured,  in  a 
railroad  collision  on  the  Wabash  R.  R.,  and  was 
laid  up  for  some  time  in  the  Marine  hospital 
at  Cairo. 

In  1884  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Louis- 
ville, New  Orleans  &  Texas  Railroad,  but  re- 
mained only  a  short  time,  then  working  for  vari- 
ous other  roads  in  Texas  until  December  24,  1891, 
when  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  as  a 
hrakcman  out  of  McComb  City.  In  1894  he  was 
promoted  to  conductor  on  the  Canton  district, 


and  is  now  in  charge  of  a  through  freight,  on 
the  Louisiana  division,  on  caboose  No.  98245, 
with  A.  L.  Wright  and  E.  B.  Thomas  as  his  crew. 
His  career  on  the  I.  C.  has  been  successful,  hav- 
ing no  injuries  or  accidents. 

Mr.  Moore  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
108,  O.  R.  C.,  of  New  Orleans,  Goodwill  Lodge 
No.  104,  of  McComb  City,  A.  F.  and  A.  M.  No. 
382,  Eastern  Star  Lodge  No.  4  and  Myrtle 
Lodge,  No.  36,  K.  of  P.,  of  McComb  City.  Mr. 
Moore  was  about  to  depart  for  the  Transvaal 
when  he  met  and  married  his  wife,  who  is  a 
daughter  John  S.  Erickson,  of  Canton,  Miss. 
They  have  two  fine  boys.  The  family  resides  in 
a  pleasant  home  on  Broadway,  in  McComb 
City.  Mr.  Moore  is  a  very  pleasant  man  to  meet, 
entertaining  and  full  of  interesting  anecdotes 
relative  to  his  extensive  travels.  He  is  a  popu- 
lar citizen  of  his  community  and  ranks  high  as 
an  employe  of  the  Illinois  Central  company. 


AURICE  S.  WEBB  is  probably  the 
youngest  conductor  on  the  Louisiana 
division  of  the  Illinois  Central,  and  a 
rising  railroad  man.  He  was  born  in 
1876,  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  and  is  not  yet  twenty-four 
y^ars  of  age.  J.  A.  Webb,  his  father,  was  for 
twenty-five  years  a  valued  employe  and  official 
of  the  I.  C.,  and  held  the  responsible  position  of 
general  freight  agent  at  Jackson,  when  appointed 
secretary  of  the  board  of  railway  commissioners 
for  the  state  of  Mississippi,  with  offices  in  the 
capital  at  Jackson.  M.  S.  Webb  began  his  rail- 
road career  when  a  mere  boy,  in  1884,  with  the 
determination  to  make  a  success.  He  began  as 
messenger  boy  at  the  Jackson  office  where  he 
acquired  a  knowledge  of  telegraphy,  and  was 
on  the  Valley  road  as  agent  and  operator  at 
Longwood,  Miss.  He  resigned  that  position, 
returned  to  Jackson,  and  entered  the  freight 
office  there,  serving  successively  as  bill  clerk, 
cashier,  and  chief  clerk.  He  went  from  Jack- 
son to  Memphis,  and  was  in  the  service  of  the 
I.  C,  there,  He  next  went  to  the  C.  L.  &  M, 


344 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Railroad  as  baggageman  and  expressman.  In 
1897  he  entered  the  train  service  of  the  I.  C.  at 
McComh  City,  Miss.,  and  was  in  a  short  time 
promoted  to  conductor. 

Mr.  Webb  married  a  daughter  of  Captain 
Hoskins,  one  of  the  most  prominent,  and  wealthy 
citizens  of  Brookhaven,  Miss.  One  child  was 
born  to  them,  which  died  in  infancy.  Of  the 
social  organizations  Mr.  Webb  is  a  member  of  Di- 
vision No.  367,  O.  R.  C.,  and  Division  No.  264, 
B.  of  R.  T.,  also  belongs  to  Pearl  Lodge,  K.  of  P., 
of  McComb  City.  For  so  young  a  man  Mr.  Webb 
has  made  great  progress,  and  being  active  and 
alert  the  future  has  much  in  store  for  him. 


E.  MOSHER,  roadmaster  on  the 
Fifteenth  division  of  the  Yazoo  & 
Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  was  born 
in  White  Hall,  Washington  county, 
New  York,  on  October  29,  1857,  and  is  a  son  of 
Benjamin  O.  and  Mary  C.  (Perry)  Mosher. 
Benjamin  O.  Mosher  was  a  tanner  by  trade,  and 
served  during  the  war  of  the  rebellion,  from 
1861  to  1865,  as  captain  of  Co.  B.  22nd  Regiment, 
New  York  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  is  living  in 
Oxon  Hill,  Maryland,  while  his  wife  departed 
this  life  in  1859.  The  subject  of  this  sketch, 
attended  the  schools  of  his  native  town,  and  en- 
tered life  as  an  employe  on  a  steamboat,  plying 
between  New  York  City  and  Montreal,  Canada, 
working  about  two  years  in  that  capacity.  De- 
ciding on  railroad  life,  in  1879  he  entered  the 
service  of  the  Cincinnati  Northern  R.  R.  as  a  fore- 
man and  conductor,  between  Cincinnati  and  Le- 
banon, Ohio.  After  a  two  years  service  on  that 
road,  he  went  to  the  New  York,  West  Shore  & 
Buffalo  R.  R.,  doing  similar  work,  and  remain- 
ing there  two  years.  During  the  construction 
period  of  the  Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Texas 
R.  R.  (now  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  R.  R.)  he  secured 
a  position  as  foreman  on  that  road,  afterward 
serving  as  conductor  and  roadmaster,  with  head- 
quarters at  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  and  was  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  road  until  1889.  In  the  latter- year 


he  became  identified  with  the  Texas  Pacific  R. 
R.  as  roadmaster,  with  Marshall,  Texas,  as  head- 
quarters, and  held  that  position  until  1892.  He 
was  in  that  year  appointed  supervisor,  at  Vicks- 
burg,  Miss.,  for  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley 
R.  R.,  acting  as  such  until  1897  when  he  was 
transferred  to  the  Natchez  division  as  supervi- 
sor of  track  and  trains.  One  month  later  he  was 
appointed  to  his  present  position  as  roadmaster 
of  the  Fifteenth  division.  Under  his  supervision 
are  386  miles  of  main  line  and  branches,  forty- 
seven  sections,  four  track  supervisors,  and  one 
bridge  supervisor. 

On  April  I,  1880,  Mr.  Mosher  and  Miss  Mag- 
gie Simmons,  of  Ethel,  La.,  were  united  in  mar- 
riage, and  three  children  came  to  bless  their 
home :  Carrie,  Olive,  and  William,  when  the  wife 
and  mother,  who  was  a  most  estimable  woman, 
was  called  hence  on  February  12,  1894.  Mr. 
Mosher  was  united  to  his  present  wife  on  August 
18,  1898.  This  lady  was,  before  her  maarriage, 
Miss  Rein,  of  LaPlace,  La.  One  son,  George, 
has  been  born  to  them.  Socially,  Mr.  Mosher 
is  a  Knight  of  Pythias.  His  family  attends  the 
Catholic  church,  and  in  politics  he  is  a  Demo- 
crat. Mr.  Mosher's  time  is  absorbed  in  attend- 
ing to,  and  discharging  his  duties,  which  he  does 
with  that  fidelity  which  has  won  for  him  the  es- 
teem of  his  superior  and  the  good  will  of  the  em- 
ployes of  the  road  under  his  supervision. 


HARLES  B.  SMITH,  an  engineer  in 
the  yards  of  the  Illinois  Central  at 
Memphis,  Tenn.,  was  born  in  Erie, 
Penn.,  April  22nd,  1866.  Merrick 
Smith,  deceased,  his  father,  was  a  railroad  man, 
holding  the  position  of  yardmaster  for  the  Erie 
system  at  Erie,  Penn.,  and  was  at  one  time,  in 
the  same  position  with  the  Canada  Southern  R. 
R.  at  St.  Thomas,  and  at  Windsor,  Ontario.  Mr. 
Smith  acquired  his  early  experience  in  railroad 
work,  on  the  Canada  Southern  R.  R.  in  1881, 
in  the  round-house  at  Amherstburg,  Ontario, 
where  he  was  employed  one  and  one-half  years. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


345 


He  then  went  on  that  road,  continuing  there  un- 
til November  1893,  when  he  went  to  Chicago  as 
hostler  in  the  I.  C.  round-house.  His  work  in 
Chicago  embraced  a  period  of  over  two  years, 
after  which  he  was  transferred  to  Memphis,  and 
given  charge  of  engine  No.  799,  in  the  yards, 
which  position  he  continues  to  occupy.  Mr. 
Smith  is  a  Knight  of  Pythias,  and  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  B.  of  L.  F.,  of  St.  Thomas,  Ont.  He! 
was  raised  in  the  Presbyterian  faith,  and  in  poli- 
tics is  devoted  to  the  principles  of  the  Democra- 
tic party. 


D.  BURROUS,  an  engineer  in  the 
freight  service  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Q  on  the  Louisiana  division,  is  a  man  of 
great  experience,  having  traveled  ex- 
tensively and  worked  for  a  number  of  railroads. 
His  first  work  was  on  the  New  York  &  Erie  R. 
R.  as  fireman,  between  Port  Jervis  and  Jersey 
City,  and  he  was  afterward,  in  1880,  on  the 
Pennsylvania  R.  R.  in  the  fast  passenger  service 
between  Philadelphia  and  Jersey  City.  He  then 
went  to  the  Jersey  Central  R.  R.,  where  he  was 
employed  three  months  as  fireman.  Drifting  to 
the  south,  Mr.  Burrous  was  next  actively  en- 
gaged in  the  lumber  districts  of  Louisiana  and 
Florida,  having  previously  spent  several  seasons 
in  the  Minnesota  lumber  camps  where  he  ac- 
quired a  thorough  knowledge  of  preparing  lum- 
ber for  the  market.  During  his  leisure  hours  he 
made  a  study  of  engineering,  and  was  for  a  short 
time  on  a  steamboat  on  the  Alabama  river  as  en- 
gineer, but  quit  that  to  enter  the  service  of  the 
East  Tennessee,  Virginia  &  Georgia  R.  R.  In 
1893  he  became  identified  with  the  Southern  Pa- 
cific R.  R.,  serving  as  fireman  there  for  eleven 
months,  ard  from  that  road  went  to  Central 
America,  where  he  worked  as  engineer  on  freight 
and  passenger  trains.  Mr.  Burrous  entered  the 
service  of  the  Illinois  Central  in  1895  as  switch 
engineer  on  the  New  Orleans  terminals,  under 
Master  Mechanic  Baldwin.  He  was  soon  pro- 
moted to  the  regular  road  service,  and  was  sent 


to  McComb  City,  having  since  had  a  regular  run 
on  the  Louisiana  division  on  engine  No.  726. 
Mr.  Burrous  is  a  native  of  Tennessee.  His  pa- 
rents now  reside  in  Michigan,  near  Detroit. 

He  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  196,  B.  of 
L.  E.,  of  McComb  City,  and  is  also  connected 
with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  the  Independent  Or- 
der of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 
He  is  married  and  is  the  father  of  four  children. 
In  his  travels  he  has  been  very  observing,  is  a 
fluent  talker,  and  tells  many  interesting  accounts 
of  his  adventures.  While  in  Central  America 
he  made  many  exploring  trips,  mastering  the 
Spanish  and  native  languages.  He  is  also  con- 
'versant  with  the  French  language.  When  Pres- 
ident Garfield  was  shot  in  Washington,  Mr.  Bur- 
rous was  in  the  depot,  and  with  the  other  spec- 
tators was  shut  up  there  until  the  crime  was  fast- 
ened on  the  assassin.  Mr.  Burrous  is  a  self- 
made  man,  having  had  to  make  his  own  living 
since  he  was  old  enough  to  work,  and  his  know- 
ledge of  books  has  been  acquired  by  self  culture, 
which,  with  his  extensive  travels,  has  made  him 
a  well  posted  man.  He  is  of  a  splendid  phys- 
ique, affable  and  courteous,  and  has  a  large  circle 
of  genuine  freinds. 


JT.  PAUL,  the  capable  trainmaster  of  the 
Terminal  district  for  the  Illinois  Cen- 
Q  tral  in  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  was 
born  near  Maryville,  Tenn.,  October 
31,  1854.  James  A.  Paul,  his  father  was  a  far- 
mer, and  served  during  the  Civil  war  as  a  lieuten- 
ant in  Thomas'  brigade.  He  is  still  living  at 
Huntsville,  Ala.  His  wife,  who  was  Miss  Susan 
J.  Parks  before  her  marriage,  died  in  1870.  In 
1866  the  family  of  our  subject  moved  from  Ten- 
nessee to  where  Mr.  Paul  received  his  early 
training,  and  also  afterward  attended  the  schools 
of  Mossey  Creek,  Tenn.  From  the  age  of  nine 
to  eighteen,  he  worked  on  his  father's  farm  in 
summer  and  attended  school  in  winter.  At  the 
age  of  eighteen  he  secured  a  position  as  clerk  in 
a  general  store  in  Huntsville,  Ala.,  where  he  re- 


346 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


mained  one  season,  returning  to  the  farm  for  a 
time,  and  later  went  to  Wilson's  Point,  La.,  as 
manager  for  the  firm  of  Meyer  &  Bradford.  He 
was  taken  sick  in  1875,  returned  home,  and  in 
March  1876  worked  his  father's  farm  on  his  .own 
account  until  1879.  In  the  spring  of  that  year 
Mr.  Paul  went  to  Oregon  and  led  the  life  of  a 
cow-boy  until  November  of  that  year.  He 
reached  Cheyenne  with  a  drove  of  cattle,  and  de- 
ciding to  return  to  civilization,  came  to  Hunts- 
ville,  Ala.,  and  in  December  1879  entered  the 
service  of  the  Memphis  &  Charleston  R.  R.  His 
first  work  was  as  brakeman  between  Memphis 
and  Chattanooga.  On  December  ist,  1880,  he 
was  promoted  to  conductor  in  the  freight  service, 
where  he  remained  until  August  n,  1884,  when 
he  severed  his  connection  with  the  road.  He 
then  became  identified  with  the  Louisville,  New 
Orleans  &  Texas  R.  R.  (now  the  Yazoo  &  Mis- 
sissippi Valley  R.  R.),  serving  as  conductor  on 
freight  and  work  trains  until  November  1884, 
when  he  was  promoted  to  the  passenger  service. 
He  held  a  passenger  run  between  New  Orleans 
and  Vicksburg  from  1884  to  1887,  when  he  was 
transferred  to  the  Vicksburg  division,  remaining 
on  the  latter  division  until  April  15,  1888.  He 
then  went  to  the  Texas  &  Pacific  R.  R.  as  yard- 
master  at  New  Orleans,  occupying  that  position 
until  September  15,  of  that  year,  when  he  re- 
turned to  his  former  position  with  the  L.  N.  O. 
&  T.  R.  R.  On  November  20,  1888,  Mr.  Paul 
was  appointed  general  yardmaster  at  Vicksburg, 
Miss.,  remaining  there  until  March  1st,  1890. 
He  then  returned  to  the  train  service  as  a  passen- 
ger conductor  on  the  Vicksburg  division  and 
in  September  1890,  was  appointed  trainmaster 
between  Vicksburg  and  Memphis,  with  head- 
quarters at  the  latter  city.  On  September  ist, 
1895,  he  was  transferred  to  New  Orleans,  to  his 
present  position,  where  his  ability  is  recognized 
by  the  able  manner  in  which  he  is  discharging 
his  duties.  Mr.  Paul  was,  on  March  3rd,  1876, 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Carrie  V.  Roper,  of 
Madison  county,  Ala.,  where  she  was  born  June 
17,  1855.  The  children  which  blessed  their  union 
are,  Edgar  A.,  born  May  i,  1877,  a  stenographer 
for  the  local  freight  agent,  New  Orleans;  May 


E.  born  April  7,  1879,  who  received  her  finishing 
education  at  Oxford  Female  College;  Susie  R. 
born  in  September  1881 ;  Elinor  G.  born  in  Sep- 
tember, 1887;  John  T.  born  in  July,  1892;  James 
W.  born  in  March,  1895;  and  Samuel  H.  born 
July  30,  1899. 

Mr.  Paul  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Or- 
der, (Blue  Lodge),  and  is  also  connected  with 
Division  No.  231,  O.  R.  C.,  of  Vicksburg.  He 
and  his  family  are  adherents  of  the  Methodist 
church,  and  in  politics  he  votes  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party. 


A.  LEWIS,  a  prominent  conductor  in 
the  passenger  service  on  the  Louisi- 
'Q  ana  division  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
residing  in  New  Orleans,  was  born 
January  26,  1854,  in  Pike  county,  Miss.  Lem- 
uel Lewis,  his  father,  now  living  at  New  Or- 
leans, was  for  some  time  deputy  sheriff  of  that 
county,  and  served  during  the  Civil  war  in  Com- 
pany A,  33rd  Miss.  Regt.  His  mother,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Pamelia  Rodgers,  departed 
this  life  in  1876.  Mr.  Lewis  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  of  Mississippi,  and  in  1873 
went  to  Brazos  county,  Texas,  and  was  there  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  a  year.  The  next  year 
(1874)  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Interna- 
tional &  Great  Northern  R.  R.,  and  soon  after- 
ward was  employed  with  a  bridge  gang  on  that 
road.  In  March  of  that  year  he  returned  to? 
Mississippi,  and  worked  in  a  brick  yard  owned 
by  his  father,  and  the  farming  season  of  1875 
was  spent  on  a  cotton  plantation.  September 
1876  marked  his  first  connection  with  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  or,  as  the  road  was  then  called,  the 
New  Orleans,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis  Railroad. 
Beginning  as  a  brakeman  between  Canton  and 
McComb  City,  Miss.,  he  worked  in  that  capacity 
until  December  ist,  1878.  He  was  promoted  on 
the  latter  date  to  conductor  in  the  freight  ser- 
vice on  the  same  division,  and  occupied  that  po- 
sition until  February  1879.  Slack  condition  of 
business  caused  him  to  lose  the  position  and  re- 
turn to  his  former  occupation  of  brakeman,  at 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


347 


which  he  was  employed  until  1880.  He  was 
then  given  a  regular  run  as  conductor,  and  re- 
mained at  that  work  until  1884,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  few  months  spent  at  McComb  City  as 
yardmaster.  From  1884  to  1890  he  was  a  con- 
ductor in  the  freight  and  an  extra  in  the  passen- 
ger service,  excepting  a  part  of  1886,  when  he 
was  yardmaster  at  New  Orleans.  In  1890  he 
received  promotion  to  the  passenger  service  and 
has  been  there  continuously  to  the  present  time- 
In  October  1874,  Mr.  Lewis  married  Miss 
Eliza  Lard,  who  resided  in  Brookhaven,  Miss., 
but  is  a  native  of  Louisiana.  They  have  three 
children :  Lexie,  the  wife  of  J.  K.  Dunn,  of 
Jackson,  Tenn. ;  Sammelia,  wife  of  Dr.  G.  W. 
Robertson,  of  Magnolia,  Miss.,  and  Lelia,  re- 
siding at  home.  Mr.  Lewis  is  a  member  of  Cres- 
cent City  Division  No.  108,  O.  R.  C.,  and  of 
Alpha  Home  Lodge  No.  72,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He 
and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  Politically  he  is  a  Democrat. 
The  successful  career  of  Mr.  Lewis  indicates  him 
as  a  man  of  industry  and  great  worth. 


EORGE  L.  BARNETT,  an  engineer  in 
the  passenger  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  having  a  regular  run  between 
Memphis,  Tenn.,  and  Canton,  Miss., 
has  been  with  the  company  about  thirteen  years. 
He  was  first  in  the  employ  of  the  Nashville, 
Chattanooga  &  St.  Louis  R.  R.,  between  Cowan 
and  Tracy  City,  Tenn.,  and  after  working  there 
two  years  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central  on  the  Memphis  division,  as  fireman  with 
Engineer  James  Fogarty.  A  service  of  two 
years  as  fireman  was  followed  by  promotion  to 
engineer,  since  which  he  has  had  a  regular  run 
on  that  division.  He  has  charge  of  engine  No. 
383  on  his  present  run.  During  his  connection 
with  the  I.  C.  he  has  had  only  one  short  suspen- 
sion in  1890,  and  although  in  several  wrecks, 
has  never  been  injured.  Mr.  Barnett  is  a  native 
of  Tracy  City,  Tenn.,  and  was  born  on  January 
24th,  1868.  His  parents,  James  and  Mary  (Lin- 


ton)  Barnett,  are  residents  of  that  place.  He 
has  two  brothers  in  the  service  of  the  I.  C., 
Charles  J.,  an  engineer  running  out  of  Memphis, 
and  David,  employed  as  fireman  on  the  I.  C.  in 
the  same  place. 

Miss  Mary  Hodges,  of  Aberdeen,  Miss.,  be- 
came the  wife  of  Mr.  Barnett,  and  they  have  a 
family  of  seven  children :  Mary,  Susan,  James, 
Kate,  George,  Lottie  and  Jack.  Mr.  Barnett  is 
a  member  of  William  Renshaw  Lodge,  Division 
No.  23,  B.  of  L.  E.  His  family  attend  the  First 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  Memphis,  and 
they  reside  on  Patton  avenue. 


W.  BRADLEY,  a  well  known  con- 
ductor in  the  freight  service  on  the 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R., 
residing  at  New  Orleans,  was  born 
at  Covington,  La.,  December  27,  1852,  a  son  of 
James  R.  and  Brunetta  (Richardson)  Bradley, 
both  deceased.  After  attending  the  district 
schools  of  his  native  place  until  thirteen  years  of 
age,  he  began  life  as  a  teamster  at  fifty  cents 
per  day,  working  at  that  for  a  period  of  nine 
months.  He  then  went  to  a  lumber  camp  where 
he  worked  a  year  at  seventy-five  cents  per  day. 
With  a  cousin  he  bought  a  photographer's  out- 
fit, and  traveled  through  the  different  villages 
taking  pictures.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  en- 
tered the  employ  of  his  father,  who  was  a 
butcher  by  trade,  and  worked  for  him  until  twen- 
ty-one years  old.  He  then  entered  the  service  of 
the  Illinois  Central  as  a  brakeman  between  Can- 
ton, Miss.,  and  New  Orleans,  and  was,  in  1877, 
promoted  to  conductor  in  the  freight  service, 
having  charge  of  the  local  four  years.  He  re- 
mained with  that  company  until  1884,  and  for 
the  next  five  years,  or  until  1889,  was  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  as 
local  freight  conductor  on  the  New  Orleans  divi- 
sion. He  was  then  given  a  passenger  run  be- 
tween Vicksburg  and  Greenville  which  he  held 
for  ten  months.  Going  from  there  to  New  Or- 
leans, he  was  in  the  freight  service  of  the  Yazoo 


348 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


&  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  until  1890,  when  he 
resigned  to  accept  a  position  as  conductor  in  the 
freight  service  of  the  Texas  &  Pacific  R.  R.,  re- 
maining with  that  company  eight  months.  He 
then  returned  to  the  freight  service  of  the  Yazoo 
&  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.,  on  the  New  Orleans 
division,  and  in  1892  accepted  a  position  as  con- 
ductor of  the  local  on  the  Louisiana  division  of 
the  Illinois  Central.  The  latter  position  was 
held  until  1894,  when  he  retired  from  the  road 
to  become  a  traveling  salesman  for  a  hardware 
firm  in  New  Orleans,  where  he  remained  until 
1896.  In  that  year  he  returned  to  railroad  work 
and  has  since  been  in  his  present  position. 

On  the  igth  of  December,  1876,  Miss  Ida 
Martin,  of  Wilkinson  county,  Miss.,  became  the 
wife  of  Mr.  Bradley.  Four  children  are  in  the 
family,  viz. :  Lillie  E.,  Josie  Ida,  Nettie  Lloyd, 
and  Charles  B.  Mr.  Bradley  is  a  member  of 
Division  No.  108,  O.  R.  C.,  and  Knights  of 
Pythias,  of  New  Orleans,  and  the  Masonic  lodge 
of  Wilson,  La. 


S  MERCER,  a  well  known  pas- 

nsenger  engineer  on  the  south  end  of 
the  Illinois  Central  system,  began  work 
as  a  fireman  between  Elizabethtown 
and  Paducah,  Ky.,  with  Engineer  Thomas  Dar- 
vey.  After  serving  eighteen  months  as  fireman 
he  was  promoted  to  engineer  by  Mr.  Robb,  mas- 
ter mechanic  at  Elizabethtown,  and  given  charge 
of  engine  No.  16.  He  remained  in  that  branch 
of  the  service  two  years,  and  then  accepted  a 
position  with  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  R.  R., 
his  entire  connection  with  that  road  covering  a 
period  of  five  years.  Returning  to  the  service 
of  the  I.  C.  at  Paducah,  Ky.,  he  has  since  had  a 
regular  run  in  the  passenger  service  on  engine 
No.  389,  between  Paducah,  Ky.,  and  Memphis, 
Tenn.  He  has  been  in  several  railroad  accidents, 
but  was  never  injured  himself,  nor  any  of  his 
crew.  Mr.  Mercer  was  first  married  to  Miss 
Susan  E.  Reynolds,  who  died  in  July  1895.  He 
was  later  united  to  Mrs.  Amanda  (Porter)  Hull. 


Thomas  S.,  a  son  by  his  first  wife,  is  a  brakeman 
on  the  I.  C.  between  Memphis  and  Vicksburg. 
Mr.  Mercer  belongs  to  Pawn  River  Lodge,  No. 
244,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Greenville,  Ky.,  and  is  also 
a  member  of  Division  No.  225,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Pa- 
ducah. A  connection  of  twenty  years  with  the 
I  C.  has  been  Mr.  Mercer's  record,  showing 
that  he  discharges  his  duties  in  a  manner  credit- 
able to  himself,  and  satisfactorily  to  his  superiors. 
While  in  Memphis  he  makes  his  home  on  Vir- 
ginia avenue. 


W.  STANTON,  a  conductor  of 
ability  on  the  New  Orleans  divi- 
Q  sion  of  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi 
Valley  R.  R.  residing  at  Vicks- 
burg, Miss.,  was  born  in  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  on 
January  12,  1865,  the  son  of  Thomas  and  Mary 
(Walker)  Stanton,  who  followed  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  departed  this  life  in  1880  and  1867 
respectively.  Mr.  Stanton  acquired  his  early 
training  in  the  public  schools  of  Indianapolis, 
afterward  taking  a  commercial  course  at  the 
Central  Normal  College,  of  Danville,  Ind.,  gradu- 
ating in  1886.  The  following  year  he  went  to 
Great  Falls,  Mont.,  and  took  up  a  land  claim, 
following  the  life  of  a  ranchman  for  one  year. 
He  then  accepted  a  position  as  bookkeeper  with 
Churchill  &  Webster,  grocers,  of  Great  Falls, 
and  after  a  year's  service  with  that  firm  he  clerked 
in  the  dry  goods  store  of  Meyers  &  Co.  of  the 
same  place.  He  next  embarked  in  the  restaurant 
business  in  Great  Falls,  remaining  one  year  in 
that  business.  In  1889  he  began  railroad  life 
as  a  brakeman  on  the  Great  Northern  R.  R., 
between  Minot,  Dak.,  and  Great  Falls,  Mont. 
After  one  year  on  that  road  he  transferred  to  the 
Montana  Central  R.  R.  running  between  Great 
Falls  and  Butte.  In  1890  he  received  promotion 
to  conductor,  continuing  in  that  position  until 
1896,  two  years  being  spent  in  the  passenger  ser- 
vice of  that  road,  and  in  the  entire  six  years  never 
lost  a  day  or  a  trip.  In  1896  he  became  identi- 
fied with  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R. 


M.  VAN  PATTEN. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


351 


as  a  conductor,  and  with  the  exception  of  three 
months  in  the  service  of  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore 
&  Eastern  R.  R.,  and  a  short  leave  of  absence  in 
1897,  he  has  since  remained  with  the  road,  serv- 
ing in  a  highly  successful  manner. 

On  the  1 5th  of  May,  1897,  Mr.  Stanton  and 
Miss  Nora  Coiner,  of  Seattle,  were  married,  the 
lady  being  a  native  of  Galway,  Ireland,  born  in 
1874,  and  emigrating  to  America  in  1885.  They 
are  the  happy  parents  of  a  fine  boy,  Wallace  H. 
Stanton,  born  January  12,  1898.  Two  of  Mr. 
Stanton's  brothers  are  prominent  citizens  of 
Montana.  George  H.  an  attorney  and  state  sena- 
tor, and  J.  W.  Stanton  is  a  prominent  attorney 
of  Butte.  Mr.  Stanton  with  his  estimable  wife 
are  members  of  the  Christian  church.  In  poli- 
tics he  votes  with  the  Democratic  party.  He 
possesses  abilities  of  a  superior  character,  and 
should  make  his  mark  as  a  railroad  man. 


VAN  PATTEN  is  a  stationary  en- 
gineer in  charge  of  the  main  shop 
LQ  at  Centralia,  111.  He  is  an  old  and 
respected  employe  of  the  I.  C.,  hav- 
ing first  entered  the  service  of  the  company  on 
February  i,  1861,  at  Centralia,  under  R.  P.  Ox- 
ley.  In  1862  he  took  a  position  as  head  engineer 
on  a  southern  packet,  plying  between  Memphis 
and  Vicksburg.  Resigning  this  position  at  the 
end  of  six  months  he  went  to  Chillicothe,  Ohio, 
working  for  a  time  in  the  machine  shops  on  the 
Marietta  &  Cincinnati  R.  R.  From  the  latter 
place  he  went  to  the  shops  of  the  Bellefontaine 
Railroad  at  Galion,  Ohio.  Returning  to  Cen- 
tralia in  the  fall  of  1864,  he  again  took  up  his 
work  in  the  shops  of  the  I.  C.  there,  and  on 
February  i,  1865,  was  promoted  to  engineer  and 
placed  in  charge  of  engine  No.  32,  his  run  be- 
ing on  the  local  from  Centralia  to  Cairo.  His 
second  trip  was  in  the  passenger  service  with 
A.  N.  Putnam  as  conductor.  For  thirteen  years 
and  six  months  our  subject  ran  on  the  Centralia 
district,  and  on  the  same  engine,  No.  32.  He 
bears  the  distinction  of  having  run  on  all  tracks 
20 


of  the  I.  C.  south  of  Chicago  and  Amboy,  and 
also  made  several  trips  south  of  the  Ohio  river. 
He  ran  the  first  regular  engine  equipped  with  the 
Westinghouse  air-brake  and  diamond  stocks, 
also  the  first  regular  with  an  extension  front 
end,  viz. :  engine  No.  133,  I.  C.  build.  He  hasj 
filled  his  present  responsible  position  since  No- 
vember 3,  1893. 

Mr.  Van  Patten  is  an  eastern  man,  and  was 
born  at  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  where  he  acquired 
his  first  knowledge  of  machinery  in  Clute  Bros.' 
foundry  and  machine  shops,  serving  an  appren- 
ticeship in  the  shops  at  that  place. 


M.  JONES,  chief  clerk  in  the  freight 
department  of  the  Yazoo  &  Missis- 
iO  s'PPi  Valley  R.  R.  at  Vicksburg, 
Miss.,  was  born  in  Jasper  county,  in 
that  state,  on  May  5,  1861,  and  is  the  son  of 
Rev.  Ransom  J.  and  Sarah  (Mounger)  Jones. 
Rev.  Mr.  Jones  is  a  minister  of  the  Methodist 
church,  and  was  presiding  elder  of  the  Meridan 
(Miss.)  district  for  four  years.  He  was  also 
for  many  years  chaplain  of  the  state  militia.  He 
and  his  estimable  wife  are  now  residing  at  Crys- 
tal Springs,  Miss.,  where  Mr.  Jones  is  still  en- 
gaged in  active  work. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  in 
the  private  schools  of  Meridan,  and  attended  the 
University  of  Mississippi  from  1882  until.  1885. 
In  the  latter  year  he  began  the  study  of  law  in 
the  offices  of  L.  N.  Dantzler,  at  Moss  Point, 
Miss.,  and  pursued  his  studies  nearly  two  years. 
He  then  felt  disinclined  to  permanently  enter 
the  legal  profession,  and  in  1890  became  identi- 
fied with  the  Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Texas 
R.  R.  (now  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R. 
R.)  as  clerk  for  the  store-keeper  at  Vicksburg. 
He  remained  in  that  position  until  March  16, 
1893,  when  he  was  assigned  to  a  clerkship  in  the 
freight  office  there.  On  the  I4th  of  September, 
1899,  he  was  promoted  to  chief  clerk,  and  is 
now  filling  that  position  with  credit  to  himself 
and  satisfaction  to  the  company.  Mr.  Jones  was, 


352 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


on  October  u,  1889,  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Nettie  Rowe,  a  charming  and  accomplished  New 
Orleans  lady,  who  died  on  March  6,  1893, 
mourned  by  a  large  circle  of  sincere  friends. 
While  in  the  University,  Mr.  Jones  joined  the 
Delta  Si  society,  and  still  retains  his  membership. 
He  is  an  active  member  of  the  Methodist  church, 
and  affiliates  politically  with  the  Democratic 
party. 


O.  KORNBECK,  a  successful  and 
popular  conductor  in  the  freight  ser- 
Q  vice  on  the  Louisiana  division  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  was  born  in  1862  at 
New  Orleans.  P.  O.  Kornbeck  Sr.,  the  father 
of  our  subject,  sprung  from  the  Danish  nobility, 
and  on  account  of  religious  troubles  was  com- 
pelled to  leave  Denmark.  The  family  was  a 
prominent  one  in  that  country ;  one  of  them,  I. 
N.  Kornbeck,  was,  in  1784,  commander  in  the 
Danish  navy.  A  picture  in  India  ink,  of  one  of 
his  vessels  is  in  the  possession  of  our  subject, 
and  quite  a  valuable  relic.  Mr.  Kornbeck  Sr., 
at  the  age  of  twenty,  took  command  of  a  sailing 
vessel  and  sailed  for  America,  landing  at  New 
Orleans.  On  account  of  his  youthful  appear- 
ance the  customs  officials  refused  to  permit  him 
to  enter  the  port,  but  the  matter  was  finally  ad- 
justed and  he  was  permitted  to  land.  He  after- 
wards sent  for  his  parents,  and  with  his  father 
engaged  in  the  coast  trade,  having  several  ves- 
sels out  of  New  Orleans.  As  a  citizen  of  New 
Orleans  Mr.  Kornbeck  Sr.  is  well  remembered, 
as  he  was  for  twelve  years  cashier  of  the  Mutual 
National  bank  of  that  city,  holding  that  respon- 
sible position  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  1884. 
When  the  flags  of  all  nations  were  presented  to 
the  city  of  New  Orleans,  at  a  celebration,  he 
was  appointed  to  present  the  Danish  colors, 
which  he  did,  delivering  one  of  the  finest  ora- 
tions of  the  day,  the  Danes  of  the  city  being 
justly  proud  of  such  a  worthy  representative. 
He  served  during  the  Civil  war,  and  with  an- 
other man  safely  conveyed  several  millions  of 
dollars  in  Confederate  money  to  Richmond,  a 


hazardous  undertaking.  He  was  a  strikingly 
fine  looking  man  and  possessed  of  a  generous 
heart,  as  he  reared  and  educated  several  orphans 
besides  his  own  family.  He  died  at  the  age  of 
fifty-two,  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  The 
wife  of  Mr.  Kornbeck  Sr.,  and  the  mother  of 
our  subject,  who  died  in  1898,  was  a  beautiful 
Creole  lady,  a  member  of  the  Desetine  family  of 
New  Orleans. 

P.  O.  Kornbeck,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
after  leaving  school  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Shakespeares,  cabinet  makers  of  New  Orleans, 
and  served  four  years  there,  learning  the  trade 
of  a  pattern  maker.  He  then  became  identified 
with  the  Illinois  Central,  working  as  a  pattern 
maker  for  a  few  years.  Confinement  having  a 
bad  effect  on  his  health,  he  went  to  the  road  ser- 
vice, and  after  a  short  service  as  brakeman  was 
promoted  to  conductor,  and  is  now  successfully 
serving  on  a  through  run  on  the  Louisiana  divi- 
sion. Mr.  Kornbeck  is  a  member  of  Division 
No.  368,  O.  R.  C,  of  McComb  City.  He  mar- 
ried a  daughter  of  Captain  Hurst,  of  New  Or- 
leans, and  they  have  one  child,  a  daughter.  He 
is  a  man  of  pleasant  manners,  a  fluent  conversa- 
tionalist, and  very  highly  esteemed  among  the 
employes  on  the  Louisiana  division  of  the  road. 


March 


,  LAUDE  W.  TALIFARO,  a  rising  young 
conductor  in  the  freight  service  on  the 
Louisiana  division  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, was  born  in  Lafayette,  Ind.,  on 
4,  1872.  William  Henry  Talifaro,  his 
father,  whose  parents  were  natives  of  France, 
is  at  present  a  conductor  in  the  passenger  ser- 
vice of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  R.  R.,  and  is 
a  man  of  wide  experience  in  railroad  work.  ( )ur 
subject  became  identified  with  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, September  25,  1891,  as  brakeman  on  the 
Cherokee  (Iowa)  division  under  C.  K.  Dixon. 
In  1895  he  was  transferred  to  the  Louisiana 
division,  and  received  promotion  to  conductor 
in  1896,  which  position  he  is  filling  with  satis- 
faction at  the  present  time.  He  has  never  been 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


353 


laid  off  or  discharged.  Mr.  Tali  faro  married 
Miss  Isbell,  and  they  have  two  children,  Irene, 
at  school,  and  Bessie,  a  beautiful  child,  at  home 
He  is  connected  socially  with  Division  No.  264, 
1!.  of  R.  T.,  of  McComb  City.  His  career  with 
the  road  has  been  highly  successful,  having  never 
been  injured  by  accidents.  He  .  discharges  his 
duties  in  a  creditable  and  satisfactory  manner, 
and  is  considered  a  rising  man  on  the  road. 


111.  To  our  subject  and  his  wife  has  been  given 
one  child,  Oliver  W.,  born  September  6,  1895. 
He  is  now  a  bright  little  chap  of  five  years.  Mr. 
Ensor  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  460,  B.  of 
L.  E.,  Lodge  No.  408.  B.  of  L.F.,  both  of  Spring- 
field, 111.,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
Order  at  Marine,  III. 


'ILLIAM  H.  ENSOR,  a  popular 
young  engineer  on  the  Louisiana  di- 
vision of  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road, is  a  son  of  James  H.  Ensor,  a 
resident  of  East  St.  Louis,  111.,  where  he  is.  car 
inspector  for  the  Vandalia  Railroad.  Our  sub- 
ject commenced  his  railroad  career  in  1882  in 
the  engine  department  of  the  St.  Louis  &  Narrow 
Gauge  Railroad,  ami  was  employed  there  until 
the  fall  of  1886,  when  he  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Cairo  Short  Line,  where  he  remained  un- 
til the  spring  of  1887  when  he  went  to  the  St. 
Louis  Transfer  company  as  fireman,  remaining 
until  the  fall  of  1889.  He  then  commenced  fir- 
ing for  the  Merchants  1.5 ridge  company,  but  in 
the  spring  of  1890  went  to  the  Yandalia  Railroad 
as  fireman  and  was  with  that  company  until  the 
spring  of  1893,  then  fired  for  the  Chicago  & 
Alton  Railroad  until  May  1893,  when  he  com- 
menced work  in  the  machine  shops  of  the  Chi- 
cago, Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  and  was 
employed  there  until  July  i,  1893.  On  July  6, 
1893.  ne  entered  the  service  of  what  was  then 
known  as  the  St.  Louis  &  Eastern  Railroad  as  a 
fireman,  but  in  the  spring  of  1894  was  promoted 
to  the  right  side  of  the  cab  and  ran  extra  untif 
the  fall  of  1896,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he 
was  given  a  regular  run,  remaining  there  until 
the  fall  of  1899!  He  commenced  work  for  the 
Illinois  Central  at  McComb  City,  Miss.,  Febru- 
ary 21,  1900,  and  is  on  the  extra  list. 

W.  H.  Ensor  was  born  July  19,  1868.  and 
was  married  July  19,  1894,  to  Miss  Eleanor 
Brant,  a  daughter  of  George  Brant,  of  Marine. 


JOSEPH  R.  LILLY,  a  popular  and  rising 
young  engineer  in  the  freight  service  on 
the  Louisiana  division  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, began  railroad  life  in  1884.  In  that 
year  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  in  the 
mechanical  department  at  the  McComb  City 
shops,  where  he  served  a  full  term  of  four  years. 
He  then  entered  the  road  service  as  fireman,  and 
after  two  years  work  in  the  freight  and  passenger 
departments  was  promoted  to  engineer.  At 
that  time  firemen  were  required  to  serve  three 
years,  but  a  request  signed  by  the  master  me- 
chanic and  others,  testifying  to  his  proficiency, 
resulted  in  his  promotion  after  two  years'  work. 
Mr.  Lilly  has  been  with  the  Illinois  Central  as 
engineer  for  ten  years,  being  in  continuous  ser- 
vice with  no  lay-offs.  He  has  charge  of  engine 
No.  714,  a  Mogul,  and  is  in  line  for  promotion. 
Mr.  Lilly  was  born  in  Kemper  county,  Miss., 
and  is  the  son  of  Albert  Lilly  formerly  a  black- 
smith at  Hazlehurst,  Miss.,  and  now  residing 
with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Mills,  in  McComb  City. 
His  brother,  Albert  A.  Lilly,  whose  biography 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  work  met  an  untimely 
death  in  an  accident  in  the  McComb  City  yards, 
on  July  30,  1898. 

Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  schools  of 
Hazlehurst,  and  was  from  boyhood  of  an  in- 
ventive and  mechanical  turn  of  mind.  At  the 
age  of  twelve  he  built  a  train  of  cars,  and  at1 
fifteen  built  three  four-wheel  wagons,  which  he 
sold  at  ten  dollars  each.  He  also  built  a  bicycle 
with  forty  inch  wheels,  which  he  rode,  it  being 
the  only  one  in  that  part  of  the  country.  When 
fifteen  years  old  he  constructed  a  three-horse 
power  engine,  which  was  perfect  in  every  detail, 


354 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


doing  the  work  at  odd  times  in  his  father's  shop, 
and  having  no  patterns  and  but  few  tools.  His 
father  strongly  opposed  this  work  on  account 
of  the  expense,  and  our  subject  was  compelled 
to  hide  the  different  parts  of  the  engine.  It  was 
a  matter  of  great  difficulty  to  get  the  money,  to 
pay  the  freight  on  the  material  used,  but  he 
finally  overcame  all  obstacles  and  perfected  his 
engine.  During  his  connection  with  the  I.  C.  he 
has  improved  his  engines  with  many  devices  of 
his  own  invention.  Mr.  Lilly  is  a  member  of 
Division  No.  196,  B.  of  L.  E.  In  religious  mat- 
ters he  is  identified  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  He  is  a  man  of  fine  personal  appear- 
ance, is  devoted  to  his  work,  in  which,  through 
skill  and  strict  attention,  he  has  been  eminently 
successful. 


1LLIAM  D.  WORDEN,  an  engineer 
in  the  passenger  department  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  between  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  and  Grenada,  Miss.,  was  born 
at  Memphis  on  March  28th,  1870.  He  is  a  son 
of  Daniel  D.  and  Laberta  Worden,  residents  of 
Memphis,  where  the  former  is  engaged  as  mana- 
ger and  bookkeeper  at  the  Edwards  livery  stable. 
Mr.  Worden  began  his  career  with  the  I.  C.  in 
February  1891,  as  fireman  on  engine  No.  196 
with  Engineer  John  Ryan,  in  the  yards  of  the 
company  at  Memphis.  He  was  employed  there 
over  a  year,  when  he  was  placed  in  the  road 
service  as  fireman  on  engine  No.  1159,  between 
Memphis  and  Grenada,  Miss.  He  then  went  on 
No.  734  with  Engineer  G.  L.  Barnett,  and  re- 
mained there  until  his  promotion  to  engineer  on 
August  12,  1895.  Being  then  sent  to  the  Talla- 
hassee gravel  pit  as  engineer,  he  was  occupied 
there  for  two  months,  when  he  was  given  charge 
of  a  regular  run  in  the  freight  service  between 
Memphis  and  Grenada.  On  November  12,  1899, 
he  was  promoted  to  the  passenger  department  on 
the  same  run,  and  is  now  serving  there.  Mr. 
Worden  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Kate 
Strale,  of  Memphis,  an  estimable  young  lady  of 


that  city.  He  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  23, 
B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Memphis.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Episcopal  church.  They  re- 
side at  No.  610  Shelby  street,  in  the  city  of  Mem- 
phis. 


Tenn. 


HARLES  J.  BARNETT,  an  engineer 
in  the  passenger  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central  on  the  Memphis  division,  was 
born  February  4,  1872,  at  Tracy  City, 
His  father,  James  L.  Barnett,  a  miner 
by  occupation,  still  resides  there.  Two  brothers 
who  were  former  I.  C.  employes  are  now  dead. 
John,  who  was  killed  in  a  wreck  on  the  I.  C.  road, 
November  6,  1899,  and  James  Scott  Barnett,  a 
fireman,  who  died  during  the  same  year.  Charles 
J.  Barnett  entered  the  services  of  the  I.  C.  at 
Water  Valley,  Miss.,  on  June  i,  1891,  as  fire- 
man with  Engineer  Long,  where  he  was  for 
seven  months,  and  later  was  on  a  run  as  fireman 
between  Water  Valley  and  Jackson,  Tenn.  On 
account  of  slack  business  he  was  then  retired 
from  the  service  until  February  1892,  when  he 
was  appointed  night  watchman  in  the  I.  C.  shops 
at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  holding  that  position  until 
October  of  that  year,  when  he  returned  to  the 
road  service  as  fireman.  On  June  17,  1895,  he 
was  examined  for  promotion  to  engineer,  and 
being  successful  was  placed  in  charge  of  engine 
No.  1367,  and  later  of  No.  733,  in  the  construc- 
tion department.  He  was  afterward  given  No. 
736,  in  the  freight  service  between  Memphis  and 
Grenada.  He  also  served  for  two  months  on 
the  Aberdeen  division,  but  was  transferred  to 
his  former  run,  and  in  November  1899  was  pro- 
moted to  the  passenger  service,  where  he  has 
since  remained.  During  his  railroad  career  he 
has  only  suffered  one  slight  injury,  which  hap- 
pened at  the  Tallahassee,  Miss.,  gravel  pit. 

Mr.  Barnett  married  Miss  Alma  Morit2  of 
Tracy  City,  Tenn.,  and  with  her  has  established 
a  comfortable  home  on  Preston  avenue,  in  the 
city  of  Memphis.  He  is  a  member  of  Division 
No.  23,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  his  home  city. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


355 


H.  SMITH,  a  popular  young  con- 
ductor in  the  freight  service  of 
Q  the  Illinois  Central  on  the  Louisi- 
ana division,  is  a  native  of  Que- 
bec, Can.,  and  is  a  son  of  VV.  H.  Smith  Sr.  who 
died  on  September  9,  1892,  and  is  survived  by 
his  wife,  the  mother  of  our  subject,  who  resides 
with  him.  Mr.  Smith  acquired  his  first  know- 
ledge of  railroad  work  on  the  Georgia  Pacific 
R.  R.,  out  of  Birmingham,  Ala.,  where  in  De- 
cember 1892,  he  was  promoted  to  conductor.  He 
remained  with  that  road  as  conductor  in  the 
freight  and  passenger  service  until  1899,  when 
he  resigned  to  accept  a  position  with  the  Illinois 
Central.  He  worked  as  brakeman  on  the  latter 
road  until  January  1900,  when  he  was  promoted 
to  his  present  run  as  conductor.  His  railroad 
career  has  been  very  successful,  having  had  no 
mishaps.  Mr.  Smith  married  a  daughter  of 
Captain  Lem  Sullivan,  a  well  known  citizen  of 
Mobile,  Ala.  They  have  two  children,  Willie, 
now  five  years  old,  and  Grace,  aged  two.  He 
became  connected  with  Avondale  Division  No. 
334,  O.  R.  C.,  at  Avondale,  Ala.,  in  1894,  and 
was  transferred  to  Pearl  River  Division  No. 
304,  at  Canton,  Miss.,  during  the  last  year.  Mr. 
Smith  is  an  upright,  hard-working  young  man, 
who  is  fast  making  friends  among  the  employes 
of  the  road. 


DRYING  C.  OLMSTEAD,  the  affable  chief 
clerk  in  the  yardmaster's  office  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  at  New  Orleans,  was  born  in 
that  city  on  May  28,  1877,  and  is  the  son 
of  Irving  and  Agnes   (Hendrick)   Olmstead,  of 
whom  the  latter  survives,  and  resides  in  New 
Orleans.     Irving  C.  Olmstead  Sr.,  who  died  in 
1878,  was  for  many  years  connected  with  the 
wholesale  grocery  firm  of  Flash,  Lewis  &  Co., 
of  New  Orleans.     Irving  C.,  of  this  sketch,  was 
given  a  good  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  city,  and  also  took  a  commercial  course 
in  St.  Joseph's  business  college.     After  graduat- 
ing he   followed  the  occupation  of  office  man, 


entering  the  employ  of  D.  Galdreath,  a  promi- 
nent sugar  broker,  where  he  worked  for  two 
years.  He  then  accepted  a  position  with  J. 
Schwartz  &  Co.,  carriage  manufacturers,  where 
he  was  employed  for  two  years.  The  following 
two  years  were  spent  in  the  office  of  James 
Zuntz,  Esq.,  as  clerk  and  stenographer.  On 
October  I2th,  1896,  Mr.  Olmstead  entered  the 
service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  chief  clerk  in  the 
office  of  Mr.  James  Morrison,  then  general  yard- 
master  at  New  Orleans,  and  continued  in  the 
same  position  with  his  successor,  Mr.  W.  R. 
Herbert,  and  is  now  holding  that  position.  Mr. 
Olmstead  is  a  young  gentleman  of  pleasing  ad- 
dress and  manners,  very  popular  among  his  fel- 
low employes,  and  being  thorough  in  his  work 
bids  fair  to  rise  to  prominence.  In  his  religious 
belief  he  is  a  Catholic,  and  in  politics  upholds 
the  principles  of  Democracy. 


H.  RALPH,  a  well  known  conductor 
in  the  freight  service  on  the  New  Or- 
LQ  leans  division  of  the  Yazoo  &  Mis- 
sissippi Valley  R.  R.,  is  a  native  of 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  was  born  on  December  25, 
1867.  He  is  a  son  of  A.  H.  Ralph,  who  was  a 
farmer,  and  served  during  the  Civil  war  in 
Forrest's  cavalry,  and  lost  his  life  in  1868.  He 
was  followed  to  the  grave  by  his  wife,  who  died 
in  1869.  Mr.  Ralph  attended  the  schools  of 
Covington,  Tenn.,  and  also  the  A.  &  M.  college 
at  Henderson  in  that  state.  In  1882  he  went  to 
the  state  of  Texas,  and  engaged  in  the  stock  busi- 
ness, and  was  also  in  that  business  in  several 
of  the  western  states  and  territories.  He  came 
to  Vicksburg  in  1890,  and  in  the  following  year 
entered  the  service  of  the  Louisville,  New  Or- 
leans &  Texas  R.  R.  (now  the  Yazoo  &  Missis- 
sippi Valley  R.  R.)  as  a  flagman  on  a  freight 
train,  between  Vicksburg  and  New  Orleans, 
under  Conductor  McGuire,  the  present  efficient 
yardmaster  at  Vicksburg.  He  was  promoted 
in  1893  to  conductor  in  the  freight  service,  and 
has  successfully  held  that  position  to  the  present 


356 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


time,  having  a  regular  run  between  Yicksburg 
and  New  Orleans.  During  a  term  of  seven 
years  he  has  never  lost  a  run  on  account  of  sick- 
ness or  any  other  cause. 

On  December  27,  1892.  Mr.  Ralph  was 
united  in  mariage  to  Miss  Nellie  Murphy,  of 
Yicksburg,  but  a  native  of  the  city  of  Dublin, 
Ireland,  who  came  to  America  at  the  age  of  six 
years.  Four  fine  children  have  been  born  to 
them,  viz :  Orlena,  Alfred  Roy,  George  Dewey, 
and  Thelma.  Mr.  Ralph  is  a  member  of  R.  E. 
Lee  Lodge,  K.  of  P.,  and  Division  No.  231,  O. 
R.  C.,  both  of  Vicksburg.  The  family  of  Mr. 
Ralph  have  always  been  identified  with  the 
Catholic  church,  and  politically  he  advocates  the 
principles  of  Democracy. 


IRAM  HILL,  passenger  conductor  on 
the  Evansville  district  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  is  a  native  of  London,  Ohio, 
having  been  born  there  January  5th, 
1864.  His  father,  John  Hill,  who  died  in  1881, 
moved  with  his  family  to  Kansas  where  our  sub- 
ject attended  school  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
began  railroading  as  water  boy  for  a  section  crew 
on  the  Rock  Island  Railroad.  He  continued  in 
this  capacity  one  year  and  then  took  a  man's 
place,  drawing  man's  wages,  for  fourteen 
months,  on  the  Iowa  division  at  Colfax,  Iowa. 
After  a  short  time  in  a  brick  yard,  where  his 
work  was  very  hard,  he  quit,  and  went  back  to 
the  Rock  Island  with  an  extra  gang.  June  i, 
1881,  he  went  to  work  for  the  Chicago,  Milwau- 
kee &  St.  Paul,  and  August  of  the  same  year  he 
returned  to  the  Rock  Island.  September  12, 
1883,  he  was  given  a  train  and  stayed  with  that 
company  until  March  15,  1891,  when  he  began 
work  on  the  Union  Pacific  at  North  Platte,  re- 
maining until  February  1892.  In  March  follow- 
ing he  entered  the  service  of  the  Ohio  Valley 
Railroad  as  conductor  in  freight  service,  and  in 
1895  he  received  a  passenger  run,  his  present 
service  being  between  Evansville  and  Hopkins- 
ville.  Mr.  Hill  has  a  very  fine  record,  having 


never  received  an  injury.  He  is  a  self-made1 
man.  He  married  a  Miss  Ogle,  of  Stewart,  la., 
and  they  have  two  children,  Wayne  Ogle  and 
Martha.  Mr.  Hill  is  a  member  of  Howell  Div- 
ision No.  381,  O.  R.  C.,  and  also  belongs  to  the 
K.  of  P.  of  Stewart,  Iowa,  and  Tent  No.  185 
K.  O.  T.  M. 


M.  FAUQUIER,  a  trusted  employe  of 
the  Illinois  Central  in  the  capacity  of 
train  dispatcher,  at  McComb  City, 
Miss.,  is  a  man  of  wide  experience  in 
telegraph  service.  His  career  began  on  June  17, 
1875,  as  telegraph  operator  on  the  Iowa  Central 
Railroad,  and  the  following  year  on  the  Oilman, 
Clinton  &  Springfield  (111.)  R.  R.,  now  a  part 
of  the  I.  C.  system,  where  he  was  employed  for 
a  year.  On  June  10,  1877,  he  went  again  to 
the  service  of  the  Iowa  Central  R.  R.,  and  re- 
mained with  that  company  four  years.  He  then 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande 
R.  R.  as  operator  in  the  construction  service, 
continuing  in  that  position  until  the  road  was 
completed  to  Durango,  Colo.  Returning  to  the 
employ  of  the  Iowa  Central,  he  served  that  com- 
pany until  October  1887  as  dispatcher,  when  he 
went  to  the  Soo  Line,  remaining  with  that  com- 
pany until  July  1888.  His  next  work  was  as 
dispatcher  on  the  Chicago  &  Great  Western  R  R., 
where  he  was  occupied  until  December  1890, 
when  he  took  a  similar  position  on  the  Atchison. 
Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  R.  R.,  on  the  Chicago  divi- 
sion of  that  road.  He  resigned  on  August  3, 
1891,  and  immediately  became  identified  as  dis- 
patcher with  the  Illinois  Central  on  the  Chicago 
division  between  Champaign  and  Centralia.  111. 
On  December  17,  1892,  he  was  transferred  to 
the  Louisiana  division  of  the  I.  C.,  with  head- 
quarters at  McComb  City,  Miss.,  where  he  is 
serving  at  the  present  time  with  eminent  satis- 
faction, his  hours  of  duty  being  from  4  :oo  P. 
M.  until  12:00  M.,  in  charge  of  all  work  on  the 
line  between  McComb  City  and  Canton.  His 
duties  are  quite  onerous,  as  in  addition  to  the 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


357 


regular  passenger  and  freight  trains,  he  handles 
a  large  number  of  gravel  trains. 

( )ur  subject  is  a  clear,  cool-headed  man, 
well  fitted  for  his  work.  He  has  been  a  dis- 
patcher for  twenty  years,  having  a  clear  record 
with  no  discharges  and  no  railroad  property 
damaged  during  his  connection  with  the  roads  he 
has  served.  Mr.  Fauquier  is  a  native  of  Iowa, 
born  in  October  1856.  He  was,  in  December 
1877,  married  to  Miss  Alice  E.  Cooper,  of  Sears- 
boro,  Iowa,  their  union  being  blessed  by  three 
children,  Lula,  Chauncey  and  Ray,  the  second  of 
whom  is  an  employe  in  the  I.  C.  store  room  at 
McComb  City.  He  belongs  to  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
Elks  and  Masons.  Mr.  Fauquier  ranks  high  as 
a  citizen  of  McComb  City,  where  he  resides  and 
has  a  substantial  home. 


L.  JAQUITH  is  the  highly  efficient 
commercial  and  local  agent,  in  the 
traffic  and  transportation  department, 
on  the  New  Orleans  division  of  the 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.,  at  Vicksburg, 
Miss'.  He  was  born  in  Altmar,  in  the  state  of 
New  York,  on  September  2gt\i,  1842,  and  is  a 
son  of  John  W.  and  Mary  C.  (Henderson) 
Jaquith,  who  were  prosperous  farmers  of  that 
place,  and  who  departed  this  life  in  1874  and 
1878  respectively. 

Mr.  Jaquith  received  his  early  training  in 
the  district  schools  of  his  native  county,  and  af- 
terward attended  the  Pulaski  Academy  in  that 
state.  In  1862  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and 
there  secured  a  position  with  the  Adams  Express 
company,  as  a  clerk  in  the  local  office  at  Pilot 
Knob,  on  the  Iron  Mountain  R.  R.,  where  he 
remained  until  1864.  He  then  entered  the  rail- 
way mail  service  on  that  road,  between  Pilot 
Knob  and  St.  Louis,  and  in  May  1864,  went  to 
Yicksburg  as  agent  of  the  Parker  Express  com- 
pany, a  line  operating  between  St.  Louis  and 
New  Orleans.  He  was  in  that  position  until  the 


autumn  of  1866,  and  in  the  spring  of  the  follow- 
ing year  went  into  the  general  commission  busi- 
ness at  Vicksburg,  returning  to  St.  Louis  in 
1868  and  entering  the  service  of  the  Iron  Moun- 
tain R.  R.  as  clerk  at  Pilot  Knob.  He  remained 
in  that  position  until  the  summer  of  1869,  when 
he  again  returned  to  Vicksburg  and  was  engaged 
as  clerk  in  a  mercantile  house  until  the  fall  of 

1871.  He  then  became  identified  with  the  North 
Louisiana  &  Texas  R.  R.  as  cotton  clerk  at  Delta. 
La.,  serving  in  that  capacity  until  January   1st, 

1872.  Going  from  the  latter  road  to  the  Vicks- 
burg &   Meridan   R.   R.,   he   was  appointed  as- 
sistant   agent    at    Vicksburg,    Miss.,    remaining 
there   until   October    1880,   when   he  accepted  a 
position  with  the  Yicksburg  street  railway,  and 
the  Mississippi  Valley,  Ship  Island  &  Pensacola 
R.  R..  with  offices  at  Vicksburg. 

He  held  the  first  named  position  until  Sep- 
tember 1882,  and  continued  in  the  latter  position, 
a  large  portion  of  the  time  as  conductor  in  the 
construction  service,  engaged  in  building  the 
road  from  Vicksburg  to  Inglesicle,  Miss.,  a  dis- 
tance of  twenty-five  miles.  During  the  con- 
struction period  of  that  road,  Mr.  Jaquith  filled 
various  positions,  from  section  foreman  to  super- 
intendent. In  the  spring  of  1882,  financial  em- 
barrassment and  the  overflow  of  the  Mississippi 
river  caused  the  suspension  of  the  road,  and  ne- 
gotiations were  then  opened  with  R.  T.  Wilson, 
of  New  York,  through  which  a  sale  was  effected, 
and  operations  were  resumed  in  July  1882.  Mr. 
Jaquith  still  holds  the  receipt  of  J.  M.  Edwards, 
the  assistant  treasurer,  for  $63.66,  representing 
the  total  earnings  of  the  system  for  the  month  of 
July  1882.  From  that  insignificant  sum  the 
earnings  grew  to  over  five  million  dollars  in 
1892.  The  road  is  now  a  part  of  the  Yazoo  & 
Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  system.  In  August 
1882,  Mr.  Jaquith  resigned  his  position  on  that 
road,  and  took  charge  of  the  Vicksburg  Cotton 
Compress,  where  he  remained  until  1883,  when 
he  was  tendered  his  present  position.  He  has 
now  occupied  that  position  seventeen  years,  and 
it  is  the  only  agency  on  the  entire  Y.  &  M.  V. 
R.  R.  system  where  there  has  not  been  official 
changes  in  the  same  period.  This  is  a  striking 


358 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


and  complete  evidence  of  the  splendid  executive 
abilities  of  our  subject.  Mr.  Jaquith  is  in  pos- 
session of  the  first  way-bill  issued  on  the  Yazoo 
&  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  (then  the  Louisville, 
New  Orleans  &  Texas  R.  R.),  on  which  the 
agent  at  New  Orleans  wrote  the  following  lines : 

"On  this,  the  first  way-bill,  we  think  it  but  meet, 
The  New  Orleans  agency,  that  of  Vicksburgto  greet; 
May   our   friendship    and    mutual    interests    not    be 

forgotten, 
By  the  many  future  exchanges  of  sugar  for  cotton." 

He  has  also  a  souvenir,  the  first  revenue  bill 
between  Memphis  and  Vicksburg,  dated  Octo- 
ber 22nd,  1884.  On  the  ist  of  November,  1867, 
Mr.  Jaquith  was  happily  married  to  Miss  Jose- 
phine E.  Trowbridge,  of  Vicksburg,  a  native  of 
that  city,  born  in  1845.  The  children  born  to 
this  union  are,  Ada  M.  who  died  in  1871 ;  Albert 
H.,  station  baggage  agent,  for  the  Y.  &  M.  R.  R. 
at  Vicksburg ;  Katharine  M.,  at  home ;  William 
L.,  cashier  in  the  freight  department  of  the  Y.  & 
M.  V.  R.  R.,  at  Vicksburg,  and  Josephine  E.  at 
home.  Mr.  Jaquith  belongs  to  the  following  social 
organizations :  Magnolia  Commandery  No.  2, 
Knight  Templars;  Vicksburg  Royal  Arch  Chap- 
ter ;  Vicksburg  Lodge  of  Masons ;  Knights  of 
Honor;  and  Division  No.  231,  O.  R.  C,  of  which 
he  is  secretary  and  treasurer.  Mr.  Jaquith's 
political  opinion  is  independent,  voting  for  the 
men  and  measures,  rather  than  for  the  party 
itself. 


„  GORGE  E.  BENTON,  a  conductor  on 
the  Louisiana  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  residing  in  McComb  City, 
was  born  in  Quincy,  111.,  in  1869.  His 
father,  D.  C.  Benton,  is  a  well  known  horticul- 
turist of  South  Memphis,  Tenn.,  who  does  an  ex- 
tensive business  in  his  line,  to  which  he  devotes 
the  use  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land. 
Mr.  Beaton's  first  railroad  work  was  on  the 
Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Texas  R.  R.,  where 
in  1888  he  was  employed  as  brakeman,  and  two 
years  later  was  promoted  to  conductor.  He  has 


been  in  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  since 
1891,  and  is  at  present  on  a  local  run.  During 
the  gravel  season  he  takes  entire  charge  of  the 
gravel  bank  of  the  I.  C.  at  Brookhaven,  Miss., 
handling  forty-five  thousand  cars  of  gravel  dur- 
ing the  season,  and  supplying  one-third  of  the 
entire  amount  of  gravel  used  on  the  I.  C.  system. 
In  1892,  at  Memphis,  Mr.  Benton  married 
a  daughter  of  J.  T.  Price,  a  farmer  of  that 
vicinity.  They  have  one  child,  Ellen,  a  bright 
little  girl,  now  six  years  old.  He  belongs  to 
Division  No.  367,  O.  R.  C.,  Division  No.  264, 
B.  R.  T.,  having  acted  as  Master  of  the  latter, 
which  has  a  membership  of  1 10  members.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  Dewey  Tent,  No.  i,  K.  O.  T. 
M.  Mr.  Benton  is  well  known  on  the  road,  and 
is  a  very  popular  man. 


JAMES  J.  O'ROURKE,  an  engineer  in  the 
freight  service  on  the  Memphis  division 
of  the  Illinois  Central,  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  company  in  1872,  as  an  ap- 
prentice at  Jackson,  Tenn.,  where  he  remained 
until  April  igth,  1876.  He  then  went  to  the 
shops  at  Water  Valley,  Miss.,  working  there 
through  the  yellow  fever  epidemic  until  the  spring 
of  1879.  Entering  the  regular  road  service,  he 
was  for  two  months  a  fireman,  but  returned  to 
the  shops.  Serving  there  for  two  months,  he  was 
promoted  to  engineer  and  took  charge  of  a  yard 
engine  at  Water  Valley,  and  was  afterward  in 
the  construction  department  until  April,  1880. 
The  summer  of  that  year  was  spent  in  the  shops 
at  Water  Valley,  and  in  the  fall  ke  resumed  work 
on  the  road  as  engineer  in  the  freight  service 
between  Water  Valley  and  Canton,  Miss.,  where 
he  was  employed  until  November  1883.  On  the 
latter  date  he  was  appointed  general  foreman  in 
the  shops  at  Water  Valley,  acting  in  that  capa- 
city until  August  1 5th,  1890,  when  he  was  pro- 
moted to  master  mechanic  at  the  Memphis  shops, 
occupying  that  position  until  May  15,  1898,  when 
he  was  transferred  to  locomotive  service.  Since 
the  latter  date  he  has  been  in  the  freight  service 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


361 


of  the  road  as  extra  freight  engineer,  on  the 
Memphis  division,  between  Paducah,  Ky.,  and 
and  Grenada,  Miss.  Mr.  O'Rourke  was  born 
at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  October  22,  1857.  His  father, 
John  O'Rourke,  who  died  in  1865,  was  a  veteran 
of  the  Mexican  war,  and  was  for  some  time  in 
the  hotel  business  at  Columbus,  Ky.  Our  subject 
married  Miss  Emma  Block,  of  Water  Valley, 
Miss.  They  have  five  children :  James  Edward, 
Walter  Thomas,  Mary,  Emma,  and  Minnie.  So- 
cially he  is  connected  with  Division  No.  23,  B. 
of  L.  E.,  and  with  Lochinvar  Lodge  No.  55, 
Knights  of  Pythias,  of  Water  Valley,  Miss.  He 
resides  on  Virginia  avenue  in  Memphis,  where 
he  has  a  comfortable  home. 


JL.  DAVIS  is  a  conductor  in  the  freight 
service  of  the  Illinois  Central,  on  the 
Q  St.  Louis  division.  His  career  as  a 
railroad  man  commenced  on  September 
21,  1876,  on  which  date  he  entered  the  service 
of  the  I  .C.  as  a  brakeman  in  the  freight  service, 
being  promoted  to  conductor  August  17,  1879. 
In  the  fall  of  1883  he  was  promoted  to  conductor 
in  the  passenger  service,  but  was  laid  off  in  1891. 
He  was  re-employed  by  the  company  as  freight 
conductor  in  1893,  and  holds  that  position  at 
the  present  time. 

Mr.  Davis  was  born  in  Centralia,  111.,  on 
April  30,  1858,  a  son  of  Thomas  P.  and  Wil- 
helmina  (Real)  Davis,  and  has  always  made  his 
home  in  that  city.  Mr.  Davis  was  married  De- 
cember 1 6,  1880,  to  Miss  Mary  C.  Marsh,  daugh- 
ter of  Richard  L.  and  Catherine  (Sherwood) 
Marsh.  Of  this  union  five  children  were  born : 
Thomas  M.,  Ralph  R.,  John  J.,  Harley  A.,  and 
Reba  C.,  all  living  and  at  home. 

His  popularity  with  his  fellow  citizens  is 
attested  by  the  fact  that  he  has  served  them  as 
a  member  of  the  board  of  education  for  five 
years,  and  was  for  several  terms  elected  alder- 
man for  the  Fourth  ward.  Our  subject  is  a 
firm  supporter  of  fraternal  organizations,  and  is 


connected  with  Centralia  Lodge  No.  201,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M. ;  Centralia  Chapter  No.  93,  R.  A.  M. ; 
Cyrene  Commandery  No.  23,  K.  T. ;  Oriental 
Consistory  S.  P.  R.  S.,  and  Medinah  Temple, 
Mystic  Shrine,  of  Chicago.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  Centralia  Division  No.  112,  O.  R.  C.,  having 
held  the  office  of  Chief  Conductor  for  two  years, 
and  serving  as  Secretary  and  Treasurer  for  the 
last  ten  years. 


JB.  STEWART  is  a  conductor  in  the 
passenger  service  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
Q  tral,  between  Centralia  and  Freeport. 
He  first  worked  in  the  service  of  the 
I.  C.  in  1879,  with  a  fence  gang  at  Vandalia. 
From  there  he  went  to  the  O.  &  M.  R.  R.,  hav- 
ing secured  a  position  on  that  road  as  brakeman, 
between  St.  Louis  and  Vincennes,  with  Conduc- 
tor W.  M.  Page.  In  the  latter  part  of  1880, 
he  began  work  in  the  Sandoval,  111.,  mines,  where 
he  remained  until  1886.  On  the  25th  of  January 
of  that  year,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C. 
as  brakeman  on  the  local  between  Clinton  and 
Centralia,  with  Conductor  B.  C.  Michaels,  which 
position  he  held  until  November  1887,  when  he 
was  promoted  to  conductor.  On  August  4,  1899, 
he  was  promoted  to  the  passenger  service,  which 
position  he  now  fills  with  satisfaction.  Our  sub- 
ject was  born  October  12,  1860,  on  a  farm  near 
Murraysville,  W.  Va.,  and  is  one  of  nine  chil- 
dren born  to  Harrison  L.  and  Caroline  (Robin- 
son) Stewart,  descendants  of  the  early  settlers 
of  Virginia.  The  mother  is  still  living,  but  the 
father  is  deceased.  J.  B.  Stewart  came  west  in 
1869,  to  Sandoval,  111.,  where  he  attended  the 
public  schools,  and  working  at  various  places 
on  stock  farms,  until  entering  railroad  life.  Mr. 
Stewart  was  married  January  8,  1893,  to  Miss 
Florence  I.  Scott,  of  Salem,  111.,  and  their  union 
has  been  blessed  by  a  little  daughter,  Beulah, 
now  five  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Stewart  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  J.  D.  and  Olive  (Smith)  Scott,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  respectively,  both  of 
whom  are  now  deceased.  Mr.  Stewart's  success 


362 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


in  life  marks  him  as  a  man  of  energy  and  sterling 
worth.  He  has  a  comfortable  home  in  Clinton, 
111.,  where  he  has  many  warm  friends,  but  on 
account  of  promotion  was  obliged  to  move  to 
Centralia,  where  he  is  now  located. 


YRON  L.  BACOT,  an  engineer  in  the 
freight  service  of  the  Illinois  Central 
on  the  Louisiana  division,  is  a  native 
of  McComb  City,  born  in  1866.  His 
father,  Robert  Bacot,  is  of  Huguenot  stock,  his 
ancestors  having  settled  in  South  Carolina  in  the 
sixteenth  century.  Laban  Bacot,  the  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  a  pioneer  of  Pike  county, 
Miss.,  settling  in  that  state  about  the  year  1812. 
He  was  a  leader  among  the  men  of  his  day,  and 
held  the  offices  of  assessor,  tax  collector  and 
sheriff  for  many  years.  The  first  court  house  of 
the  county,  still  stands,  crumbling,  on  the 
grounds  of  his  former  residence.  He  was  an 
honest,  whole-hearted  man,  the  friend  of  all, 
caring  nothing  for  money  but  for  the  good  he 
might  accomplish  with  its  use.  On  his  retire- 
ment from  public  life  he  was  succeeded  in  office 
by  his  son,  Robert  Bacot,  who  served  ten  years 
as  sheriff  of  his  county.  Robert  Bacot  settled 
where  McComb  City  now  stands  in  1860,  and 
with  a  man  named  Harvey  were  the  only  in- 
habitants of  the  locality.  In  1869,  Col.  W.  H. 
Garland  sent  his  agent,  Mr.  Craig,  to  buy  land 
for  the  Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Jackson  R.  R., 
and  they  purchased  thirty-five  hundred  acres  in 
and  around  where  McComb  City  now  stands. 
Soon  afterward,  J.  B.  Billings  came  from  Ver- 
mont and  established  a  sawmill  on  Front  street, 
and  later  the  shops  were  commenced.  Mr. 
liacot  boarded  many  of  the  workmen.  From 
that  on  the  place  grew  rapidly,  and  in  two  years 
was  incorporated  and  called  McComb  City,  in 
honor  of  Mr.  McComb,  a  leading  official  of  the 
road.  Mr.  Bacot  Sr.  served  in  the  city  govern- 
ment many  years,  and  declined  the  office  of 
mayor  for  private  reasons.  He  is  still  an  ac- 


tive gentleman  of  seventy-five  years,  and  has 
considerable  valuable  real  estate  in  and  near 
East  McComb.  Mrs.  Bacot,  the  mother  of  our 
subject,  is  a  descendant  of  Andrew  Moore,  who 
emigrated  from  Scotland,  settling  in  Pottsville, 
Pa.,  about  1612.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John 
Passmore,  and  is  connected  by  birth  with  some 
of  the  oldest  and  wealthiest  families  of  Penn- 
sylvania. 

Byron  L.  Bacot,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
after  completing  his  education,  at  the  age  of 
nineteen  went  to  Harrisburg,  Texas,  and  there 
learned  the  trade  of  a  moulder.  He  returned 
to  McComb  City  in  December  1884,  and  entered 
the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  in  the  round 
house  under  Louis  Kell.  In  October  1886,  he 
began  firing  on  a  switch  engine  at  Jackson,  Miss., 
and  on  December  25,  1890,  received  promotion 
to  engineer.  He  has  charge  at  present  of  en- 
gine Xo.  750,  on  the  local  run  to  Brookhaven. 
He  has  had  a  successful  career  and  was  only 
once  laid  up,  caused  by  falling  from  his  engine 
and  sustaining  a  broken  arm.  Of  the  social  or- 
ders he  affiliates  with  Myrtle  Lodge,  K.  of  P., 
and  Division  No.  196,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  McComb 
City.  Mr.  Bacot  married  a  daughter  of  John  W. 
Curry,  of  Harrisburg,  Texas,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  three  children :  Ruby  Belle,  Robert 
Curry,  and  Audrey.  He  resides  on  Cherry 
street,  in  East  McComb,  having  lately  completed 
a  fine  residence  there. 


1LLIAM  H.  WILLIAMS,  a  trusted 
conductor  on  the  Louisiana  division 
of  the  Illinois  Central,  was  born  in 
Merriweather  county,  Georgia,  and 
is  a  son  of  William  Taylor  Williams,  deceased, 
who  was  a  well-to-do  farmer,  and  a  prominent 
thirty  second  degree  Mason  of  that  place.  Mr. 
Williams  began  life  as  a  dry  goods  clerk,  work- 
ing at  different  times  in  Opelika,  Columbus,  and 
Uirmingham,  Ala.  At  the  latter  place,  in  1888, 
he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Louisville  &  Xash- 
ville  R.  R.  as  a  brakeman,  afterward  being  pro- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


363 


moted  to  conductor,  and  running  out  of  Birming- 
ham, north  and  south,  also  serving  between  De- 
catur  and  Montgomery.  In  1893  he  entered  the 
service  of  the  Illinois  Central  at  McComb  City  as 
brakeman,  serving  eighteen  months  at  that  work, 
and  receiving  promotion  to  conductor  in  Novem- 
ber 1895.  He  runs  all  over  the  Louisiana  divi- 
sion from  New  Orleans  to  Canton,  Miss.  His 
crew  consists  of  Flagman  R.  L.  Rodgers,  and 
Brakeman  C.  Q.  Lewis,  the  latter  formerly  fore- 
man in  the  yards  at  McComb  City.  Mr.  Wil- 
liams has  had  several  close  calls  during  his  career. 
While  making  a  coupling,  when  with  the  Louis- 
vi-lle  &  Nashville  R.  R.,  he  lost  a  finger,  and  in 
1899,  was  knocked  down  by  a  cable  car  and  had 
two  bones  in  his  right  leg,  near  the  ankle,  broken. 
The  last  accident  caused  him  to  be  laid  up  nine- 
ty days.  Mr.  Williams  married  a  daughter  of 
William  I!.  Allen,  of  Midway,  Ala.,  and  they 
have  six  children  living,  viz :  Florence,  a  talented 
young  lady  attending  the  high  school,  Henry  Gil- 
more,  William  Allen,  Lillie,  Eleanor  and  C.  T. 
Williams.  Two  children  died  in  infancy. 

Socially  our  subject  is  a  member  of  Pearl 
Division  No.  304,  O.  R.  C.,  of  Canton,  and  of 
Myrtle  Lodge  Knights  of  Pythias,  of  McComb 
City.  Mr.  Williams  carries  a  substantial  amount 
of  insurance  for  the  benefit  of  his  family.  He 
has  a  pleasant  and  well  appointed  home  on  Live 
( )ak  street,  in  East  McComb,  where  he  is  highly 
esteemed  as  a  useful  and  substantial  citizen. 


AURICE  STACK,  an  engineer  in  the 
freight  service  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
between  Memphis  Tenn.,  and  Gren- 
ada, Miss.,  has  been  an  employe  of  the 
company  for  nine  years.  His  first  work  on 
entering  the  service  was  as  fireman  on  the 
Memphis  division,  under  Engineer  P.  S.  Law, 
and  later  under  E.  J.  Hatch,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed until  December  13,  1893.  On  the  latter 
date  he  received  promotion  to  engineer,  and  un- 
til 1X1,15  was  engaged  in  that  capacity  in  the  yards 
at  Memphis.  In  1895  he  was  promoted  to  a 


regular  run  in  the  freight  service  between  Mem- 
phis and  Grenada,  where  he  remains,  having 
charge  of  engine  No.  732,  and  where  he  is  high- 
ly esteemed  by  his  fellow  employes.  His  record 
on  the  road  has  been  devoid  of  accident  of  any 
kind. 

Mr.  Stack  was  born  at  Lawrenceburg,  Ind., 
on  January  17,  1864,  and  is  a  son  of  John  Stack, 
who  was  for  a  long  time  agent  for  the  "Big 
Four"  at  that  place,  and  is  now  deceased.  John 
Stack,  a  brother  of  our  subject,  is  a  railroad 
man  in  the  state  of  Texas.  Mr.  Stack  affiliates 
with  Johnswood  Lodge  No.  32,  K.  of  P.,  and 
with  Division  No.  23,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Memphis, 
where  he  resides  at  787  Main  street. 


B.  BACOT,  an  engineer  in  the 
freight  service  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
Q  tral  on  the  Louisana  division,  be- 
gan railroad  life  when  fourteen 
years  old  as  messenger  boy  in  McComb  City. 
He  worked  for  Agent  Page  at  the  depot,  and 
went  from  there  to  the  oil  house,  where  he  was 
employed  eight  months.  On  October  27,  1893, 
he  began  active  road  service  as  fireman  in  the 
freight  department,  under  Engineer  Boyle,  and 
was  afterward  in  the  passenger  service  with  En- 
gineer Jones,  and  with  the  late  A.  A.  Lilly. 
While  running  as  a  regular  fireman  with  Mr. 
Lilly,  our  subject  was  sent  to  Chicago  as  chair- 
man of  the  board  of  adjustment  for  the  Brother- 
hood of  Locomotive  Firemen,  and  Jesse  Coumbe, 
an  honorable  and  popular  young  man,  temporari- 
ly filled  his  position.  On  returning  from  Chi- 
cago, he  was  preparing  to  go  out  on  his  regular 
run,  when  his  wife  persuaded  him  to  go  down 
town  with  her.  Engineer  Lilly  and  Fireman 
Coumbe  both  met  death  on  that  trip.  Their  engine 
telescoped  some  freight  cars  that  had  rolled  out 
from  a  side  track  in  the  McComb  City  yards :  Mr. 
Coumbe  being  pinned  against  the  boiler,  and  ex- 
trication being  impossible,  he  was  slowly  burned 
to  death.  Mr.  Bacot  regards  his  escape  as  a 
remarkable  incident,  and  almost  miraculous. 


364 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


He  was  afterward  promoted  to  engineer,  while 
serving  under  Engineer  Olaf  G.  Nelson. 

Mr.  Bacot  was  born  in  McComb  City,  and 
is  the  son  of  Robert  Bacot,  whose  biography  is 
given  in  connection  with  that  of  Byron  L.  Bacot, 
a  brother  of  our  subject,  and  will  be  found  else- 
where in  this  work.  In  September  1894,  Mr. 
Bacot  married  Miss  Annie  Strevitch,  whose 
father  was  at  one  time  connected  with  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  at  McComb  City.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bacot  have  two  fine  boys ;  Reginald  Meyer,  born 
July  4,  1895,  and  Theodore  S.,  born  June  9, 
1897.  Of  the  social  orders,  our  subject  is  iden- 
tified with  Myrtle  Lodge  No.  36,  Knights  of 
Pythias ;  and  was  a  delegate  to  Chicago  as  repre- 
sentative of  Ensign  Lodge  No.  411,  B.  of  L.  F. 
Mr.  Bacot  is  a  man  of  courteous  and  pleasant 
manners,  winning  the  friendship  and  esteem  of 
all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact. 


EORGE  D.  McCALLUM,  an  engineer 
in  the  freight  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  on  the  Louisiana  division,  is 
a  native  of  Michigan,  where  he  was 
born  in  1873.  Joseph  McCallum,  his  father,  is 
an  engineer  of  thirty  years'  experience,  and  has 
been  on  the  Middle  division  of  the  Louisville  & 
Nashville  R.  R.  for  the  past  fifteen  years.  Our 
subject  began  railroad  life  when  a  young  man 
of  twenty,  in  Florida,  working  as  fireman  and 
switch  engineer  there  for  two  years.  He  then 
came  to  McComb  City  and  entered  the  service  of 
the  I.  C.  as  fireman  in  the  freight  service,  and 
afterward  worked  in  the  passenger  service  under 
Engineers  Bevan,  Miller,  Bower,  and  the  "Irish 
Lord"  Pendergast.  He  was  promoted  in  1899 
to  engineer,  and  is  now  on  engine  No.  750,  in 
the  freight  service  between  New  Orleans  and 
Canton. 

Mr.  McCallum  married  Miss  Raoul,  of  New 
Orleans,  who  is  the  daughter  of  R.  G.  Raoul, 
the  well  known  agent  for  the  I.  C.  at  Osyka, 
Miss.  Mrs.  McCallum's  uncle,  W.  G.  Raoul,  is 


president  of  the  Mexican  Central  R.  R.,  and 
T.  S.  Moeise,  another  relative,  is  superintendent 
of  a  Georgia  road.  Her  brother,  R.  G.  Raoul 
Jr.,  is  agent  for  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley 
R.  R.  at  Greenville,  Miss.  Of  the  social  organ- 
izations, Mr.  McCallum  claims  membership  with 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  the  World,  and  Divi- 
sion No.  196,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  McComb  City,  of 
which  place  he  is  one  of  the  best  citizens. 


'ILLIAM  T.  FERGUSON,  an  ex- 
perienced passenger  engineer  in  the 
service  of  the  Illinois  Central,  be- 
tween New  Orleans,  La.,  and  Vicks- 
burg,  Miss.,  has  been  connected  with  the  road 
since  1885.  He  began  his  career  in  railroad 
work  as  a  wiper  for  the  Memphis  &  Charleston 
R.  R.,  serving  in  that  capacity  for  five  years,  and 
being  then  promoted  to  fireman  on  the  road. 
Eight  months  later  he  was  promoted  to  engineer 
in  the  freight  service,  where  he  was  employed 
from  1876  until  1882  on  a  regular  run  from 
Memphis,  Term.,  to  Stevenson,  Ala.  He  then 
went  to  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  R.  R.  as  en- 
gineer in  the  freight  service  of  that  company, 
between  Decatur  and  Montgomery,  Ala.,  serving 
two  and  one-half  years.  From  the  latter  road 
he  came  to  the  Illinois  Central  (Y.  &  M.  V.  R. 
R.),  and  was  in  the  freight  service  of  the  road 
only  two  months  when  promoted  to  the  passen- 
ger service.  He  is  now  serving  in  that  depart- 
ment between  New  Orleans  and  Vicksburg, 
where  he  is  doing  satisfactory  work.  His  rail- 
road record  has  been  a  faithful  one,  having  lost 
but  one  month  during  his  fifteen  years'  service. 
Accidents  happen  to  the  best  of  engineers,  and 
our  subject  is  not  an  exception.  He  has  been 
in  several  wrecks,  and  two  of  his  firemen  have 
been  killed.  He  fortunately  escaped  with  slight 
injuries.  Mr.  Ferguson  was  born  in  Tishmingo 
county,  Miss.,  on  December  19,  1854,  and  is  the 
son  of  Carroll  Ferguson,  an  extensive  cotton 
planter  of  that  county,  who  departed  this  life 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


365 


in  1867.  F.  A.  C.  Ferguson,  trainmaster  for 
the  I.  C.  at  Vicksburg,  is  a  brother  of  our  sub- 
ject. He  affiliates  socially  with  Division  No. 
281,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Vicksburg.  Mr.  Ferguson 
has  his  home  at  No.  1638  Poydras  street,  in  the 
city  of  New  Orleans,  and  while  in  Vicksburg 
stops  at  No.  301  Bridge  street.  His  career  has 
been  an  active  and  successful  one,  and  he  is 
(kridedly  popular  among  his  co-employes. 


ARRY  J.  BROWN,  a  popular  conduc- 
tor in  the  freight  service  of  the  Yazoo 
&  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  on  the  New 
Orleans  division,  was  born  in  New 
Orleans  on  October  13,  1869,  and  is  a  son  of 
H.  O.  and  Martha  (Kelly)  Brown.  Mr.  Brown 
Sr.  was  a  steward  on  the  Morgan  steamship  line 
for  many  years,  and  died  at  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  in 
1876.  He  is  survived  by  his  wife  who  makes  her 
home  in  New  Orleans.  Our  subject  attended 
the  public  schools  of  Vicksburg,  Yazoo  City  and 
New  Orleans,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  was  in 
the  employ  of  the  Singer  Sewing  Machine  com- 
pany as  office  boy  at  New  Orleans,  and  also 
worked  as  night  operator  for  the  National  Fire 
Alarm  company.  In  1890  he  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  as 
a  flagman  on  a  passenger  train  between  New 
Orleans  and  Vicksburg,  remaining  there  eight 
months.  He  was  afterwards  appointed  bag- 
gageman, and  was  in  that  service  a  few  months. 
Going  to  Mexico  he  secured  a  position  as  clerk 
and  timekeeper  in  the  motive  power  department 
of  the  Mexican  National  R.  R.  at  Acambaro, 
serving  that  company  nine  months.  On  account 
of  the  illness  of  his  mother,  he  then  returned  to 
New  Orleans,  and  on  her  recovery  re-entered  the 
employ  of  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R. 
as  flagman,  remaining  in  that  capacity  in  the 
freight  and  passenger  service  until  1894.  He 
then  returned  to  Mexico,  and  after  a  short 
period  as  flagman  was  promoted  to  conductor  on 
the  Mexican  Central  R.  R.,  between  San  Luis 
Potosi  and  Saltillo.  He  then  brought  back  to 


Vicksburg  the  body  of  a  friend,  who  had  been 
killed  in  Mexico  and  was  induced  to  remain  in 
New  Orleans,  resuming  his  former  position  of 
flagman.  He  continued  in  that  position  until 
1896,  when  promoted  to  his  present  position,  apd 
is  now  running  local  freights  between  Vicksburg 
and  Wilson. 

Mr.  Brown  was  married  on  November  25, 
1896,  to  Miss  Zula  Mengis,  of  Vicksburg,  and 
they  have  one  child,  Marian,  born  December  27, 
1898.  Socially  Mr.  Brown  is  connected  with 
Vicksburg  Division  No.  231,  O.  R.  C.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church.  Politically  he  is  a  Democrat. 


RANTLEY  B.  HARPER,  chief  clerk 
in  the  mechanical  department  in  the 
Vicksburg  shops,  of  the  Yazoo  & 
Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.,  is  a  native 
of  Jefferson  county,  Mississippi,  born  January 
26,  1866.  William  L.  and  Anna  E.  (Coulson) 
Harper  were  his  parents.  Mr.  Harper  Sr.  was 
a  prosperous  planter,  and  for  many  years  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Mississippi  legislature.  During  the 
Civil  war  he  was  captain  of  the  Jefferson  artil- 
lery, famed  for  its  bravery,  and  at  the  battle  of 
Shiloh,  on  April  4,  1862,  he  was  so  severely 
wounded  as  to  incapacitate  him  for  duty,  and 
compel  him  to  retire  from  the  service.  He  de- 
parted this  life  in  1892.  Mrs.  Harper  was  born 
and  reared  in  the  city  of  Natchez,  and  is  now 
residing  on  the  plantation  in  Mississippi,  to 
which  her  husband  brought  her  as  a  bride. 

Grantley  B.  Harper  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Fayette,  Miss.,  graduating  from 
the  Central  high  school  of  that  city,  and  finishing 
his  education  at  Jefferson  College  in  Natchez, 
from  which  he  graduated  in  1883.  He  imme- 
diately made  a  trip  through  Texas,  but  not  find- 
ing employment  of  a  suitable  character,  returned 
to  Mississippi  and  entered  the  service  of  the 
Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Texas  R.  R.  (now  the 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R. )  as  a  clerk  in 
the  office  of  S.  D.  McNair,  agent  for  the  com- 


366 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


pany  at  Harriston.  He  remained  there  about 
two  and  one-half  years,  going  from  there  to 
Vicksburg,  and  entering  the  road  service  as 
brakeman,  and  working  there  one  year.  He  was 
then  appointed  cashier  and  ticket  clerk  at  Green- 
ville, Miss.,  under  George  Wheatley.  the  agent 
at  that  place,  and  held  that  position  five  months. 
He  returned  to  the  road  service  as  a  freight  con- 
ductor on  the  Vicksburg  division,  between  Vicks- 
burg and  Coahoma,  and  after  a  service  of  six 
months  was  transferred  to  the  New  Orleans 
division,  in  charge  of  a  mixed  train  between 
Natchez  and  Harriston,  where  he  remained  one 
year.  Being  then  offered  the  position  of  ma- 
terial clerk  in  the  Vicksburg  shops,  he  accepted, 
and  later  was  promoted  to  abstract  clerk.  In 
1894  he  was  appointed  to  his  present  position, 
which  he  is  satisfactorily  filling.  During  the 
Spanish- American  war  Mr.  Harper  was  first 
lieutenant  of  Company  A,  First  Mississippi  Vol- 
unteers, serving  until  December  20,  1898,  and 
then  resuming  his  former  position  with  the  com- 
pany. On  January  26,  1887,  Mr.  Harper  mar- 
ried Miss  Marion  Arnette,  of  Jefferson  county, 
Miss.,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  Grantley  B. 
ami  Hazel  Harper,  two  fine  children.  Mr.  Har- 
per is  a  member  of  R.  E.  Lee  Lodge  No.  i , 
Knights  of  Pythias,  of  Vicksburg,  of  which  he 
is  Past  Chancellor.  In  politics  he  votes  with  the 
Democratic  party,  and  religiously  he  and  his 
estimable  wife  are  identified  with  the  Presby- 
terian and  Methodist  churches  respectively. 
Mr.  Harper  is  numbered  among  the  best  citizens 
of  Vicksburg,  and  is  held  in  high  regard  by  all 
who  know  him. 

jtjtjtjtjtjt 


nVESON    E.    SMITH,    an    engineer    in    the 
freight  service  of  the   Illinois  Central,  on 
J_[     the    Louisiana    division,    is    a    native    of 
McComb  City,  Miss.     He  entered  railroad 
life  at  that   place   in    1889,   becoming   identified 
with  the  I   .C.,  and  has  since  been  an  employe 
of  that  road.     His  first  work  on  the  road  was  as 
fireman  in  the  freight  service,  and  later  he  was 


in  the  passenger  service  until  1895.  He  was  in 
the  latter  year  promoted  to  engineer,  and  is  now 
in  charge  of  a  through  freight  on  engine  No. 
707,  with  T.  Simms  as  fireman.  A  continued 
service  of  eleven  years  with  the  I.  C.,  without  an 
accident  of  any  kind,  is  a  record  of  which  Mr. 
Smith  may  be  justly  proud.  Our  subject  is 
married  and  has  a  nice  little  family.  He  is  a 
member  of  Division  No.  196,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of 
McComb  City.  Mr.  Smith  resides  with  his  fam- 
ily in  a  pleasant  home  on  Pearl  River  avenue, 
in  East  McComb,  and  is  a  progressive  and  pop- 
ular citizen  of  that  community. 

jtjtjtjtjtj* 


E.  DELANEY/an  engineer  in  the 
passenger  service  of  the  Illinois 
LQ  Central,  on  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi 
Valley  branch,  was  born  in  Lancas- 
ter county,  Pennsylvania,  on  January  27,  1863, 
and  is  a  son  of  Michael  and  Bridget  Delaney. 
The  father  was  a  stone  mason  by  trade,  and 
moved  from  Pennsylvania  to  Macon  county,  Mo., 
where  he  died,  and  where  his  widow  still  resides. 
Our  subject  began  railroad  work  on  the  old 
Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Texas  R.  R.  (now  the 
I.  C.)  as  fireman  with  Engineer  "Senator"  Jones, 
between  Vicksburg  and  Rutland,  Miss.  He  was 
later  with  Engineer  William  Rowton  for  ten 
months,  when  he  was  appointed  coal  checker  for 
that  road  at  Cleveland,  and  continued  there  for 
three  months.  He  was  then  appointed  foreman 
and  day  hostler  at  the  same  place,  where  he  was 
employed  from  January  until  August  1889. 
Taking  the  examination  at  Vicksburg,  he  was 
promoted  to  engineer  and  took  charge  of  the  en- 
gine engaged  in  laying  the  track  on  the  River- 
side division.  He  worked  for  several  months  in 
the  construction  and  freight  service,  acting  as 
conductor  as  well  as  engineer,  as  was  required 
at  that  time.  He  then  entered  the  regular  freight 
service  of  the  same  company  between  Vicksburg 
and  Memphis,  and  in  1894  was  placed  in  charge 
of  a  mixed  train  out  of  Greenville,  Miss.,  where 
he  was  for  three  years.  Returning  to  Vickshurg, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


367 


lie  entered  the  freight  service;  where  he  was  for 
one  year,  and  from  there  to  Memphis,  in  June 
1898,  where  he  has  since  remained,  in  the  regu- 
lar passenger  service  of  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  branch 
of  the  Illinois  Central,  between  Memphis  and 
Rolling  Fork,  Miss. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Delaney  to  Miss  Ella 
Losson,  of  Yicksburg,  occurred  in  1894,  and 
their  union  has  been  blessed  by  three  children : 
Ethel,  Eugene  Emmett  and  Horace  Lawton. 
He  is  a  member  of  Greenville  Lodge  No.  206, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Greenville,  Miss. ;  Leland 
Lodge  No.  77,  K.  of  P.,  of  Leland,  and  Division 
No.  281,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Vicksburg.  His  family 
are  adherents  of  the  Catholic  faith.  They  re- 
side in  a  pretty  cottage  on  McLemore  avenue, 
in  Memphis,  where  they  are  highly  respected. 


LG.  BUCKNER,  an  engineer  in  the 
freight  service  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
Q  between  Memphis,  Tenn.,  and  Grena- 
da, Miss.,  was  born  on  November  17, 
1871,  at  Parsons,  Tenn.  He  is  a  son  of  Edward 
Buckner,  a  mill-wright,  who  resides  at  that  place. 
Acquiring  a  good  education  in  the  schools  of  his 
native  place,  our  subject  began  life  on  his  own 
account  on  a  rock  crusher  at  Parsons,  where  he 
was  employed  for  two  years,  and  later  was  a 
pumper  at  the  same  place  for  the  old  Tennessee 
Midland  R.  R.  for  eighteen  months.  He  then 
secured  work  as  fireman  on  that  road,  with  En- 
gineer Gus  Gideon,  where  he  remained  nine 
months.  Going  from  there  to  Memphis,  he  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  I.  C.  as  fireman  with 
Engineer  Hatch,  where  he  was  occupied  until 
April  30,  1892.  The  summer  of  1892  was  spent 
in  the  state  of  Texas,  and  in  December  of  that 
year  he  re-entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  at 
Memphis  as  fireman,  where  he  remained  until 
February  7,  1896.  On  the  latter  date  he  re- 
ceived promotion  to  engineer  in  the  yards  at 
Memphis,  and  also  ran  extra  until  July  1898, 
when  he  was  given  a  regular  run  between  Mem- 
phis and  Grenada.  He  was  discharged  on  July 


31,  1899,  but  in  November  of  the  same  year  was 
reinstated  and  resumed  his  old  run,  which  he 
now  has,  on  engine  No.  736.  A  brother  of  our 
subject,  O.  E.  Buckner,  is  a  carpenter  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Nashville,  Chattanooga  &  St.  Louis 
R.  R.  Mr.  Buckner  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
23,  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  of  Division  No.  364,  B.  of  L. 
F.,  both  of  Memphis,  where  he  resides  at  787 
Main  street.  He  is  a  very  popular  young  man, 
and  his  future  promises  to  be  a  bright  one. 


LOUIS  BURRER,  an  engineer 
in  the  freight  service  on  the  New  Or- 
leans division  of  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  R.  R., 
was  born  in  Alsace,  now  a  part  of 
Germany,  on  November  15,  1844.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  schools  of  his  native  province,  and 
in  1865,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  went  to  Paris, 
France,  and  ,fro.m  there  to  Egypt,  where  he 
worked  as  a  machinist  on  the  Suez  Canal.  On 
his  return  voyage  he  stopped  at  the  isle  of  Malta, 
an  English  stronghold  in  the  Mediterranean  sea, 
where  he  visited  the  church  of  St.  John,  the  lar- 
gest church  in  the  world,  in  the  catacombs  of 
which  are  the  tombs  of  the  Knights  of  Malta. 
Arriving  in  Paris  in  1867,  he  remained  there  un- 
til the  outbreak  of  the  Franco-Prussian  war, 
when  he  enlisted  and  was  made  a  lieutenant  in 
the  French  army.  He  was  engaged  in  the  de- 
fence of  Paris  during  the  siege,  and  at  the  close 
of  the  war,  when  the  commune  was  declared, 
allied  himself  with  that  movement.  After  visit- 
ing England,  Germany,  Italy,  Greece,  Belgium 
and  Switzerland,  Mr.  Burrer  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica, landing  in  New  York  city  in  September  1871. 
He  went  west  to  Evansville,  Incl.,  and  worked 
on  the  water  works  there  for  a  short  time,  and 
in  1873  came  to  New  Orleans,  taking  part  in 
the  riot  of  September  18,  1874.  He  entered  the 
service  of  the  Illinois  Central  in  1875  as  a  ma- 
chinist, and  worked  as  such  with  the  company 
until  1878,  during  which  time  he  superintended 
the  building  of  two  steam  shovels.  In  1878  he 
was  examined  'for  the  position  of  locomotive  en- 


368 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


g-ineer,  and  was  given  a  run  on  the  Louisiana 
division,  between  Canton,  Miss.,  and  New  Or- 
leans. He  remained  in  that  capacity  until  May 
i,  1883,  when  he  went  to  the  L.  N.  O.  &  St.  L. 
R.  R.  (now  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  R.  R.),  assisting  in 
the  construction  of  that  road,  and  afterward  se- 
curing a  regular  run  in  the  passenger  service. 
He  was  in  charge  of  the  first  passenger  train 
which  entered  the  city  of  Baton  Rouge,  La.  Af- 
ter a  career  of  fourteen  years  in  the  passenger 
service,  our  subject  was  compelled  to  abandon 
his  work  in  July  1898,  on  account  of  losing  his 
sight.  At  the  present  time  he  has  happily  par- 
tially recovered  from  his  affliction,  and  hopes  to 
be  again  ready  for  active  service  in  about  one 
year. 

On  July  15,  1873,  Mr.  Burrer  was  married 
to  Miss  Elise  Federlein,  of  New  Orleans,  a  na- 
tive of  Baden,  Prussia.  To  them  have  been  bom 
four  children,  viz :  Anna,  Frank  J.,  Louis  C.  and 
Charles  B.  He  is  connected  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  Knights  of  Honor,  and  B.  of  L.  E. 
The  family  are  members  of  the  Catholic  church, 
and  he  is  a  Democrat  in  politics. 


JOHN  B.  KINKLE,  a  well  known  and 
popular  conductor  in  the  freight  service 
on  the  New  Orleans  division  of  the 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.,  is 
a  native  of  Selma,  Ala.,  born  in  1855.  His 
father,  A.  J.  Kinkle,  a  merchant  of  that  place, 
died  in  1864,  and  the  mother  of  our  subject, 
who  was  before  her  marriage  Miss  Mary 
Blevins,  died  in  1869.  Our  subject  was  edu- 
cated in  a  private  school  in  Huntsville,  Ala.,  and 
in  the  schools  of  his  native  town.  His  school 
days  being  over,  he  began  life  as  a  clerk  in  the 
store  of  B.  J.  Fort,  at  Marion  Junction,  Ala., 
where  he  worked  six  years.  He  then  followed 
farming  pursuits  on  his  uncle's  farm  at  Bowers 
Station,  Ala.,  for  a  year,  and  later  clerked  in 
different  stores  at  that  place.  In  1880  he  went 
to  Jackson,  and  afterward  began  his  railroad 
career  as  a  fireman  on  the  Illinois  Central  R. 


R.  under  Engineer  Huston,  running  between 
New  Orleans  and  McComb  City.  He  afterward 
served  as  fireman  on  a  work  train,  and  was  also 
a  hostler  at  Montgomery,  Miss.  In  1881,  he 
went  to  the  Louisiana  division  of  the  road  as 
brakeman,  and  after  working  in  that  capacity 
until  1883  was  promoted  to  conductor.  He 
then  went  to  the  Louisville,  New  Orleans  & 
Texas  R.  R.  (now  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi 
Valley  R.  R.)  as  a  brakeman,  and  after  a  short 
service  was  promoted  to  conductor  in  the 
freight  service.  He  served  as  conductor  until 
1888,  transferring  at  that  time  to  the  Louisville 
&  Nashville  R.  R.  as  conductor  on  the  Birming- 
ham division,  and  working  there  eight  months. 
He  then  returned  to  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  R.  R.  and 
was  given  a  position  as  conductor  on  a  through 
freight  between  New  Orleans  and  Vicksburg, 
and  is  now  successfully  serving  there  with  good 
prospects  for  promotion.  Mr.  Kinkle  was,  on 
February  24,  1885,  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
Carthy,  a  native  of  New  Orleans.  He  and  his 
wife  are  members  and  supporters  of  the  Episco- 
pal church.  He  affiliates  politically  with  the 
Democratic  party. 


LED.  BARNES,  an  experienced  conduc- 
tor in  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
Q  tral  on  the  Louisiana  division,  became 
identified  -with  the  company  on  Sep- 
tember 2nd,  1886.  On  that  date,  being  only  six- 
teen years  of  age,  he  entered  the  foundry  of  the 
McComb  City  shops  as  a  laborer,  where  he  was 
employed  two  years.  On  October  8th,  1888,  he 
went  to  the  road  service  as  brakeman  with  Con- 
ductor W.  H.  Moales,  and  was  promoted  to  con- 
ductor on  Oct.  8,  1890.  The  rapid  promotion  is 
indicative  of  good  service.  His  present  run  is 
a  through  freight,  on  caboose  No.  98269.  Mr. 
I  Sanies  was  born  at  Crystal  Springs,  Miss.  He 
married  Miss  Bangston,  of  Amite  City,  La.,  and 
has  two  children,  Oneida,  aged  three  years,  and 
Walter,  aged  five  months.  Socially  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Division  No.  108,  O.  R.  C.,  of  New  Or- 


THOMAS  WHEELOCK  PLACE. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


371 


leans,  and  the  Elks,  Lodge  No.  268,  of  McComb 
City.  He  had  a  beautiful  home  in  the  latter  city, 
which  was  just  completed  when  totally  destroyed 
by  fire  in  May  1899.  Mr.  Barnes  is  a  very 
powerful  man  physically,  a  typical  specimen  of 
a  man  for  his  work.  He  is  very  much  esteemed 
among  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquain- 
tances. 


THOMAS  WHEELOCK  PLACE.  It 
is  a  pleasure  for  the  biographical 
writer  to  meet  a  man  who  has  risen 
from  the  lowly  walks  of  life  to  the 
ranks  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity by  dint  of  his  own  energy  and  economy. 
One  whose  life  furnishes  an  example  of  tenacity 
of  purpose  and  force  of  character  that  sets  in 
motion  a  wave  of  influence  that  is  felt  beyond  the 
immediate  vicinity  in  which  he  lives,  and  raises 
the  standard  of  society  and  moral  principles. 
Mr.  Place  was  born  in  the  town  of  Acworth, 
Sullivan  county  N.  H.,  January  2,  1833,  the  son 
of  Ebenezer  and  Polly  (Dickey)  Place.  He 
was  endowed  with  such  educational  advantages 
as  were  furnished  by  the  common  schools  of  that 
day,  and  this,  together  with  the  discipline  of 
home,  were  his  only  qualifications  for  his  life 
work.  In  March  1850,  at  the  age  of  seventeen 
years,  he  entered  the  shops  of  Parks  &  Wool- 
son,  of  Springfield,  as  an  apprentice  to  the  ma- 
chinist's trade.  Two  years  later,  or  in  1852, 
was  employed  as  machinist  in  the  Boston  lo- 
comotive works.  Having  been  so  conversant 
with  mechanical  railroad  work,  in  1853  he  read- 
ily secured  employment  as  fireman  on  the  North- 
ern Railroad,  of  New  Hampshire,  which  is  now 
a  part  of  the  Boston  &  Maine  system.  In  Janu- 
ary 1854,  Mr.  Place  moved  to  Chicago  and  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  Chicago  &  Aurora  Rail- 
road, now  part  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Ouincy  system,  as  machinist,  but  in  April  of 
the  same  year  he  accepted  a  position  of  locomo- 
tive engineer  for  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
and  retained  the  same  until  November  1856. 
While  thus  employed  he  had  charge  of  engine 
•NV-°-  53-  drawing  the  first  night  passenger  train 
21 


from  Centralia  to  Cairo,  Thomas  White,  conduc- 
tor. November  13,  1856,  he  accepted  an  offer 
of  the  Dubuque  &  Pacific  Railroad,  made  his 
home  at  Dubuque,  Iowa,  and  was  engineer  of 
engine  "J.  P.  Farley,"  drawing  the  first  passen- 
ger train  from  Dubuque  to  Dyersville,  May  n, 
1857,  J.  S.  Northup  in  charge  of  train  as  conduc- 
tor. This  situation  he  retained  until  August 
1859,  and  was  then  appointed  foreman  of  the 
company's  shops  in  Dubuque.  In  May  1860,  he 
received  a  flattering  offer  from  the  Chicago  & 
Alton  company  of  the  position  of  foreman  of 
the  roundhouse  at  Joliet,  111.  This  offer  he  ac- 
cepted and  was  in  their  employ  until  September 
i,  1 86 1,  when  he  returned  to  Dubuque  as  mas- 
ter mechanic  of  the  Dubuque  &  Sioux  City  Rail- 
road, having  been  re-incorporated  from  the  Du- 
buque &  Pacific  Railroad  to  Dubuque  &  Sioux 
City  Railroad,  August  i,  1860,  and  served  in 
this  capacity  until  the  Illinois  Central  company 
leased  the  line  October  i,  1867.  At  this  time  he 
experienced  a  change  only  of  employers,  for  the 
Illinois  Central's  officials  found  him  a  valuable 
man  and  he  was  retained  in  the  capacity  of  mas- 
ter mechanic,  and  moved  with  the  shops  to 
Waterloo,  Iowa,  in  November  1870. 

July  24,  1860,  the  subject  of  this  life  his- 
tory was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary 
Josephine  Meyers,  daughter  of  one  of  Dubuque's 
oldest  and  distinguished  families.  This  union 
has  been  blessed  by  the  advent  of  a  family  of  four 
bright  energetic  sons  all  of  whom  have  already 
attained  good  positions  in  life.  Augustus  M. 
and  James  W.  are  both  engineers  at  Waterloo, 
Frederick  E.  is  general  foreman  at  the  Illinois 
Central  shops  at  Burnside,  Chicago,  and  Dorrance 
M.  is  employed  in  the  office  of  the  chief  engineer 
at  Chicago.  Mr.  Place  is  prominent  both  in 
political  and  social  circles  in  the  city  he  makes 
his  home.  During  the  years  1872,  1877,  1879, 
and  1880  he  was  a  member  of  the  city  council 
of  Waterloo,  also  member  of  school  board,  East 
Waterloo,  1876  to  1885.  Socially  he  affiliates 
with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  also  Harmony 
Lodge  No.  2,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
at  Dubuque,  and  has  filled  all  the  chairs  of  the 
latter  lodge. 


372 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


JOHN'  T.  1',1'RNELL,  a  popular  young  en- 
gineer on  the  Louisiana  division  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  was  born  at  Urbana, 
Ohio,  on  May  18,  1867,  ancl  ls  a  son  °f 
John  Burnell,  a  conductor  on  the  Ohio  &  Penn- 
sylvania R.  R.,  well  known  in  those  states.  -  Our 
subject  began  his  railroad  career  as  a  fireman  on 
the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  out  of 
Vicksburg,  working  in  that  capacity  and  as  extra 
until  1896,  when  he  was  promoted  to  engineer. 
He  was  later  transferred  to  the  Louisiana  divi- 
sion, and  is  now  serving  there,  on  a  through 
freight  run,  on  engine  No.  52.  Socially  Mr. 
Burnell  is  connected  with  Division  No.  196 
B,  of  L.  E.,  of  McComb  City,  where  he  makes 
his  home.  Mr.  Burnell  is  a  bright,  sociable  young 
man,  and  a  general  favorite  with  every  one  con- 
nected with  the  road. 


JF.  BEACH,  a  popular  engineer  in  the 
service  of  the  Illinois  Central  on  the 
Q  Louisiana  division,  began  his  railroad 
career  in  the  mechanical  department  of 
the  Norfolk  &  Western  R.  R.  He  was  connected 
with  that  road  for  some  time  as  fireman,  and  later 
was  with  the  Southern  and  Soo  roads  in  similar 
positions.  In  1895,  while  on  the  Asheville  divi- 
sion of  the  Southern  road,  he  was  promoted  to 
engineer  and  worked  as  such  for  that  company 
until  1897.  In  the  latter  year  he  entered  the 
service  of  the  I.  C.  as  engineer  on  the  New  Or- 
leans Terminal,  and  after  a  short  service  there 
came  to  McComb  City,  and  has,  at  present,  a 
through  run  between  that  city  and  New  Orleans, 
on  engine  No.  746.  During  his  entire  railroad 
career  he  has  never  been  injured,  and  being  a 
young  man,  with  a  fine  record  for  energy  and 
steadfastness,  has  a  promising  future  before 
him.  Mr.  Beach  is  a  native  of  Georgia.  'His 
parents,  J.  C.  Beach  and  wife,  are  still  living, 
Mr.  Beach  Sr.  being  a  successful  merchant,  and 
a  prosperous  farmer  of  Georgia.  Mr.  Beach 
married  Miss  Annie  Moss,  whose  father  is  a 


machinist  in  the  I.  C.  shops  at  McComb  City. 
Socially  he  is  connected  with  Myrtle  Lodge  No. 
36,  K.  of  P.,  and  is  also  a  member  of  Division 
No.  196,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  McComb  City,  where 
he  resides  in  a  comfortable  home  on  College 
Hill. 


LOUIS  H.  KELL,  foreman  of  the  exten- 
sive machine  shops  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral at  McComb  City,  Miss.,  bears  the 
distinction  of  having  held  that  posi- 
tion for  the  last  twenty-four  years,  serving  suc- 
cessively with  satisfaction  under  eight  different 
master  mechanics,  viz :  Greenup,  Anderson, 
Baker,  McKeown,  Whittaker,  Losuch,  Baldwin 
and  Dawson.  Mr.  Kell  was  born  in  Alexandria, 
Virginia,  on  February  29,  1844.  His  father, 
Nathan  Kell,  who  died  in  1897,  was  a  copper- 
smith by  trade,  and  an  expert  in  his  line.  In 
his  day  much  copper  was  used  in  construction, 
and  he  was  connected  with  the  Mobile  &  Ohio, 
and  the  Mississippi  &  Tennessee  roads  for  many 
years,  as  a  skilled  mechanic.  At  an  early  age 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  went  with  his  parents 
to  Columbus,  Ky.,  and  afterward  to  Jackson, 
Tenn.  It  was  at  the  latter  place,  and  at  the  age 
of  sixteen,  that  he  began  life  on  his  own  account, 
entering  the  shops  of  the  M.  &  O.  R.  R.  as  an  ap- 
prentice. In  1862  he  took  the  oath  of  allegiance 
at  Jackson,  and  on  being  released  went  south  to 
Grenada,  Miss.,  working  there  for  the  Missis- 
sippi &  Tennessee  road  for  two  years.  He  next 
worked  for  the  Mississippi  Central,  and  in  1874 
came  to  McComb  City  as  foreman  of  the  machine 
shops,  where  he  has  since  remained.  He  has 
in  his  department  thirty-four  skilled  machinists, 
fourteen  apprentices,  and  ten  helpers.  Fifteen 
engines  of  various  types  have  been  constructed 
under  his  supervision,  many  of  them  still  doing 
good  service.  His  success  consists  in  his  abili- 
ty to  properly  handle  his  force  of  workmen. 

Mr.  Kell  was  married  to  a  New  Orleans 
lady,  and  they  have  an  interesting  family  of  six 
daughters  who  reside  with  their  parents  in  a 
commodious  home  on  Railroad  avenue  in  Me- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


373 


('omb  City.  They  are  Misses  Marie,  Julia,  Lil- 
lic,  Bella,  Helen  and  Louise;  all  will  be  well  edu- 
cated, and  are  a  bright  family  of  children.  In  his 
social  connections  Mr.  Kell  is  a  Knight  of  Honor, 
and  both  he  and  his  estimable  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Honor,  in 
McComb  City,  of  which  place  they  are  promi- 
nent residents. 


DVVARD  B.  SKILLMAN,  a  well  known 
engineer  in  the  passenger  service  of  the 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  division 
of  the  Illinois  Central,  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  company  since  1885.  He  began 
his  railroad  career,  on  the  New  York  Central 
R.  R.  as  a  fireman  between  Syracuse  and  Buffa- 
lo, where  he  was  employed  from  1870  to  1876, 
and  received  his  promotion  to  engineer  on  that 
road.  He  then  went  to  Texas,  and  entering  the 
service  of  the  Texas  Pacific  R.  R.  worked  as 
engineer  for  that  company  on  the  accommoda- 
tion train  between  Marshall,  Texas,  and  Shreve- 
port,  La.,  for  seven  months.  From  the  latter 
road  he  went  to  the  New  Orleans  &  Pacific  R. 
R.  for  five  months,  and  was  in  the  construction 
service  of  that  road  when  it  was  being  built.  His 
next  work  was  on  a  new  road  being  built  at 
Laredo,  Texas,  in  1880,  and  where  he  had  charge 
of  the  first  engine  to  cross  the  Rio  Grande  river. 
Going  from  Laredo  to  Palestine,  Texas,  he  there 
became  identified  with  the  International  &  Great 
Northern  R.  R.,  which  was  then  owned  by  the 
Goulds.  He  was  in  the  passenger  service  of 
that  road,  and  in  charge  of  the  train  on  which 
Jay  Gould  and  Talmage  made  a  tour  of  the 
southern  roads,  many  of  which  were  afterward 
absorbed  by  the  Gould  system. 

In  1885  Mr.  Skillman  went  to  Vicksburg 
and  entered  the  service  of  the  Louisville,  New 
Orleans  &  Texas  R.  R.  (now  the  I.  C.)  in  the 
freight  department  between  Vicksburg  and  Mem- 
phis. He  then  took  charge  of  the  engine  ''R. 
E.  Lee"  that  carried  the  pay  car  special  over  that 
road,  and  from  there  to  a  passenger  run  between 


Panther  Burn  and  Greenville,  Miss.,  and  later 
between  Wilson  and  New  Orleans. 

In  1891  he  was  transferred  to  Memphis, 
since  which  time  he  has  had  a  regular  all  night 
run,  in  the  passenger  service  between  Memphis 
and  Vicksburg.  During  his  service  Mr.  Skill- 
man has  made  some  fast  runs,  among  them  a 
run  of  fifty  miles  in  fifty-three  minutes,  on  one 
of  the  old  low-wheel  freight  engines.  He  has 
had  several  wrecks,  the  most  serious  one  being 
at  Rolling  Fork,  Miss.,  when  his  engine  jumped 
the  track  and  rolled  down  an  embankment.  In 
this  accident  both  he  and  his  fireman  were  severe- 
ly injured,  and  he  was  "laid  up  for  repairs"  for 
forty-two  days  afterward.  He  had  other  ex- 
periences of  the  kind,  but  no  lives  were  lost  on 
any  train  of  which  he  was  in  charge. 

Mr.  Skillman  is  a  native  of  New  York  state, 
born  within  a  hundred  miles  of  New  York  city, 
on  September  27,  1854.  He  is  a  son  of  Daniel 
Skillman,  wlio  was  an  extensive  farmer  of  that 
state,  and  died  there  after  a  retired  life  of  several 
years.  He  married  Miss  Belle  Reid,  of  New  Or- 
leans, and  they  have  one  child,  Claude,  a  fine  boy. 
Of  the  social  orders,,  Mr.  Skillman  claims  mem- 
bership with  Kellerstone  Lodge  No.  154,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  of  Wilson,  La.  He  is  also  identified 
with  Division  No.  281,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Vicks- 
burg, Miss.  His  family  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Their  home  is  at 
No.  51  Gholson  avenue,  in  Memphis,  where  they 
have  the  friendship  of  a  large  circle  of  associates, 
and  where  Mr.  Skillman  is  looked  upon  as  a 
worthy  citizen  of  the  community. 


HARLES  LINSTROM,  master  me- 
chanic for  the  Illinois  Central  with 
headquarters  at  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  is 
a  native  of  Sweden,  and  was  born 
January  7,  1848.  He  attended  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  country  until  arriving  at  his  twelfth 
year,  when  he  began  life  as  an  apprentice  ma- 
chinist. He  learned  the  trade  and  worked  at 
it  in  Sweden  until  1868,  when  he  emigrated  to 


374 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


America,  going  to  Chicago,  111.,  where  he  worked 
in  a  restaurant  for  a  month.  He  soon  found  em- 
ployment at  his  trade  in  the  shops  on  the  West 
Side,  and  worked  there  for  two  years.  In  1870 
he  went  south  to  Water  Valley,  Miss.,  securing 
a  position  in  the  shops  of  the  Mississippi  Valley 
R.  R.  and  worked  there  one  year.  He  then  went 
to  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  and  remained  in  that  city 
one  year,  and  from  there  to  New  Orleans.  He 
there  found  employment  as  a  locomotive  engineer 
between  New  Orleans  and  Canton,  on  the  New 
Orleans  &  Great  Northern  R.  R.,  remaining  in 
the  service  of  that  road  until  1882.  From  New 
Orleans  Mr.  Linstrom  went  to  Mexico,  working 
there  about  sixteen  months,  and  in  1884  returned 
to  New  Orleans,  becoming  identified  with  the 
Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Texas  R.  R.  (now 
the  Y.  &  M.  V.  R.  R.)  as  foreman  in  the  shops, 
which  position  he  occupied  two  years.  He  then 
went  to  Vicksburg,  and  was  appointed  general 
foreman,  and  in  1893  was  promoted  to  his  present 
responsible  position.  Mr.  Linstrom  was,  in 
1876,  married  to  Miss  Amelia  Berrett,  of  New 
Orleans,  three  children  being  born  of  their  union. 
Charles,  aged  twenty-two,  an  engineer  on  the 
Y.  &  M.  V.  R.  R.  at  Vicksburg:  Armida,  who 
died  on  February  28,  1899,  aged  sixteen,  and 
Gussie,  aged  nine.  The  Masonic  organization 
claims  Mr.  Linstrom  as  a  valued  member.  He 
is  a  Lutheran  in  his  religious  connections,  and 
in  politics  prefers  to  be  independent. 


^ICHARD  H.  JENKINS,  a  switch  en- 
gineer employed  in  the  yards  of  the 
Illinois  Central  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  has 
been  in  the  railroad  business  for  four- 
teen years.  His  first  experience  at  railroad  work 
was  acquired  on  the  Tennessee  Coal  &  Iron  R. 
R.,  at  Birmingham,  Ala.,  where  he  worked  for 
one  year  as  a  fireman.  He  was  then  for  four 
years  with  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  R.  R.  as 
fireman,  hostler  and  switch  engineer,  and  from 
that  road  went  to  the  Kansas  City,  Fort  Scott  & 
Memphis  R.  R.,  where  in  1894  he  received  pro- 


motion to  engineer.  He  was  in  the  government 
service  at  Memphis  as  second  engineer  until 
1898,  when  he  entered  the  switching  department 
of  the  Illinois  Central  at  that  place,  and  has  since 
remained  there  in  the  night  service.  Mr.  Jen- 
kins was  born  in  the  state  of  Pennsylvania  on 
June  29,  1872,  and  is  a  son  of  Leroy  Jenkins,  a 
farmer  residing  in  Georgia.  He  married  Miss 
Mary  L.  Mathews,  who  was  born  in  Cleveland 
county.  Ark.,  but  at  the  time  of  her  marriage 
was  a  resident  of  Memphis.  Two  children  have 
been  born  to  them :  Virginia  May  and  Amy  Eliz- 
abeth. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jenkins  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  They  reside  at 
No.  73  Van  Buren  street,  in  Memphis,  where 
they  enjoy  the  friendship  and  esteem  of  a  large 
circle  of  friends. 


ONZANO  WEEKS,  the  capable  mana- 
ger of  the  telegraphic  department  of 
the  Illinois  Central  at  New  Orleans, 
is  a  native  of  that  city.  His  birth  oc- 
curred there  on  June  30,  1862.  His  parents, 
Samuel  and  Ellen  (Taylor)  Weeks,  the  latter 
still  living  at  New  Orleans,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
three  years,  were  natives  of  the  state  of  New 
York.  Samuel  Weeks  was  an  old  and  trusted 
employe  of  the  United  States  mint  at  New  Or- 
leans, and  while  employed  there  was  seriously 
injured  by  being  accidentally  caught  in  the  ma- 
chinery. He  was  appointed  watchman  at  the 
mint  during  the  incumbency  of  Dr.  Bonzano  as 
superintendent,  and  while  employed  in  that  ca- 
pacity took  up  the  study  of  telegraphy  and  col- 
lateral branches,  soon  becoming  an  expert  in 
that  line.  He  was  then  appointed  superinten- 
dent of  fire-alarm  telegraph  for  the  city  of  New 
Orleans,  holding  the  position  twelve  years.  In 
1876  he  was  appointed  melter  and  refiner  at  the 
mint  by  President  Grant,  occupying  that  position 
until  his  death  which  occurred  July  28,  1878. 
Bonzano  Weeks  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  New  Orleans,  and  also  took  a  course 
in  lllackman's  Commercial  College,  graduating 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


375 


in  1879.  He  then  served  an  apprenticeship  of 
three  years  in  a  machine  shop,  giving  special  at- 
tention to  steamboat  construction  and  engineer- 
ing. In  1882  he  was  appointed  clerk  and  tele- 
grapher for  the  New  Orleans  police  department, 
and  in  the  same  year  went  to  the  jetties  at  the 
month  of  the  Mississippi  as  manager  of  the 
telegraph  office  there.  Remaining  in  the  latter' 
position  two  years,  he  next  acted  as  agent  for 
the  L.  N.  O.  &  T.  R.  R.  (now  the  Y.  &  M.  V. 
R.  R.)  at  Kenner,  La.,  but  was  soon  transferred 
to  the  general  office  of  the  company  at  New  Or- 
leans, where  he  remained  until  that  road  was  ab- 
sorbed by  the  I.  C.  He  was  at  once  placed  in 
charge,  as  manager  of  telegraphy,  of  the  first 
office  established  by  the  I.  C.,  at  the  corner  of 
St.  Charles  and  Common  streets,  in  New  Or- 
leans. After  one  year's  service  there,  he  was 
promoted  to  manager  of  all  telegraphic  work  for 
the  company  in  that  city,  which  position  he  has 
held  for  more  than  seven  years.  Mr.  Weeks 
was  married  on  July  22,  1884,  to  Miss  Mary  L. 
McLaughlin,  of  New  Orleans,  whose  father, 
Captain  John  McLaughlin,  is  one  of  the  best 
known  pilots'  on  the  Mississippi  river.  Four 
children  are  the  result  of  this  marriage,  viz : 
Louis  B.,  Samuel  A.,  Linton  J.,  and  Thelma  L. 
Mr.  Weeks  is  connected  with  Masonic  Lodge 
No.  144,  of  New  Orleans,  of  which  he  is  Past 
Master.  His  family  attend  the  Methodist 
church. 


B.  McINTURFF,  a  highly  esteemed 
young  conductor  on  the  Louisiana 
division  of  the  Illinois  Central,  is  a 
native  of  Woodstock,  Va.,  where  his 
father,  Levi  Mclnturff,  a  farmer,  still  resides. 
The  early  life  of  our  subject  was  spent  on  his 
father's  farm,  and  in  1889,  being  then  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  he  began  his  railroad  career  as 
flagman  on  a  passenger  train  on  the  S.  F.  &  W. 
Railroad,  serving  in  that  capacity  four  months. 
He  then  went  as  brakeman  in  the  freight  de- 
partment of  the  Alabama  Midland  Railroad,  and 
after  a  service  of  two  years  was  promoted  to 


conductor.  He  resigned  in  1894,  and  on  March 
1 1.  1894,  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral at  McComb  City,  as  brakeman,  where  he 
remained  until  promoted  to  conductor  on  Octo- 
ber ii,  1896.  He  has  at  present  a  regular  run 
in  the  freight  service,  between  McComb  City  and 
New  Orleans,  on  caboose  No.  98270,  and  a  crew 
consisting  of  L.  Mook,  flagman,  and  C.  B.  Em- 
erick,  brakeman.  On  August  19,  1891,  Mr. 
Mclnturff  was  united  to  a  daughter  of  D.  D. 
Hunt,  of  Hatchechubbee,  Ala.  Two  children 
have  been  born  to  them,  Ray  H.  and  Lawrence 
Owen.  He  is  an  officer  of  Division  No.  367, 
O.  R.  C.,  and  is  connected  with  Dewey  Tent 
No.  i ,  Knights  of  the  Maccabees.  He  was  only 
once  injured,  by  being  violently  thrown  against 
the  caboose  door,  having  his  arm  broken,  and 
was  compelled  to  retire  from  work  for  over  three 
months.  He  is  a  trustworthy  young  man,  well 
liked  by  his  fellow  employes,  and  stands  high  in 
the  estimation  of  the  officials  of  the  road. 


M.  WHEELER,  a  conductor  in 
the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Q  on  the  Louisiana  division,  known 
to  the  boys  on  that  division  as 
"The  Tall  Kicker  of  the  Wabash,"  began  his 
railroad  life  in  1869.  His  first  work  was  on  the 
Lake  Erie  &  Western  R.  R.  as  a  laborer  on  a 
work  train,  between  Peru  and  LaPorte,  Incl., 
following  which  he  secured  a  position  as  brake- 
man  on  the  old  Indiana  Central  R.  R.,  between 
Logansport  and  Richmond,  Incl.  Acquiring  a 
good  knowledge  of  the  work,  he  next  went  to 
the  service  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  R.  R.,  Eastern 
division,  and  was  a  brakeman  on  that  road  for 
one  year,  leaving  at  the  time  of  the  Jay  Gould 
troubles,  known  in  railroad  history  as  "Black 
Friday.''  He  next  entered  the  service  of  the 
Mississippi  Central,  and  was  given  a  run  between 
Water  Valley  and  Canton,  Miss.,  later  taking  a 
regular  run  between  Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  Cairo, 
111.  In  1875  he  went  to  Texas,  and  in  1878  was 
in  the  passenger  service  of  the  Southern  Pacific 


376 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


R.  R.  (Sunset  Route)  between  San  Antonio  and 
Houston.  He  took  one  of  the  first  passenger 
trains  to  the  city  of  San  Antonio.  Texas  was 
at  that  time  a  rendezvous  for  desperadoes  of  all 
kinds,  and  Mr.  Wheeler  was  made  a  United  States 
marshal  for  western  district  of  Texas  for  the  pro- 
tection of  himself  and  passengers.  He  has  often 
been  covered  by  six-shooters,  but  his  iron  nerve 
safely  carried  him  through  his  difficulties.  After 
working  for  some  time  in  the  Lone  Star  State,  he 
went  north  to  St.  Louis,  and  was  for  a  year  with 
the  St.  Louis  Terminal  R.  R.  In  1881  he  went  to 
the  Missouri  Pacific  R.  R.,  and  was  in  the  service 
of  that  company  as  conductor  four  years,  resign- 
ing to  accept  a  position  with  the  Wabash  Railroad. 
He  remained  with  the  Wabash  seven  years  as 
a  conductor,  running  out  of  St.  Louis,  and  from 
there  to  Kansas  City.  Then  going  to  Arizona, 
he  was  there  about  a  year  in  the  service  of  the 
Atlantic  &  Pacific  Railroad.  He  then  came  to 
the  Louisiana  division  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
and  in  1896  became  a  resident  of  McComb  City, 
where  he  has  since  remained.  His  railroad  ca- 
reer of  thirty-one  years  has  been  a  successful 
one,  without  accidents  or  injury  of  consequence. 

Mr.  Wheeler  is  a  native  of  Rush  county, 
Ind.  His  father,  William  Wheeler,  was  a  Vir- 
ginian by  birth,  but  when  a  young  man  moved 
to  East  Tennessee  and  married  Ruth  Igo.  Not 
being  in  sympathy  with  the  slave-holders,  he 
moved  his  family  to  Indiana.  He  was  a  man 
of  learning,  acquired  by  hard  and  persistent 
study,  often  sitting  the  greater  part  of  the  night 
before  a  large  fireplace,  and  studying  by  the  light 
it  afforded.  He  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight 
years.  Mr.  Wheeler  is  a  member  of  Division 
No.  304,  O.  R.  C,  of  Canton,  Miss.  He  has 
been  connected  with  the  order  for  twenty-two 
years,  first  joining,  as  a  charter  member,  Division 
No.  7,  at  Columbus,  Texas,  in  1878,  and  was 
Chief  of  the  Division.  He  holds  a  traveling 
card  dated  August  I,  1879.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  Elks  Lodge  No.  268,  of  McComb  City.  Mr. 
Wheeler  has  a  daughter,  now  a  beautiful  young 
lady  of  eighteen,  who  resides  in  St.  Louis.  He 
is  a  tall,  fine  looking  man,  active  and  energetic, 
and  very  popular  among  the  employes  on  the 


Louisiana  division.  He  frequently  indulges  in 
literary  work,  and  has  contributed  articles  and 
humorous  poetry  to  the  St.  Louis  papers.  He 
has  written  several  humorous  poems  showing  the 
fads  and  fancies  of  the  boys  on  his  division, 
which  display  much  wit  and  a  keen  judgment  of 
human  nature. 


rlLLIAM  J.  HELMICK,  the  accom- 
modating and  progressive  agent  at 
McComb  City,  Miss.,  is  a  native  of 
Wheatfield,  Ind.,  born  in  1876.  In 
1891  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Chicago  & 
Eastern  Indiana  R.  R.  as  telegrapher,  serving 
three  months,  and  from  that  road  went  to  the 
New  York,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis  R.  R.  He  then 
returned  to  the  C.  &  E.  I.  R.  R.  as  agent  and 
operator,  where  he  worked  for  some  time.  In 
1896  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
at  Paducah,  Ky.,  as  operator,  and  was  sent  from 
there  to  Horse  Branch,  in  that  state,  as  agent. 
Following  this  he  acted  as  relief  agent  on  the 
Louisville  division,  and  in  1897  was  placed  in 
charge  of  the  telegraph  office  at  Crystal  Springs, 
Miss.  On  August  I,  1898,  he  was  appointed 
agent  at  Amite,  La.,  and  on  December  2,  1898, 
was  transferred  to  McComb  City  as  general 
agent,  succeeding  F.  W.  Beale  and  G.  K.  Rey- 
nolds, freight  and  ticket  agents,  respectively. 
Mr.  Helmick's  position  is  one  of  great  responsi- 
bility, on  account  of  the  large  shipments  of  lum- 
ber and  brick  from  that  point  and  Fernwood,  of 
which  he  has  charge.  The  shipments  from  the 
sawmills  and  brickyards  of  J.  T.  Coney,  White's, 
and  Holmes  Brothers,  are  immense,  and  it  re- 
quires a  man  of  ability  to  handle  them  properly. 
The  immense  shops  of  the  I.  C.  at  McComb  City- 
add  largely  to  his  work,  together  with  the  office 
work  of  the  yard  master,  which  is  under  his 
jurisdiction.  An  ice  house  of  1,500  tons  ca- 
pacity, which  is  located  here  for  the  purpose  of 
icing  cars  of  fruit  and  vegetables,  is  also  under 
the  charge  of  the  agent.  This  ice  house  is 
filled  twice  per  year,  and  requires  a  large  force  of 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


377 


extra  laborers  during  the  spring  months.  Mc- 
Coinh  City  is  soon  to  have  an  extensive  cotton 
mill,  which  will  add  to  his  duties.  The  force 
under  his  management  consists  of  H.  G.  Mackcy, 
chief  clerk ;  Edwin  L.  McLaurin,  and  F.  L. 
Kaufman,  yard  clerks ;  E.  J.  Wood,  night  ticket 
clerk ;  H.  L.  Eastman,  office  clerk  and  John  J. 
Mclntosh,  warehouse  man,  besides  several  por- 
ters, baggagemen  and  watchmen. 

Mr.  Helmick  married  a  daughter  of  F.  H. 
Scott,  agent  for  the  Chicago  &  Eastern  Indiana 
R.  R.  at  Wheatfield,  Ind.  The  rapid  promotion 
of  Mr.  Helmick  marks  him  as  a  young  man  of 
great  ability.  He  is  progressive,  attentive  to 
duty,  and  has  a  bright  future  in  prospect. 


R.  HERBERT,  general  yardmaster 
for  the  Illinois  Central  at  New  Or- 
leans,  La.,  was  born  at  Dallas 
City,  111.,  July  18,  1861,  and  is 
the  son  of  Thomas  J.  and  Lucinda  J.  (Fontaine) 
Herbert.  Thomas  J.  Herbert,  the  father,  was  a 
stock  dealer  in  Illinois,  and  died  in  1864;  his  wife 
still  survives,  and  resides  at  Vicksburg,  Miss. 
Our  subject  received  his  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  at  Beachland 
high  school.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  was  taken 
into  the  employ  of  John  A.  Wood  &  Son,  exten- 
sive coal  dealers  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  as  clerk,  and 
remained  with  that  firm  for  three  years.  In 
September  1882,  he  entered  the  service  of  the 
L.  N.  O.  &  T.  R.  R.  (now  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  R.  R.) 
as  supervisor  of  construction  between  Vicks- 
burg and  Memphis,  holding  the  position  for 
eighteen  months.  He  then  received  an  appoint- 
ment as  supply  clerk,  for  the  same  company, 
and  from  that  to  brakeman,  and  finally  to  con- 
ductor in  the  freight  service,  where  he  remained 
until  July  14,  1890.  On  the  latter  date  he  went 
to  the  Queen  &  Crescent  Route  as  conductor, 
but  after  a  short  service  went  to  Costa  Rica,  and 
worked  for  more  than  a  year  on  the  Ferro  Caro 
de  Costa  Rica  road.  He  then  returned  north, 
and  for  two  months  was  with  the  Texas  Pacific 


R.  R.  Becoming  identified  with  the  I.  C.  R.  R. 
about  that  time,  he  worked  for  nine  months  as 
conductor,  and  on  July  19,  1893,  was  appointed 
night  yardmaster  at  Memphis,  which  he  held 
until  November  6,  1896,  when  he  was  sent  to 
New  Orleans  as  general  night  yardmaster, 
holding  the  latter  position  until  March  1897. 
He  then  went  to  the  L.  &  N.  R.  R,  as  night 
yardmaster,  at  Mobile,  Ala.,  and  in  November  of 
that  year  resigned  and  went  north  to  St.  Louis, 
working  there  a  few  months  for  the  Terminal 
R.  R.  Leaving  the  latter  he  worked  for  a  short 
-time  for  the  St.  L.  I.  M.  &  S.  R.  R.,  and  return- 
ing to  New  Orleans  re-entered  the  service  of  the 
I.  C.  as  assistant  yardmaster  there.  On  January 
17,  1900,  he  was  promoted  to  general  yardmas- 
ter, a  position  for  which  his  wide  experience  in 
railroad  work  has  well  fitted  him.  On  October 
6,  1899,  Mr.  Herbert  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Laura  A.  Blakely,  a  native  of  New  Or- 
leans, and  a  most  estimable  lady.  Socially  he 
is  connected  with  Division  No.  231,  O.  R.  C., 
of  Vicksburg. 


THOMAS  J.  McCOSKER,  a  young  en- 
gineer in  the  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central  on  the  Louisiana  division,  is 
one  of  the  most  popular  men  on  the 
road.  He  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  in 
1883,  when  only  seventeen  years  of  age,  as  a 
caller,  at  Canton,  Miss.  In  a  short  time  he  be- 
gan coaling  engines,  and  was  afterward  appoint- 
ed fireman  on  a  switch  engine.  Having  served 
'in  this  capacity  for  some  time,  and  acquiring  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  work,  he  was  pro- 
moted to  fireman  on  freight  and  passenger  en- 
gines successively.  In  1889  he  was  promoted 
to  engineer  and  given  charge  of  engine  No.  20, 
and  later  of  No.  705,  built  in  Weldon,  111.  He  is 
at  present  in  charge  of  a  "Manifest"  run  between 
McComb  City  and  Canton,  Miss.,  where  his  ser- 
vices are  fully  appreciated.  During  his  career 
of  seventeen  years  with  the  I.  C.  he  has  never 
been  in  a  serious  accident,  and  has  the  remark- 


378 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ably  clean  record  of  only  twenty  clays'  suspension. 
This  characterizes  him  as  a  man  who  attends 
strictly  to  his  business,  and  is  of  itself  an  indica- 
tion that  he  is  certain  to  rise  in  his  chosen  work. 
Mr.  McCosker  is  a  native  of  Canton,  Miss., 
where  he  was  born  August  14,  1866.  His  father, 
Bernard  McCosker,  who  died  in  1878,  was  also 
a  trusted  employe  of  the  I.  C.  At  Canton,  Miss., 
Mr.  McCosker  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  I. 
Riley,  a  popular  young  lady  of  Yazoo  City,  and 
their  union  has  been  blessed  with  three  children. 
Marie  and  Xellie  Louise  are  living,  and  Agnes 
Margarette  died  in  infancy.  Socially  he  is  a 
member  of  Division  Xo.  196,  B.  of  L.  E.,  also  of 
the  Catholic  Knights  of  America,  of  McComb 
City,  where  he  resides  in  a  fine  home  on  Broad- 
way. 


E.  BRIXGLE,  a  conductor  in  the 
freight  service  of  the  Illinois  Central 
,Q  on  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley 
division,  began  his  career  on  that 
road  as  brakeman  on  the  Riverside  division, 
where  he  worked  for  six  months.  He  then  went 
to  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  R.  R.  where  he  was 
employed  for  one  and  one-half  years  in  a  similar 
capacity.  Returning  to  Memphis,  he  re-entered 
the  employ  of  the  I.  C.  as  a  brakeman,  and  in 
1899  was  promoted  to  conductor  in  the  freight 
department,  since  which  time  he  has  been  in  the 
regular  through  freight  service,  between  Mem- 
phis, Tenn.,  and  Yicksburg,  Miss.  Mr.  Bringle 
is  a  son  of  Thomas  J.  Bringle,  a  wealthy  re- 
tired fanner  who  resides  near  Covington,  Tenn., 
where  our  subject  was  born  on  January  27,  1868. 
He  has  two  brothers  at  that  place,  one  of  them  an 
attorney  of  prominence,  and  another  engaged  in 
mercantile  pursuits.  Mr.  Bringle's  railroad  ca- 
reer has  been  free  from  accidents  of  any  kind. 
He  is  considered  a  careful  and  painstaking  em- 
ploye of  the  I.  C.,  well  known  by  every  one  con- 
nected with  the  road.  He  resides  at  791  Main 
street,  in  Memphis. 


JM.  AX  DREWS,  a  popular  engineer  in 
the  freight  service  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
Q  tral  on  the  Louisiana  division,  was  born 
at  Phillipsburg,  Xew  Jersey,  in  1850. 
He  is  a  son  of  James  Millet  Andrews,  a  promi- 
nent engineer,  who  died  in  1869,  and  who  was 
for  many  years  with  the  Lehigh  Valley,  and  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  roads.  Dur- 
ing the  Civil  war,  he  was  in  the  service  of  the. 
government,  carrying  troops  to  different  parts 
of  the  country. 

J.  M.  Andrews,  our  subject,  began  railroad 
life,  against  the  wishes  of  his  father,  in  his  native 
town,  as  bell  boy  for  James  Warner,  an  engineer. 
It  was  customary  for  engineers  in  those  days  to 
keep  boys  to  ring  the  bells.  In  1870  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  Central  R.  R.,  of  Xew 
Jersey,  at  Phillipsburg,  as  fireman,  where  he 
served  four  years  in  the  freight  and  passenger 
service.  He  then  went  to  the  Lehigh  Valley  R. 
R.  and  while  with  that  road  was,  after  two  years 
work  in  the  freight  service,  promoted  to  the  pas- 
senger service.  He  resigned  November  18,  1893. 
on  account  of  a  general  strike,  and  went  to  the 
Florida  &  East  Coast  R.  R.,  working  on  that 
road  through  the  winter  and  going  to  the  Great 
Xorthern  in  the  spring.  He  returned  to  the 
Florida  &  East  Coast,  and  from  there  went  to 
the  Houston  &  Texas  Central,  between  Houston 
and  Fort  Worth,  Texas.  He  then  worked  suc- 
cessively on  the  Florida  &  East  Coast  R.  R.,  Chi- 
cago, Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  R.  R.,  and  the  Mis- 
souri, Kansas  &  Texas  R.  R.  until  June  1898, 
when  he  entered  the  government  service  as  a 
locomotive  engineer  in  Florida,  carrying  troops 
near  Tampa  and  Key  West.  In  the  latter  service 
he  had  charge  of  a  fine  new  engine,  and  received 
a  salary  of  three  hundred  dollars  per  month. 

Mr.  Andrews  tells  many  interesting  stories 
of  his  experience  in  connection  with  that  service. 
In  1899,  the  Spanish- American  war  being  over, 
he  entered  the  Illinois  Central  service  at  McComb 
City,  where  he  has  since  remained,  in  charge  of 
a  run  in  the  freight  department.  Having  traveled 
extensively,  Mr.  Andrews  has  a  fund  of  experi- 
ence that  stands  him  in  good  stead.  He  is  a  man 
of  great  nerve,  capable  of  taking  charge  of  any 


ALBERT  ARTIC   LILLY. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


381 


engine.  He  is  a  member  of  Division  Xo.  196, 
I!,  of  L.  E.,  of  McComb  City.  While  with  the 
Lehigli  Valley  R.  R.  he  organized  Division  Xo. 
38,  at  Sayre,  Pa.,  and  was  chairman  of  the 
Grievance  1'oard  of  the  entire  system.  He  has 
always  been  an  active  worker  in  the  interest  of 
the  members.  He  belongs  also  to  the  Masonic 
order,  being  a  member  of  Hornellsville  Lodge, 
New  York  state,  having  taken  his  father's  num- 
ber in  that  lodge.  Mr.  Andrews  organized  the 
railroad  branch  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association,  at  Denison,  Texas,  which  is  in  a 
flourishing  condition  at  the  present  time.  He 
married  a  daughter  of  C.  F.  Jenkins,  a  prominent 
horseman  of  Lexington,  Ky.,  and  has  a  promis- 
ing son,  Joe,  a  school  boy. 


LBERT  ARTIC  LILLY,  deceased,  one 
of  the  most  popular  engineers  in  the 
/[  \\  service  of  the  Illinois  Central,  was 
born  in  North  Carolina,  but  with  his 
parents  moved  to  Hazelhurst,  Miss.,  when  young. 
In  1881  Mr.  Lilly  entered  the  service  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  as  an  apprentice  in  the  McComb 
City  shops,  and  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  had 
been  in  the  continuous  employ  of  the  company, 
working  himself  up  to  repeated  promotions,  until 
reaching  the  responsible  position  of  passenger 
engineer.  At  9 125  on  the  evening  of  July  29, 
1898,  Mr.  Lilly  entered  the  McComb  City  yards 
on  engine  Xo.  1171,  and  there  collided  with  some 
freight  cars  which  had  rolled  out  from  a  side 
track,  telescoping  two  of  them.  Mr.  Lilly  and 
his  fireman,  Jesse  Coumbe,  were  caught  in  the 
wreck,  and  both  died  in  a  very  short  time.  Mr. 
Lilly  was  extricated  from  his  position  at  once, 
but  was  so  badly  injured  that  he  lived  but  a  short 
time,  dying  at  one  o'clock  A.  M.,  July  30,  1898. 
Mr  Coumbe 's  position  was  such  that  he  could  not 
be  extricated,  and  he  died  while  pinned  between 
the  boiler-head  and  tender,  being  horribly  crushed 
and  burned.  Albert  A.  Lilly  was  for  twenty 
years  a  resident  of  McComb  City,  and  had  le- 
gions of  friends  in  that  city.  Among  railroad 


men,  his  friends  were  all  who  knew  him,  and 
at  his  old  home  in  Hazelhurst,  he  was  looked 
upon  as  a  pure  hearted  Christian  gentleman. 
Mr.  Lilly  was  married  in  1887  to  Miss  Palie 
Catching,  of  Georgetown,  Miss.,  who  departed 
this  life,  leaving  two  children,  who  by  his  sad 
death  were  doubly  orphaned.  The  remains  of 
our  subject  were  conveyed  to  Hazelhurst,  on 
a  special  train,  accompanied  by  many  sorrowing 
friends,  and  there  amid  the  scenes  of  his  boyhood 
he  was  tenderly  laid  to  rest,  after  an  impressive 
sermon  at  the  Methodist  church,  of  which  he 
was  a  devoted  member.  A  careful,  prudent  man, 
Mr.  Lilly  left  his  little  ones  well  provided  for, 
besides  which,  the  Illinois  Central  railroad  com- 
pany generously  paid  over  to  Mr.  Joseph  R.  Lilly, 
administrator  of  the  estate,  the  sum  of  twelve 
thousand  dollars,  for  their  benefit.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.  and  took  consider- 
able pride  in  the  welfare  of  the  order. 


JOSEPH  R.  SCHULKERS.  an  engineer 
in  the  switching  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central  in  the  Memphis  yards,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Covington,  Ky.,  his  birth  occur- 
ring May  6,  1862.  He  is  a  son  of  John  R.Schul- 
kers.  who  worked  most  of  his  life  in  a  rolling 
mill  in  that  place,  and  died  in  1880.  The  early 
manhood  of  our  subject  was  spent  in  the  same 
occupation  as  his  father,  in  the  Covington  Rol- 
ling Mills,  and  it  was  at  that  place  he  began  rail- 
road work.  Entering  the  service  of  the  Ken- 
tucky Central  R.  R.  as  fireman  between  Coving- 
ton  and  Lexington,  Ky.,  he  worked  for  that  com- 
pany three  years.  He  then  went  to  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  and  was  employed  in  the  yards  of  the 
Chesapeake  &  Ohio  R.  R.  as  locomotive  fireman, 
and  finally  was  promoted  to  engineer  in  the 
freight  service  of  that  road,  between  Cincinnati 
and  Russell,  Ky,  In  1897  he  went  to  Memphis 
and  entered  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central 
in  the  yards,  and  has  since  remained  there  as 
night  switch  engineer,  his  hours  of  duty  being 
from  6:00  P.  M,  to  6;oo  A,  M,  He  was  in 


382 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


several  wrecks  while  with  the  Kentucky  Central, 
but  his  connection  with  the  I.  C.  has  been  devoid 
of  accidents  of  any  consequence.  At  Coving- 
ton  Mr.  Schulkers  was  married  to  Miss  Theresa 
Mohlenkamp,  of  Boonc  county,  Ky.,  three  chil- 
dren being  the  result  of  their  union,  viz :  Leona, 
Adla,  and  Bernardina.  With  his  wife  he  is  a 
firm  adherent  of  the  doctrines  of  the  Catholic 
church.  He  resides  at  No.  228  Iowa  avenue, 
in  Memphis,  of  which  city  he  is  an  honest  and 
upright  citizen. 


JAMES  A.  WILSON,  who  occupies  the  re- 
sponsible position  of  depot  master  for 
the  Illinois  Central  at  New  Orleans,  was 
born  at  Smithfield,  Va.,  on  January  26, 
1855.  His  parents,  James  A.  and  Mary  Wil- 
son, both  departed  this  life  in  the  yellow  fever 
epidemic  of  1857.  Our  subject  acquired  his  ed- 
ucation in  private  schools  and  under  private  tu- 
tors. At  an  early  age  he  began  life  on  his  own 
account,  working  his  way  in  the  line  of  indus- 
trial pursuits,  and  in  1873  entered  the  service  of 
the  C.  N.  O.  &  S.  R.  R.,  as  flagman  between 
McComb  City,  Miss.,  and  New  Orleans.  He 
was  transferred  in  1875  to  tne  Water  Valley  divi- 
sion, in  a  similar  capacity,  and  at  the  end  of  one 
year  was  given  charge  of  a  run  on  that  division 
as  freight  conductor.  In  1879  he  was  sent  to 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  served  as  conductor  in  the 
freight  and  passenger  service  between  that  city 
and  Cairo,  111.,  until  1882.  In  that  year  our  sub- 
ject was  promoted  to  the  passenger  service  on 
the  Mississippi  division,  where  he  remained  until 
1891.  He  was  then  appointed  yardmaster  at 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  after  a  short  service  of  six- 
teen days,  while  engaged  in  superintending 
shifting  in  the  yards,  lost  his  left  leg.  On  re- 
covery he  was  appointed  night  watchman  at 
Grenada,  Miss.,  and  in  August  1895  was  sent  to 
New  Orleans  as  depot  master,  which  position  he 
now  fills. 

Mr.    Wilson    and    Miss    Fannie    Elliott,    of 
Wicklyffe,  Ky.,  were  married  in   1883,  the  lat- 


ter surviving  only  about  a  year  after  the  mar- 
riage. He  was,  in  1888,  united  to  Miss  Lula 
Bosworth,  of  Canton,  Miss.,  the  daughter  of 
Mrs.  A.  S.  Bosworth,  who  is  editor  of  the 
.  lincrican  Citizen,  of  that  place.  Mrs.  Wilson 
is  a  lady  of  fine  literary  ability,  and  acts  as  cor- 
respondent for  various  newspapers.  To  them 
have  been  born  three  children,  James  Norman, 
Dudley  and  Marie.  Mr.  Wilson  affiliates  with 
the  Knights  of  Pythias.  His  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church.  In  poli- 
tics he  gives  his  allegiance  to  the  Democratic 
party. 


LL.  DAGRON,  roadmaster  on  the 
Twelfth  division  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
Q  tral,  with  headquarters  at  New  Or- 
leans, was  born  in  New  York  city, 
January  20,  1862,  and  is  the  son  of  Louis  and 
Alice  Dagron.  Mr.  Dagron  Sr.  was  a  commis- 
sion merchant  of  that  city.  The  facilities  of 
the  metropolis  for  acquiring  a  good  education 
were  taken  advantage  of  by  the  son,  and  after 
finishing  there  he  entered  McGill  University, 
in  Montreal,  Canada,  taking  a  course  in  engineer- 
ing, and  graduating  in  1883.  He  at  once  entered 
upon  the  active  duties  of  life,  securing  a  position 
as  draughtsman  with  the  Sanborn  Map  and  Pub- 
lishing Company  of  New  York  city,  where  he 
remained  two  years.  In  1885  he  began  work 
with  the  B.  &  O.  R.  R.  at  Baltimore,  in  the  en- 
gineering department,  and  was  with  that  com- 
pany until  1892.  Entering  the  service  of  the 
Illinois  Central  in  the  spring  of  the  latter  year, 
in  the  capacity  of  civil  engineer,  he  was  made 
engineer  in  charge  of  the  Burnside  shops.  In 
April  1896,  he  came  to  New  Orleans,  and  took 
charge  of  the  construction  of  the  Stuyvesant 
docks,  erected  during  that  year,  and  in  December 
of  the  same  year  was  appointed  roadmaster  of 
the  Freeport  (111.)  division  of  the  I.  C.  Serv- 
ing there  for  the  following  year,  he  was  then 
transferred  to  New  Orleans  as  roadmaster,  and 
is  at  present  acting  in  that  capacity.  He  has 
charge  of  two  hundred  and  six  miles  of  main 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


383 


line,  which  with  branch  lines  and  terminals,  is 
increased  to  nearly  five  hundred  miles.  His 
jurisdiction  embraces  forty-six  sections,  besides 
the  Xew  ( )rleans  Terminal.  The  satisfactory 
management  of  such  a  large  undertaking,  shows 
him  to  be  a  man  of  great  executive  ability. 

Mr.  Dagron  was,  on  October  2,  1889,  united 
to  Miss  Blanche  McMorran,  a  member  of  a  pro- 
minent family  in  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  He  is  a  thirty 
second  degree  Mason,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  church. 


J.  JEWETT,  a  well  known  conductor 
in  the  passenger  service  on  the  Louisi- 
Q  ana  division  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
was  born  at  Shreveport,  La.,  Novem- 
ber 2,  1843.  His  parents,  Ivers,  and  Lydia 
(Adams)  Jewett,  both  deceased,  were  natives  of 
Massachusetts,  but  came  to  Louisiana  in  early 
life.  Ivers  Jewett  was  a  merchant  by  occupa- 
tion. Responding  to  the  call  of  his  country  in 
the  war  of  1812,  in  which  he  was  an  officer,  he 
took  a  prominent  part  in  it  and  was  in  the  battle 
of  New  Orleans  under  General  Jackson. 

T.  J.  Jewett  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  New  Orleans,  and  was  from  1855  to 
1861  in  a  private  express  business  in  that  city 
on  his  own  account.  Espousing  the  southern 
cause  in  the  Civil  war,  he  enlisted  in  1862,  as 
a  private  in  the  I5th  Confederate  Cavalry  and 
went  to  Mobile,  Ala.  He  served  during  the  en- 
tire war  on  the  Confederate  side,  surrendering 
in  April  1865,  at  Gainesville,  Ala.,  with  the  army 
of  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston.  At  the_  close  of 
the  war,  he  returned  to  Mobile,  Ala.,  and  was  em- 
ployed by  the  Southern  Express  company,  at 
Mobile,  Ala.,  as  a  messenger  on  the  M.  &  O. 
R.  R.  between  Mobile  and  Cairo,  111.  This  posi- 
tion was  held  for  four  years,  when  he  entered  the 
employ  of  the  same  road  as  a  brakeman,  being 
in  a  short  time  promoted  to  conductor.  He  was 
identified  with  the  M.  &  O.  R.  R.  until  1873, 
when  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  at  Jack- 


son,  Tenn.,  as  brakeman,   and  later  worked  as 
freight  conductor. 

In  1874  he  went  to  New  Orleans  and  worked 
in  the  I.  C.  yards  as  a  switchman  for  a  short 
period.  He  was  soon  given  charge  of  a  freight 
train  on  the  Louisiana  division,  between  New 
Orleans  and  Canton,  Miss.  For  a  few  months 
during  the  year  1875,  he  was  laid  off  on  account 
of  the  slack  condition  of  business,  but  returned 
to  work  in  August  of  that  year,  acting  succes- 
sively as  brakeman,  conductor  on  work  train, 
conductor  on  freight,  and  extra  passenger  con- 
ductor; and  in  1885  was  given  a  regular  passen- 
ger run,  which  he  holds  at  the  present  time.  Mr. 
Jewett  was,  on  June  25,  1872,  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Jennie  Robertson,  of  Citronelle, 
Ala.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity  of 
New  Orleans,  being  a  thirty-  second  degree  Ma- 
son, also  a  member  of  Mobile  Chapter,  a  Shriner 
of  Jerusalem  Temple,  of  New  Orleans,  and  is 
Chief  Conductor,  Division  No.  108,  O.  R.  C. 
His  family  are  supporters  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church.  Politically  he  is  a  Democrat. 


1LLIAM  BEVEN,  the  white  haired 
veteran  engineer  known  to  all  the 
employes  of  the  road  as  "  Dad " 
Beven,  is  in  the  fast  passenger  ser- 
vice of  the  Illinois  Central  on  a  vestibule  train 
between  McComb  City,  and  New  Orleans.  Mr. 
Beven  dates  his  railroad  career  back  to  1868, 
when  he  worked  in  the  shops  of  the  New  Orleans, 
Jackson  &  Great  Northern  R.  R.,  where  he  was 
employed  until  1870.  In  that  year  he  began  fir- 
ing on  a  wood-burner  with  engineer  John 
Hughes,  known  to  the  railroad  men  of  that  day 
as  "  Happy  Jack  ",  a  whole-souled,  popular  man, 
who  died  in  1897  in  the  state  of  Texas.  After 
working  as  fireman  in  the  freight  and  passenger 
service  of  the  N.  O.  J.  &  G.  N.  (now  the  I.  C. 
R.  R.)  for  four  years,  he  went  to  the  Louisville 
&  Nashville  R.  R.  as  engineer  in  the  passenger 
service,  between  New  Orleans  and  Mobile,  and 
in  1879  returned  to  the  I,  C.  and  has  since  been 


384 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


in  the  employ  of  that  company.  He  has  charge 
of  engine  Xo.  387,  Roger's  build,  with  nineteen 
and  one-half  inch  cylinder.  Mr.  Beven  met  with 
a  peculiar  accident  in  1897.  While  running  at 
a  speed  of  forty-five  miles  per  hour,  he  stepped 
out  on  the  running  hoard  to  make  some  repairs, 
and  slipped  to  the  ground,  luckily  falling  in  a 
swampy  spot  between  two  stumps.  After  find- 
ing that  no  bones  were  broken  he  looked  for  his 
train,  which  was  no  where  in  sight.  He  then 
started  to  walk,  when  he  perceived  the  train 
backing  up,  he  having  been  missed  by  his  fire- 
man after  the  train  had  gone  three  miles.  He  got 
on  his  engine  and  carried  the  train  through  to 
New  Orleans,  but  the  reaction  following  the 
shock  obliged  him  to  rest  for  a  time.  It  was 
from  Mr.  Beven's  engine  that  Master  Mechanic 
Baldwin  jumped  and  met  his  death.  Mr.  Beven 
says  he  had  reduced  his  speed  to  twenty  iniles 
per  hour,  when  the  fatal  red  lights  of  the  freight 
train  were  seen,  apparently  on  the  main  line. 
Fireman  McCollum  jumped,  and  Mr.  Baldwin 
followed,  striking  a  switch  stand  and  splitting 
open  his  head,  causing  instant  death.  Mr.  Beven 
stuck  to  his  post  and  brought  the  train  to  a  stand 
still.  The  passengers  gathered  about  him,  pro- 
fuse in  their  thanks,  and  wanted  to  raise  a  purse 
which  he  gallantly  refused,  satisfied  with  the 
thought  that  he  had  stuck  to  his  post  and  per- 
formed his  duty.  Mr.  Beven's  fastest  run  was 
made  with  a  train  of  nine  coaches,  covering  six- 
ty-three miles  in  one  hour,  which,  considering 
the  track,  is  a  remarkable  run.  Mr.  Beven  is 
a  native  of  Xew  Orleans  and  was  born  August 
28,  1849.' 

William  Beven,  his  father,  was  an  English- 
man, and  his  mother  was  a  native  of  London. 
The  latter  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  from  the 
result  of  a  fall. 

In  1876  our  subject  married  a  Miss  Delaney, 
a  native  of  New  York.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren :  Charles  R.  who  holds  a  responsible  posi- 
tion in  the  freight  office  of  the  I.  C.  at  New  Or- 
leans, and  is  married  to  a  prominent  young  lady 
of  that  place;  Mrs.  T.  C.  Henry,  married  to  a 
son  of  Col.  R.  H.  Henry,  of  Jackson,  Miss,  and 
John  L.,  at  school.  Mr.  Beven  is  Chief  of  Divi- 


sion No.  196,  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  has  been  an  officer 
of  the  Division  for  eight  years.  He  has  served 
as  delegate  to  conventions  at  Chicago  and  at 
New  Orleans.  He  is  connected  with  Myrtle 
Lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  with  the  Knights 
of  Honor,  of  McComb  City.  Mr.  Beven  has 
served  with  success  under  seven  master  mechan- 
ics, and  has  graduated  many  competent  engineers 
from  his  engine.  He  is  an  active  man,  and 
takes  pleasure  in  a  boxing  contest  or  other  sports 
with  his  younger  fellow  employes.  Physically 
he  is  a  fine  type  of  manhood,  erect  and  well-pro- 
portioned, and  to  know  "Dad"  Beven  is  to  know 
one  of  Nature's  noblemen. 


'ILLIAM  W.  WEBB,  an  engineer  in 
the  switching  department  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  in  the  yards  at  Memphis, 
has  been  connected  with  the  company 
since  1894.  Beginning  on  the  Canada  Southern 
R.  R.  (now  the  Michigan  Central)  he  worked 
for  that  company  in  the  water  and  car  depart- 
ments, and  also  as  a  fireman  in  the  freight  de- 
partment, until  January  17,  1889.  He  was  then 
promoted  to  engineer,  after  examination.  The 
latter  was  a ,  very  rigid  one.  Chief  Dispatcher 
Babbitt,  Assistant  Superintendent  McDonald, 
and  Division  Superintendent  J.  B.  Morfit,  con- 
stituting the  committee.  On  promotion  he  was 
in  the  freight  service  of  that  road  for  some  time 
between  St.  Clair  Junction  and  Yarmouth,  On- 
tario, also  Windsor  and  Buffalo.  On  October 
3,  1891,  he  became  connected  with  the  Toledo, 
Ann  Arbor  &  Michigan  R.  R.,  and  served  as 
engineer  in  the  freight  department  of  that  road 
until  1894.  In  that  year  he  went  to  Chicago, 
and  began  work  for  the  Illinois  Central  in  the 
shops,  as  hostler,  and  was  afterward  foreman. 
He  remained  in  Chicago  until  November  1897. 
when  Mr.  Renshaw  sent  him  to  Memphis,  where 
he  was  employed  in  the  switching  service  in  the 
yards,  and  was  also  for  six  months  in  the  freight 
service.  He  however  returned  to  the  yards, 
where  he  has  since  remained  as  night  engineer. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


Mr.  Webb  lias  been  in  railroad  service  fourteen 
years,  and  lias  never  bad  a  wreck  and  was  never 
injured.  Mr.  Webb  was  born  in  Ontario,  Cana- 
da, on  June  12,  1859,  and  is  a  son  of  John  Webb, 
deceased,  who  was  engaged  there  in  the  nursery 
business  on  a  large  scale.  In  the  parental  fami- 
ly there  were  three  sons,  all  of  whom  became 
railroad  men ;  first  our  subject ;  then  George,  who 
was  a  fireman,  and  is  now  dead ;  and  Ernest,  an 
engineer  in  the  water  works  at  Niagara  Falls. 
Mr.  Webb  married  Miss  Louie  Birdsall,  of  Cana- 
da. Socially  he  is  connected  with  Lodge  No. 
32,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Foresters,  of  St.  Thomas,  Canada.  He  has  a 
nice  home  at  106  Florida  avenue,  Memphis.  He 
is  a  very  faithful  employe  of  the  I.  C.,  paying 
strict  attention  to  duty,  and  stands  high  in  the 
estimation  of  his  superiors. 

JM.IM.IM 


K.  WHITE,  a  conductor  in  the  pas- 
senger service  of  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  R. 
'  Q  R.,  was  born  in  Belton,  Texas,  Feb- 
ruary 10,  1864,  and  is  the  son  of  Cap- 
tain B.  S.  and  Anna  (Kirkpatrick)  White.  Cap- 
tain White  was  a  ranchman  in  the  Lone  Star 
State  when  the  Civil  war  broke  out,  and  imme- 
diately organized  the  famous  "Texas  Rangers," 
being  appointed  captain  of  Company  A,  Sixth 
Texas  Mounted  Infantry.  He  served  with  dis- 
tinction during  the  entire  war,  and  moving  to 
Hinds  county,  Miss.,  was  for  a  time  deputy  sher- 
iff of  that  county.  He  was  killed  in  1891  while 
attempting  the  arrest  of  two  burglars.  His  wife 
died  in  1893.  The  educational  training  of  Mr. 
White  was  acquired  in  the  public  schools  of 
Hinds  county,  Miss.,  and  in  1883  he  began  learn- 
ing the  printing  business  at  Raymond,  in  that 
state,  remaining  at  that  work  nearly  two  years. 
His  first  work  on  the  road  was  with  the  N.  J. 
&  C.  R.  R.  (now  a  branch  of  the  I.  C.),  in  1885, 
as  brakeman  in  the  freight  service  between  Nat- 
chez and  Jackson.  After  holding  this  position 
for  one  year,  he  came  to  the  L.  N.  O.  &  T.  R.  R. 
(now  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  R.  R.),  and  served  in  a 


similar  capacity,  between  Vicksburg  and  New 
Orleans.  On  September  i,  1889,  he  was  pro- 
moted to  conductor  in  the  freight  service,  and 
in  October  1898,  his  merits  were  recognized  by 
the  company  by  his  appointment  to  train  master 
on  the  Yicksburg  district  of  the  Xew  Orleans 
division.  He  retained  that  position  during  the 
winter  months,  and  in  the  spring  of  1899  re- 
sumed his  former  work  in  the  freight  service, 
receiving  promotion  to  the  passenger  service  on 
the  New  Orleans  division  in  October  1899,  which 
he  now  holds. 

On  the  25th  of  September,  1890,  Mr.  White 
was  joined  in  wedlock  at  Raymond,  Miss.,  her 
native  town,  to  Miss  Mary  Willis,  an  estimable 
young  lady  of  that  place.  They  are  the  parents 
of  two  bright  children,  Mary  E.,  born  July  4, 
1891,  and  Sterling,  born  August  14,  1896.  He 
holds  membership  in  the  Masonic  order ;  Lodge 
No.  70,  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  Division  No. 
231,  O.  R.  C.,  of  Vicksburg.  His  family  are 
attendants  of  the  Episcopal  church,  and  he  af- 
filiates politically  with  the  Democratic  party. 


LDWIN  C.  DUNHAM,  a  well  known  en- 
gineer in  the  freight  service  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  between  Memphis,  Tenn., 
and  Grenada,  Miss.,  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  company  in  1878  as  a  brakeman  be- 
tween Chicago  and  Champaign,  111.  After  ser- 
ving there  for  five  months,  he  went  to  the  Chi- 
cago &  Alton  R.  R.  as  fireman  between  Chicago 
and  Bloomington,  111.,  where  he  remained  two 
and  one-half  years.  His  next  work  was  as  fire- 
man on  the  West  Michigan  R.  R.,  between  Mus- 
kegon  and  Big  Rapids,  where,  after  a  service  of 
four  months,  he  was  promoted  to  engineer  in 
the  freight  department  of  that  road,  and  re- 
mained there  in  that  capacity  one  year  and  three 
months.  Returning  to  the  employ  of  the  Chi- 
cago &  Alton,  he  was  with  that  road  as  engineer 
for  eleven  years,  running  at  different  times  be- 
tween Chicago  and  Bloomington.  Chicago  and 
Roodhouse,  Bloomington  and  St.  Louis,  Slater, 


386 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COAII'ANY 


MIL,  and  Kansas  City,  and  Kansas  City  and 
liootli.  He  then  went  to  the  transportation  de- 
partment of  that  road,  and  was  there  a  conduc- 
tor in  the  passenger  service  for  three  years  be- 
tween Chicago  and  Roodhouse,  and  Chicago  and 
St.  Louis.  Returning  to  the  Illinois  Central,  he 
entered  the  freight  service  of  that  company  as 
engineer,  and  has  since  remained  there  on  his 
present  rim.  During  his  long  railroad  career 
he  has  had  few  accidents,  and  never  received  an 
injury.  Mr.  Dunham  was  born  at  Marshall,  in 
the  state  of  Michigan,  on  January  8,  1860,  and 
is  a  son  of  Henry  Dunham,  a  photographer  of 
that  city,  now  deceased.  Charles  Dunham,  a 
brother  of  our  subject,  is  a  fireman  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Illinois  Central. 

The  first  wife  of  Mr.  Dunham  was  Miss 
Minnie  L.  Ferguson,  of  New  York  state,  who 
died.  He  afterward  married  Miss  Estelle  M. 
Cushman,  of  Glens  Falls,  New  York,  in  which 
city  he  has  his  permanent  home  on  South  street. 
His  western  home  is  at  the  Broadway  Hotel,  in 
the  city  of  Memphis.  He  is  a  reliable  and  active 
employe,  and  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  every 
one  connected  with  the  road. 


JOHN  G.  FORD,  an  old  and  appreciated 
conductor  on  the  Louisiana  division  of 
the  Illinois  Central,  entered  the  service 
of  the  company  in  1884  as  a  brakeman 
with  Conductor  Butterworth,  and  was  himself 
promoted  to  conductor  on  October  10,  1887.  His 
present  run  is  on  a  through  freight  between  Can- 
ton, Miss.,  and  New  Orleans,  La.  Mr.  Ford's 
career  on  the  Illinois  Central  embraces  a  period 
of  seventeen  years  of  continued  service,  during 
which  time  he  has  had  no  accidents.  He  lost 
one  caboose,  which  rolled  down  an  embankment 
and  was  demolished,  but  no  blame  was  attached 
to  him.  Mr.  Ford  is  a  Mississippian  by  birth. 
He  married  Miss  Dancer,  of  Crystal  Springs, 
Miss.,  and  three  children  are  the  result  of  their 
union,  viz :  Ferol,  aged  six  years ;  Wilda,  aged 
four,  and  "Diamond  Dick,"  a  bright  promising 


girl.  He  belongs  to  Canton  Division  No.  304. 
().  R.  C.,  and  to  Myrtle  Lodge,  Knights  of 
Pythias,  of  McComb  City.  Mr.  Ford  is  of 
quiet,  unassuming  disposition,  well  and  favor- 
ably known  along  the  Illinois  Central  road,  and 
a  respected  citizen  of  McComb  City. 


H 


ARRY  CHARLTON,  a  train  dispatcher 
on  the  Louisiana  division  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  with  headquarters  at 
McComb  City,  Miss.,  is  a  vigilant  and 
trusted  employe  of  the  road,  and  a  very  affable 
young  man.  He  is  a  native  of  Braidwood,  111., 
and  a  son  of  C.  K.  Charlton,  now  residing  at 
that  place.  Our  subject  began  his  career  in  1894 
on  the  North- Western  R.  R.  in  Wisconsin,  where 
he  remained  only  a  short  time,  going  in  1895  *o 
the  Wabash  in  Missouri,  as  operator.  In  March 
1897,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central 
at  Gilman,  111.,  working  successively  at  Clinton, 
111.,  and  Fulton,  Ky.  In  November  1897  he  came 
to  McComb  City  as  operator,  in  1898  was  promot- 
ed to  extra  night  dispatcher,  and  in  1899  was  made 
a  regular  dispatcher,  where  he  is  now  employed 
and  serving  with  great  credit.  He  is  at  present 
on  "second  trick,"  his  hours  being  from  4  :oo 
P.  M.  to  12:00  M.  Mr.  Charlton's  district  ex- 
tends from  McComb  City  to  New  Orleans,  in- 
cluding the  Y.  &  M.  V.  terminals,  and  he  often 
has  a  good  many  trains  to  supervise,  both  pas- 
senger and  freight.  This  means  a  vast  amount 
of  property,  to  say  nothing  of  the  hundreds  of 
human  lives  which  are  literally  in  his  care,  while 
he  is  on  duty,  and  is  a  work  requiring  great  ex- 
ecutive ability.  Socially  he  is  connected  with 
the  Train  Dispatchers'  Association,  of  Chicago, 
and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  the  World.  In 
1899  Miss  Deith,  of  New  Orleans,  became  the 
wife  of  our  subject,  and  they  are  comfortably 
located  on  Main  street  in  McComb  City.  The 
rapid  promotion  of  Mr.  Charlton  speaks  vol- 
umes for  so  young  a  man,  he  being  now  only 
twenty-six  years  old,  and  is  a  recognition  of  his 
fine  abilities  and  faithful  service. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


387 


OOWRY  G.  MACKEY,  chief  clerk  to  the 
local  agent  for  the  Illinois  Central  at 
|_[  \\  McComb  City,  Miss.,  is  an  enterpris- 
ing and  energetic  young  man,  who  be- 
gan railroad  life  as  a  clerk  in  the  freight  office 
of  Water  Valley,  Miss.  He  was  afterward 
transferred  to  Jackson,  Miss.,  working  there  un- 
til April  1899.  He  was  then  sent  to  McComb 
Citv  as  day  clerk,  then  promoted  to  bill  clerk, 
and  afterward  to  chief  clerk,  where  he  is  now 
serving  in  the  most  satisfactory  manner.  Mr. 
Mackey's  position  is  one  of  much  responsibility. 
He  has  a  force  of  clerks  under  his  supervision, 
and  handles  a  large  amount  of  office  work  con- 
nected with  the  yards  and  station.  He  is  also 
in  charge  of  the  ticket  department,  and  McComb 
City  being  a  coupon  ticket  office,  he  handles  large 
sums  of  money.  Several  relatives  of  our  sub- 
ject are  successful  railroad  men.  One  of  them, 
an  uncle,  is  a  prominent  employe  of  the  Cotton 
Belt  road,  with  headquarters  at  Texarkana,  Ark. 
His  father,-  L.  W.  Mackey,  is  a  well  known  and 
prosperous  grocer  of  Water  Valley,  Miss.  So- 
cially Mr.  Mackey  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
and  Ladies  of  Honor,  of  Water  Valley,  Miss., 
his  home.  He  is  a  young  man  of  pleasing  ad- 
dress and  genial  manners,  and  his  future  pros- 
pects are  very  bright. 


DWARD  F.  CRISP,  the  ranking  engi- 
neer at  Water  Valley  began  his  railroad 
career  in  1870  in  the  humble  position 
of  water  boy  on  the  section  at  Durant, 
and  about  a  year  later  went  to  Goodman  where  he 
acted  as  section  master  eight  months.  Return- 
ing to  Durant  he  secured  a  place  as  laborer  on 
the  section  for  a  year  and  then  began  working 
around  the  depot,  at  the  same  time  studying  tele- 
graphy and  the  duties  of  station  master.  During 
the  two  years  he  was  here  he  mastered  the 
art  of  telegraphy  and  when  he  resigned  he 
was  assistant  station  master.  During  the  fol- 
lowing six  months  he  was  employed  by  a  pri- 
vate telegraph  company,  and  then  returned  to 


the  employ  of  the  railroad  as  locomotive  fire- 
man on  the  Kosciusko  branch  near  the  close  of 
the  construction  period,  remaining  on  that  branch 
some  eighteen  months.  Desiring  to  fit  himself 
more  fully  for  the  calling  of  an  engineer,  Mr. 
Crisp  entered  the  shops  at  Water  Valley  as  an 
apprenticed  machinist,  and  continued  in  that 
capacity  three  and  a  half  years  under  Master 
Mechanic  J.  E.  Becton.  Feeling  better  fitted 
for  the  road,  he  re-entered  the  operative  depart- 
ment and  was  fireman  on  a  bridge  train  working 
between  Water  Valley  and  Canton,  under  En- 
gineer John  Dunn,  on  engine  No.  86  of  the 
Louisiana  division.  After  a  few  months  on  the 
left  side  of  the  engine,  he  was  promoted  August 
7,  1877,  and  given  a  run  in  the  freight  service, 
between  Canton  and  Water  Valley,  and  in  1882 
was  promoted  to  the  passenger  service  in  which 
he  continued  until  1894.  At  this  date,  at  his 
own  request,  Mr.  Crisp  was  given  a  run  on  the 
construction  train  and  later  on  the  local  freight, 
on  which  he  was  engaged  until  1896,  when  he 
was  given  his  present  assignment,  a  preferred 
freight  on  the  south  end  of  the  division.  Mr. 
Crisp  has  had  several  severe  injuries  during  the 
thirty  years  of  his  railroad  experience.  July  3, 
1888,  he  was  involved  in  a  wreck  on  a  trestle  at 
Winona,  Miss.,  and  went  down  with  his  engine, 
and  in  consequence  was  off  from  duty  some  six 
months.  Perhaps  the  most  thrilling  experience 
that  has  occurred  in  his  career  happened  about 
four  o'clock  in  the  morning  on  April  n,  1900, 
about  three  miles  north  of  Canton,  along  the 
banks  of  Tildabogue  creek,  after  one  of  the 
heaviest  rain  and  hail  storms  that  ever  visited 
that  region.  The  creek  had  risen  to  an  unprece- 
dented height,  flooding  the  tracks  to  a  depth  of 
four  feet  and  washing  out  the  grade.  This 
never  having  been  a  danger  point,  the  train  came 
thundering  along  and  without  warning  rushed 
into  the  flood,  leaving  the  tracks  and  burying 
some  of  the  crew  beneath  the  wreck.  Mr.  Crisp, 
although  he  stuck  to  his  engine,  was  rescued  in  a 
dazed  condition,  having  sustained  a  severe  cut 
on  the  head.  It  is  incidents  like  this  that  makes 
it  the  wonder  that  men  of  sufficient  courage  can 
be  found  to  operate  the  thousands  of  trains  that 


388 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


daily  carry  their  loads  of  freight  and  precious 
lives.  Mr.  Crisp  was  born  in  Madison  county, 
Term.  He  was  married  at  Water  Valley  to  Miss 
Henrietta  Lawshea,  to  whom  six  children  have 
been  born,  four  of  whom  are  now  living:  Clark, 
aged  14;  Nina,  aged  u,  and  Cloud  andJEdwin, 
twins,  aged  8. 

As  a  successful  railroad  man  Mr.  Crisp  can 
feel  proud  of  his  record,  having  never  suffered  a 
suspension  nor  censure.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  order  and  the  Knights  of  Honor  at 
Water  Valley,  and  the  local  Division,  No.  99, 
B.  of  L.  E.  He  is  a  man  of  sterling  integrity 
and  one  of  the  most  reliable  operatives  on  the 
southern  division.  No  one  who  mentions  him 
fails  to  have  a  good  word  to  say  for  Ed.  Crisp. 

jtjtjtjtjtj* 


E.  READER  is  one  of  the  best  known 
conductors  in  the  passenger  service 
Q  of  the  Illinois  Central,  running  on  the 
St.  Louis  division  from  Centralia  to 
Cairo,  111.  He  entered  the  service  of  the  com- 
pany in  1881  as  brakeman  in  the  freight  service; 
then  in  the  fall  of  1882  served  as  baggageman  on 
a  passenger.  From  the  latter  position  he  was 
promoted  to  conductor  in  1886,  serving  in  the 
freight  service  seven  years,  and  in  1893  was 
placed  in  charge  of  a  passenger  train,  which  po- 
sition he  still  occupies. 

Mr.  Reader  was  born  at  Clinton,  Iowa,  Jan- 
uary 7,  1861,  and  is  the  son  of  Thomas  ].  and 
Phoebe  (Bevier)  Reader,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  the  state  of  New  York.  On  May  25, 
1891,  our  subject  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Anne  Parkin,  who  was  employed  as  clerk 
in  the  agent's  office  at  Centralia.  To  this  union 
have  been  born  two  children,  viz :  Emma,  who 
is  now  seven  years  of  age,  and  Chauncey  Parkin, 
aged  four  years. 

Mr.  Reader  has  in  his  possession  a  letter 
from  Superintendent  Sullivan,  of  which  he  is 
justly  proud.  In  those  days  freight  trains  were 
not  equipped  with  air  brakes,  and  all  brakes  had 
to  be  set  bv  hand.  The  letter  is  as  follows : 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  Co., 

OFFICE   OF   DIVISION    SUPERINTENDENT. 

Cairo,  III.,  April  12,  1886. 
A.  E.  READER,  Brakeman,  Cairo,  111. 

DEAR  SIR: — I  learn  that  on  the  night  of  the  3rd 
inst.,  at  the  time  of  the  breaking  of  the  journal  under 
a  car  in  the  freight  train,  on  which  you  were  rear 
brakeman,  just  as  the  train  was  descending  a  heavy- 
grade  north  of  Cobden,  and  during  a  severe  sleet 
storm,  that,  notwithstanding  the  roofs  of  the  cars  were 
covered  with  a  coating  of  ice,  you  went  over  the  train 
setting  brakes,  passing  over  the  car  which  was  break- 
ing down,  and  finally  reached  a  point  where  a  signal 
could  be  communicated  to  the  engineer  and  succeeded 
in  stopping  the  train  before  further  damage  was  done. 

Your  action  in  this  case  was  highly  commendable, 
and  I  desire  to  express  to  you  my  appreciation  of  it, 
believing  that  it  was  chiefly  through  your  personal 
efforts,  under  trying  and  perilous  circumstances,  that 
the  train  was  saved  from  serious  damage. 
Yours  truly, 

A.  W.  SULLIVAN,  Div.  Supt. 


DR.  SWEETS,  locomotive  engineer  on  the 
I.  C.,  is  a  native  of  Bardstown,  Ky.  He 
Q  first  began  railroading  in  1879  at  Seclalia, 
on  the  Missouri  Pacific,  as  a  fireman  in 
the  freight  service,  and  continued  there  about 
two  years,  when  he  went  to  Decatur,  111.,  and  be- 
gan firing  on  the  Wabash,  where  he  remained 
one  year,  and  was  then  promoted  to  engineer 
and  ran  an  engine  in  the  freight  service  between 
East  St.  Louis  and  Chicago  until  1883,  when 
he  went  on  the  T.  C.  &  St.  L.  (now  called  the 
Clover  Leaf  route),  with  his  first  rim  b^tweer> 
Delphos  and  Dayton,  Ohio.  Later  he  ran  the 
engine  in  the  construction  work  during  the  lay- 
ing of  most  of  the  track  from  Ramsey,  111.,  to 
East  St.  Louis,  and  remained  with  that  road 
two  and  a  half  years.  In  June  1886,  he  went 
with  the  Short  Line  as  engineer  on  freight  and 
all  extra  passengers.  He  pulled  the  pay  car 
four  years  steady,  never  missing  a  trip.  In  1894 
he  was  given  a  regular  passenger  run,  and  con- 
tinued there  until  the  purchase  of  the  road  in 
1896  by  the  Illinois  Central,  at  which  time  he 
was  running  between  East  St.  Louis  and  Padu- 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


391 


cah.  After  the  purchase  he  was  put  on  the  Dia- 
mond Special,  but  in  1899  he  was  given  the 
Creole  Spring  run  and  has  that  at  the  present 
time.  Our  subject  is  a  member  of  Egyptian 
Lodge  No.  512,  B.  of  L.  E.  Mr.  Sweets  mar- 
ried Miss  Edith  C.  Parrin  and  has  no  children. 
He  owns  two  residences  at  No.  804  and  806 
Bond  avenue,  E.  St.  Louis. 


IT.  SHAKER,  conductor  on  the  Free- 
port  division  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,  is  a  native  of  the  city  of 
Freeport,  and  was  born  June  23, 
1870.  He  is  a  son  of  M.  W.  and  S.  A.  (Hart- 
zell)  Shafer.  The  father  died  in  1894,  and  the 
mother  is  still  living  in  Freeport.  Our  subject 
had  two  brothers,  both  now  deceased.  John  T. 
was  an  employe  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  and  Clinton 
was  a  conductor  for  the  same  company.  C.  H. 
Shafer  received  his  education  in  the  schools  of 
Freeport,  after  which  he  served  an  apprentice- 
ship at  the  carpenter  trade.  In  1889  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  a  brakeman  and 
was  promoted  to  his  present  position  of  conduc- 
tor in  August  1892.  On  the  26th  of  September, 
1895,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Hat- 
tie  C.  Skinner,  who  was  born  in  Warren,  Ohio, 
March  21,  1865.  Mrs.  Shafer's  parents  Abra- 
ham DeCamp  and  Sarah  (Rich)  Skinner,  were 
farmers.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shafer  have  one  child, 
a  daughter  named  Alice  Rose,  born  September 
14,  1896. 


H.  DICKINSON,  conductor  on  Illi- 
nois Central  Freeport  division,  was 
born  in  Aurora,  111.,  October  17, 
1868.  His  father,  Daniel  D.,  a 
carpenter,  died  October  n,  1895.  His  mother, 
Abbie  D.  (Dan forth)  Dickinson,  is  now  living  in 
West  Ridge,  N.  H.  One  son,  Charles  F.,  was  a 
brakeman  on  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  at  McComb  City, 


Miss.,  and  was  killed  while  on  duty.  E.  H. 
Dickinson  was  educated  in  the  Young's  school 
at  Aurora.  At  seventeen  he  entered  the  service 
of  a  butcher  and  learned  the  business,  remaining 
in  that  business  for  four  years.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-one  he  began  his  railroad  experience  as  a 
brakeman  for  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  and  remained 
in  their  service  for  about  three  years.  On  Octo- 
ber 15,  1889,  he  came  to  Freeport  and  entered  the 
service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  a  brakeman,  but  was 
soon  promoted  to  the  position  of  yardmaster  at 
East  Dubuque,  111.,  in  which  place  he  remained 
two  years,  and  in  April  1893  was  made  conduc- 
tor and  has  since  that  time  run  on  the  Freeport 
division.  On  the  3Oth  of  April,  1889,  Mr.  Dick- 
inson was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Fisher,  of  Na- 
perville,  111.,  where  she  was  born  July  n,  1869. 
She  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  her  native 
town.  They  have  one  son,  Eddie  H.,  born  Octo- 
ber 12,  1890.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dickinson  attend 
the  First  M.  E.  church.  Mr.  Dickinson  is  a 
member  of  the  O.  R.  C.,  and  the  M.  W.  of  A. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 


DRA  A.  MANLEY,  who  has  been  an  employe 
of  the  I.  C.  for  thirty-eight  years,  is  a 
native  of  Herkimer  county,  New  York. 
He  began  his  railroad  career  on  the  Phila- 
delphia &  Reading  Railroad  at  Port  Richmond, 
a  suburb  of  Philadelphia,  in  1850,  as  an  opera- 
tor and  time-keeper,  and  was  there  five  years. 
Then  in  1855  in  company  with  others  he  came  to 
Illinois  and  settled  on  land  granted  to  the  I.  C. 
at  what  is  now  called  Buckley  Station,  but 
at  that  time  no  station.  Just  before  General 
McClellan  left  the  road  he  was  waited  upon  by 
a  committee,  of  which  our  subject  was  a  member, 
with  a  petition  for  a  station,  and  an  order  for 
the  same  was  given.  The  station  was  erected 
in  1862,  and  in  August  following  Mr.  Manley 
was  made  agent  and  continued  there  until  Octo- 
ber 1872,.  when  he  was  sent  to  Tolono,  111.,  where 
he  served  as  agent  until  1889,  one  year  of  that 


392 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


time  as  joint  agent  with  the  Wabash.  In  1889 
he  came  to  Chicago  and  accepted  his  present 
position  at  Hyde  Park,  where  he  acts  as  joint 
agent  for  the  Illinois  Central,  Big  Four  and  Mich- 
igan Central,  having  full  charge  of  all  the  through 
passenger  and  suburban  service.  When  He  first 
took  Buckley  Station  he  only  had  two  passenger 
trains  a  day.  His  son,  G.  W.  Manley,  succeeded 
him  at  Tolono,  111.,  and  is  now  agent  at  Ran- 
toul,  111.  Horace,  another  son,  is  clerk  in  the 
Central  station,  Chicago,  which  position  he  has 
held  since  1889. 


M.  ADAMS,  locomotive  engineer  on 
the  I.  C.  at  East  St.  Louis,  was  born 
LQ  in  Benton,  Illinois.  He  commenced 
railroading  in  1879  as  a  section  hand 
on  the  construction  of  the  Eldorado  division  and 
worked  in  that  capacity  four  years,  later  in  Mur- 
physboro  and  East  St.  Louis.  In  May  1884,  he 
began  braking  for  John  Pinkham  on  freight  and 
continued  until  May  1886,  and  then  went  on  as 
fireman,  serving  as  such  until  1889.  December 
20,  1889,  he  was  promoted  to  engineer  and  his 
first  work  was  between  East  St.  Louis  and  Du 
Quoin  and  continued  running  freight  to  that 
place  until  1896,  when  he  was  given  a  run  be- 
tween Pinckneyville  and  Paducah,  remaining  here 
until  April,  1899,  w.hen  he  came  to  East  St.  Louis 
and  was  given  preferred  freight  to  Paducah 
which  he  has  at  the  present  time.  He  has  a  regu- 
lar engine,  Rogers,  No.  464. 

( )n  February  22nd  his  engine  turned  over 
and  again  on  October  19,  1896,  had  another  tip 
over  but  came  out  without  an  injury.  He  was 
examined  by  P.  H.  Murphy.  Perhaps  no  engi- 
neer has  fired  for  more  men  than  our  subject, 
among  them  being  the  following  well  known  en- 
gineers, Nick  Ring,  John  Ash,  Michael  Mc- 
Conery,  now  retired,  John  Hendrickson,  now 
deceased,  Ira  and  Bert  Bookstaver,  Dave  Mc- 
.Conachie,  Daniel  Webster,  "  Fancy "  Jackson, 
now  deceased,  Patsy  Tobin,  J.  C.  Patterson,  Ira 
Sweets  and  Monroe  Crewson. 


( )ur  subject  belongs  to  Egyptian  Lodge  No. 
512,  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  the  B.  of  L.  F.,  also  member 
of  Mitchell  Blue  Lodge  No.  84,  of  Pinckneyville, 
and  was  formerly  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 
Mr.  Adams  married  Miss  Sallie  Robertson  and 
.has  six  children,  Ethel,  Mabel,  Cecil,  Gus,  Carl 
and  Willard. 


]•  LAW,  one  of  the  Water  Valley  en- 
gineers,  was  born  near  Tracy  City, 
O  Tenn.,  and  lived  there  on  a  farm  un- 
til his  eighteenth  year.  With  the  help 
of  his  brother  he  cleared  a  forty  acre  tract  and 
put  it  under  cultivation,  planting  twenty  acres 
in  apples.  He  began  railroad  work  at  Tracy 
City,  Tenn.,  in  the  operative  department  in  1876. 
After  serving  four  and  a  half  years  in  the  shops 
he  went  to  Marshall,  Texas,  and  secured  work 
in  the  shops  of  the  Texas  Pacific  at  that  point, 
remaining  seven  months  before  returning  east  to 
accept  a  place  in  the  shops  of  the  Illinois  Central 
at  Jackson,  Tenn.  Working  here  eight  months,  he 
was  transferred  to  the  shops  at  Water  Valley, 
where  he  was  employed  until  starting  out  on 
the  road  as  a  fireman  three  months  later.  After 
six  months  on  the  left  side  of  the  engine,  he  was 
promoted  in  November  1882,  and  began  running 
on  a  freight  out  of  Water  Valley.  Three  years 
later  he  was  promoted  to  the  passenger  service, 
and  until  June  20,  1899,  was  at  the  head  of  a 
passenger  train.  On  that  date  he  secured  a 
preferred  run,  and  has  been  in  that  service  since. 
Mr.  Law  has  had  some  exciting  experiences  dur- 
ing his  railroad  career  in  wrecks  and  otherwise. 
In  1885  a  collision  at  Elliott,  Miss.,  resulted  in 
injuries  that  necessitated  a  thirty-five  days  va- 
cation, and  in  1891,  at  Toone,  Tenn.,  the  at- 
tempt of  a  passenger  and  a  freight  train  to 
occupy  the  same  track  at  the  same  time,  re- 
sulted disastrously,  though  Mr.  Law  escaped. 
His  most  thrilling  experience,  no  doubt,  was  tin 
the  night  of  December  15,  1888.  The  north 
bound  passenger  left  New  Orleans,  at  seven  in 
the  morning  and  reached  Duck  Hill  some  thir- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


393 


teen  hours  later.  In  December,  it  is,  at  that 
hour  in  the  evening,  quite  dark.  As  the  train 
was  moving  out,  Mr.  Law  and  his  firemen  found 
themselves  looking  into  the  muzzles  of  revolvers 
in  the  hands  of  two  desperadoes,  who  proved 
to  he  the  notorious  bandits,  Rube  Burroughs  and 
Joe  Jackson.  Ordered  to  run  the  engine  on  a 
mile  and  then  stop,  there  was  nothing  to  do  but 
gracefully  comply — the  intruders  had  the  drop 
on  them.  When  the  train  had  been  stopped,  the 
engine  crew  was  ordered  to  dismount  and  ac- 
company the  robbers  back  to  the  baggage  car, 
which  was  looted,  and  the  robbers  prepared  to 
depart.  In  the  fight  that  ensued,  Conductor  Wil- 
kinson was  the  aggressor,  but  to  no  avail,  the 
only  casualty  being  the  killing  of  a  passenger, 
Chester  Hughes,  of  Jackson,  Term.  This  is  one 
of  the  most  noted  train  robberies  in  the  annals 
of  American  railroading.  Of  Mr.  Law's  first 
marriage  to  Miss  Nannie  Morgan,  no  children 
were  born.  Some  seven  years  after  her  death 
Mr.  Law  was  married  to  Miss  Kittie  Hogshead, 
to  whom  two  sons  have  been  born,  Wilton  and 
Hyer.  Mr.  Law  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order  and  of  Division  No.  99,  B.  of  L.  E.,  at 
Water  Valley.  He  is  the  owner  of  a  handsome 
piece  of  property  at  the  corner  of  Clay  and  Price 
streets.  As  an  operative  he  has  been  a  very  suc- 
cessful man,  and  a  favorite  with  his  colleagues 
and  neighbors. 


AVID  D.  ELLIOTT  is  a  native  of  Jef- 
ferson county,  Ky.,  having  been  born 
near  Boston,  twenty-five  miles  north 
of  Louisville.  He  commenced  ser- 
vice on  the  Illinois  Central  August  17,  1883,  as 
freight  brakeman  on  the  Jackson  district  for  J. 
A.  Wilson,  now  depot  master  in  New  Orleans. 
He  so  continued  one  year  and  six  months  when 
he  was  promoted  to  conductor,  and  since  that 
date  has  never  made  a  trip  as  brakeman.  Up  to 
November  1885,  he  ran  the  local  between 
Jackson  and  Water  Valley.  On  that  date 
he  was  given  a  preferred  freight,  and  is 


now  the  oldest  man  on  the  Jackson  district 
running  freight.  In  1895  he  was  promoted  to 
extra  passenger  and  has  extra  on  the  Jackson 
district.  January  3,  1897,  he  had  three  fingers 
cut  off  his  right  hand  while  making  a  coupling 
at  Oxford,  Miss.  Outside  of  that  he  has  been 
very  successful,  and  has  never  been  suspended 
or  injured.  Our  subject  is  a  member  of  Division 
No.  149,  O.  R.  C,  also  belongs  to  the  Knights  of 
Honor.  Mr.  Elliott  married  Miss  Nettie  Nicho- 
las, of  Charlestown,  Mo.,  and  has  two  children, 
Dale  Lament  and  Cecil  Ray.  He  erected  a  fine 
residence  in  July  1892,  at  m  Fairground  street, 
Jackson,  Tenn. 


JOHN  J.  KING,  the  venerable  foreman  in 
the  blacksmith  shops  at  Water  Valley, 
has  seen  more  changes  in  the  mechanical 
equipment  of  the  Central  than  any  man 
employed  by  the  company  excepting,  perhaps, 
George  Snyder,  now  in  charge  of  the  air-brake 
car  when  in  the  yards  at  Chicago.  Mr.  King 
was  born  in  Scotland  of  Irish  parents  and  came 
with  them  to  this  country  when  twelve  years  of 
age.  His  first  work  in  railroad  employ  was  in 
1853  at  the  Weldon  shops  at  Chicago  as  black- 
smith apprentice,  having  begun  learning  the  trade 
from  his  father.  The  entire  equipment  of  the 
shops  of  the  road  consisited  of  three  small  lathes, 
a  planer  and  a  drilling  machine,  housed  in  a 
shed-like  building  with  a  leanto  roof  in  which  the 
power  was  furnished  by  a  small  upright  boiler. 
There  was  at  that  time  but  one  engine  on  the 
Chicago  division  and  that  a  small  one  running 
the  gravel  train.  There  had  at  that  time  been  no 
piling  driven  on  the  lake  front  and  Mr.  King, 
helped  make  the  irons  that  were  used  in  driving 
them.  He  was  there  when  the  first  master  me- 
chanic. Mr.  Mason,  took  charge,  and  was  still  in 
the  shops  when  his  successor,  George  D.  Clark, 
arrived. 

In  1855  Mr.  King  severed  his  connection 
with  the  Central  and  going  to  LaPorte,  Indiana, 
secured  a  place  with  the  Michigan  Southern  & 


394 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Northern  Indiana,  now  the  Lake  Shore  system, 
remaining  two  years.  In  1857  he  went  south 
and  secured  a  place  at  Memphis  in  the  shops  of 
the  Memphis  &  Charleston  road  and  a  few  months 
later  was  on  his  way  to  Algiers,  opposite  New 
Orleans,  where  he  had  secured  a  place  with  a 
private  concern.  From  here  he  went  to  Mobile 
for  the  Mobile  &  Ohio  road  and  a  short  time 
after  went  to  Pensacola,  Florida,  where  he  worked 
for  the  national  government  two  years,  building 
the  men-of-war  Pensacola  and  Seminole.  After 
closing  his  work  with  the  government  he  re- 
turned to  the  service  of  the  Mobile  &  Ohio,  at 
Whistler,  Alabama,  remaining  here  until  1864, 
when  Sherman's  raids  made  life  unpleasant,  so 
he  moved.  Going  thence  to  Vicksburg  he  se- 
cured work  in  the  government  employ  in  the 
ordnance  department,  remaining  one  year,  and  at 
the  end  of  that  time  came  north  again  and  secured 
work  at  Litchfield,  Illinois,  in  the  shops  of  the 
Terre  Haute,  Alton  &  St.  Louis,  now  the  Big1 
Four  road.  Having  the  foremanship  of  the 
blacksmith  shops  of  the  Mobile  &  Ohio,  at  Jack- 
son, Tennessee,  offered  him,  he  accepted  and  for 
nearly  two  years  he  remained  there.  In  1868 
he  was  offered  the  same  position  by  the  Missis- 
sippi Central  in  the  shops  at  Water  Valley  which 
he  accepted  and  for  over  thirty-two  years  he  has 
been  in  charge  of  the  shops  at  that  point.  His 
presence  has  grown  so  familiar  that  the  place 
will  not  look  natural  when  the  day  comes  that 
his  face  will  be  seen  there  no  more.  During 
these  years  he  has  served  under  twelve  master 
mechanics,  namely:  Harry  Gibbon,  John  Bee- 
ton,  Jack  White,  Thomas  Price,  John  Ramsay, 
J.  W.  Luttrell,  George  Dickel,  William  Hass- 
man,  F.  C.  Losey,  M.  S.  Curley,  T.  F.  Barton 
and  J.  G.  Neudorfer.  Our  subject  and  son 
welded  a  steel  tire  in  the  shop  at  Water  Valley 
which  gave  good  service  for  eleven  months  and 
eleven  days,  a  feat  that  has  never  been  surpassed 
as  far  as  known. 

Mr.  King  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen  Court, 
of  Chicago,  and  of  their  eight  children,  six  are 
living.  Mr.  King  has  long  been  a  resident  of 
W'ater  Valley,  where  he  owns  a  comfortable 
home,  where  all  his  friends  find  a  hearty  wel- 


come. The  life  and  recollections  of  one  who 
has  seen  a  great  corporation  grow  from  small 
beginnings  to  one  of  the  large  systems  of  the 
country,  cannot  fail  to  be  of  interest  and  profit 
to  the  younger  generation,  many  of  them  grand- 
children of  those  with  whom  Mr.  King  first 
labored  when  he  struck  the  first  blow  for  the 
Central  nearly  a  half  century  ago. 


LW.  DEKLE,  one  of  the  well  known 
passenger  engineers  at  Water  Valley, 
O  began  his  railroad  career  in  1876  as 
a  fireman  at  Savannah,  on  the  Florida 
&  Western  road.  When  not  on  the  road  he  spent 
his  time  in  the  machine  shops  fitting  himself  to 
be  a  thorough  engineer.  For  four  years  he  was 
thus  engaged,  and  in  1880  he  was  promoted  and 
given  a  run  in  the  freight  service.  After  two 
and  a  half  years  he  was  made  extra  passenger 
engineer,  and  was  usually  assigned  to  the  train 
that  was  to  convey  the  officers  when  they  passed 
over  the  road.  He  was  considered  so  careful 
an  engineer  that  he  was  usually  given  the  first 
run  over  a  new  branch  when  opened.  In  1884 
he  came  to  Water  Valley  and  entered  the  service 
of  the'  Central  as  freight  engineer,  running  be- 
tween there  and  Jackson,  Tenn.,  until  February 
1899,  when  he  was  promoted  to  the  passenger 
service,  pulling  trains  No.  23  and  24  between 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  Canton,  Miss.,  with  engine 
No.  949.  The  birth  of  Mr.  Dekle  occurred  at 
Thomasville,  Ga.,  a  noted  winter  resort.  His 
brother,  Robert  L.  Dekle,  is  an  engineer  and  in 
the  employ  of  the  Plant  system.  The  marriage 
of  Mr.  Dekle  occurred  at  Water  Valley,  Miss., 
to  Miss  Dollie  Montgomery,  to  whom  two  chil- 
dren have  been  born,  Chauncey  W.  and  Hazel. 
Their  home  is  on  Clay  street,  and  was  erected  in 
1889.  Mr.  Dekle  first  joined  the  Brotherhood  of 
Locomotive  Engineers  at  Savannah,  Division  No. 
256,  and  transferred  to  Division  No.  99  at  Water 
Valley.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows 
and  of  the  Masonic  order,  having  taken  the  de- 
grees in  the  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter  and  Comman- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


395 


dery,  of  which  he  is  the  Captain  General.  He 
has  also  passed  through  the  ordeals  of  the  Temple 
of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  at  Meridian,  Miss.  He 
has  fortunately  escaped  injury,  both  to  himself 
and  his  engine.  On  the  whole  he  has  had  a  very 
successful  railroad  career. 


J.  PAYNE,  general  yardmaster  of  the 
I.  C.  at  East  St.  Louis,  first  saw  the 
=<7O  l'&nt  of  day  in  Tiffin,  Ohio.  He 
commenced  his  railroad  service  first 
in  1880,  on  the  Chicago  &  Eastern  Illinois,  at 
Danville,  as  a  freight  brakeman,  and  continued 
until  1883,  when  he  was  promoted  to  freight  con- 
ductor, and  ran  as  such  for  six  months  on  the 
freight  between  Danville  and  Chicago.  He  then 
went  in  yard  service  for  the  same  road  at  Chicago 
as  engine  foreman,  and  held  that  until  the  fall 
of  1887,  and  then  went  back  to  conductor  and 
ran  freight  for  two  and  a  half  years  between 
Chicago  and  Momence,  111.  He  then  resigned 
and  went  to  the  Wabash  at  Butler,  Ind.,  as 
freight  brakeman,  and  later  on  the  Belt  line  of 
Chicago  as  conductor,  and  continued  in  that  posi- 
tion for  one  and  a  half  years,  when  he  went  to 
the  Chicago  &  Northern  Pacific  as  a  transfer 
conductor  in  freight  service  at  Chicago,  remain- 
ing there  two  and  a  half  years.  Then  he  ran  a 
suburban  train  eight  months,  and  on  July  28, 
1894,  accepted  a  position  with  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral as  a  switchman  in  the  yards  at  Cairo,  and  on 
September  24,  1894,  took  charge  of  the  yards  at 
night  and  held  that  until  June  1895,  when  he 
was  made  day  yardmaster,  and  remained  there 
until  June  I,  1899,  when  he  was  transferred  to 
East  St.  Louis  as  general  yardmaster,  which  po- 
sition he  has  at  the  present  time.  He  has  twen- 
ty-nine men  on  the  pay  roll,  and  has  charge  of 
all  the  in  and  out  freight  cars  of  the  Clinton  and 
St.  Louis  district.  Our  subject  is  a  member  of 
Division  No.  i,  O.  R.  C.,  of  Chicago.  Mr. 
Payne  married  Miss  Minnie  Kendall,  of  Chicago, 
and  Inns  one  child,  Ida,  aged  four. 


W.  KRUEGER  is  a  native  of  Troy,  N. 
Y.  He  is  chief  clerk  of  the  Illinois 
Central  freight  office  in  East  St.  Louis, 
and  commenced  railroad  life  on  the 
Cairo  Short  Line  in  1890,  as  assistant  abstract 
clerk  in  East  St.  Louis,  under  Agent  S.  H. 
Brown,  and  held  that  position  until  May  1892, 
when  he  was  promoted  to  chief  abstract  clerk 
and  held  that  until  November  ist,  1893, 
when  he  was  appointed  assistant  to  Cashier 
Henry  Poss,  and  continued  until  June  i,  1896.  At 
this  time  he  was  promoted  to  cashier  to  succeed 
Mr.  Poss,  who  was  killed  in  the  cyclone  of  May 
27,  1896.  Mr.  Krueger  held  that  position  until 
April  i,  1900,  when  he  was  promoted  to  be  chief 
clerk  at  above  station.  Mr.  Krueger  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  National  Union,  and  the  Railway  and 
Telegraphers'  Political  League,  of  Illinois,  of 
which  he  is  treasurer,  and  also  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order  in  St.  Louis. 


RCHIE  T.  SMITH,  an  engineer  run- 
ning out  of  Water  Valley,  was  born 
some  fifteen  miles  south  of  the  town, 
and  was  reared  in  the  county.  His 
father,  Dr.  E.  W.  Smith,  was  one  of  the  best 
physicians  in  the  locality ;  the  mother  survives 
and  makes  her  home  with  our  subject.  Mr. 
Smith  began  railroading  at  Water  Valley  as  a 
freight  brakeman  in  1880,  under  Conductor 
Houston,  deceased,  and  after  two  years'  service 
in  that  capacity  was  promoted  and  for  two  years 
had  charge  of  a  freight  train.  Resigning,  he 
went  into  the  stock  business  on  the  Big  Sun- 
flower River  in  the  Mississippi  bottoms,  but 
finding  it  less  profitable  than  he  had  anticipated, 
discontinued  it  in  some  nine  months,  and  re- 
turned to  the  employ  of  the  Central,  beginning 
at  the  bottom  again,  but  at  the  other  end  of  the 
train,  firing  under  Jack  Kennedy,  since  killed 
in  an  accident  on  the  line.  In  1877,  after  firing 
two  years,  Mr.  Smith  was  promoted  to  the  right 
side  of  the  engine,  and  given  a  good  freight  run 
out  of  Water  Valley,  north  and  south.  Hi« 


396 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


present  run  is  a  preferred  freight,  trains  No. 
51  and  72.  Mr.  Smith  is  prominently  connected 
with  fraternal  orders.  He  was  a  charter  member 
of  Water  Lily  Division  No.  402,  B.  of  L.  F.,  and 
had  the  honor  of  naming  the  Division.  He  is  a 
member  of  Water  Valley  Division  No.  -99,  B. 
of  L.  E.,  and  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  Knights 
of  Honor,  and  the  Elks  as  well.  He  belongs  to 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  holding  membership  in  the 
Blue  Lodge,  Eastern  Star,  Chapter,  Comman- 
clery  and  Mystic  Shrine,  the  latter  at  Meridian, 
Miss.  Mr.  Smith  has  several  desirable  pieces  of 
residence  property  at  Water  Valley,  and  is  a 
thrifty,  substantial  citizen.  He  has  been  for- 
tunate in  escaping  accident  in  his  twenty  years' 
experience  as  a  railroad  man,  and  has  a  clear 
record  of  which  he  may  well  be  proud. 


years  on  local  freight  and  later  on  the  preferred 
run.  Mr.  Muse  was  married  first  to  Miss  Lee 
McCabe.  who  bore  one  child  and  died  June  16, 
1892.  His  second  marriage  was  to  Mrs.  Nayler, 
whose  first  husband,  a  conductor,  was  killed  in 
the  service  of  the  Central,  December  22,  1893. 
One  child  has  been  born  of  the  second  marriage. 
Mr.  Muse  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity. Blue  Lodge,  Chapter  and  Commandery. 
also  of  the  Knights  of  Honor  and  Knights  of 
Pythias.  He  held  membership  with  Jackson 
Division  Xo.  149,  O.  R.  C,  as  well  as  in  Phoenix 
Division  Xo.  216,' B.  of  R.  T.  Mr.  Muse  ex- 
pired in  his  caboose,  while  on  the  run  between1 
Jackson,  Term.,  and  Water  Valley,  Miss.,  March 
30,  1900. 


JP.  MUSE,  deceased,  was  a  native  of 
Bradford  county,  Term.,  and  had  a 
Q  varied  railroad  experience  on  the  Cot- 
ton Belt  line,  the  Central  and  the  Mo- 
bile &  Ohio  railroads.  He  began  on  the  first 
named  road  in  1881  as  car  inspector  at  Jones- 
borough,  Ark.,  and  a  year  later  was  transferred 
to  Pine  Bluff  as  general  car  inspector  for  six 
months.  November  3,  1884,  he  secured  a  place 
on  the  Mobile  &  Ohio  as  brakeman,  running 
between  Okolona  and  Cairo.  In  June  1885, 
he  was  promoted  and  ran  as  extra  conduc- 
tor and  brakeman  until  February  1887,  when  he 
joined  the  force  of  the  Central  at  Jackson,  as 
switchman  under  Charles  Chandler.  For  a  few 
months  he  was  brakeman  on  the  Cairo  district, 
and  in  December  1887,  returned  to  the  Mobile 
&  Ohio.  After  a  few  months  braking,  he  was 
appointed  foreman  in  the  engine  house  at  Cor- 
inth, Miss.,  and  later  transferred  to  Jackson, 
Tenn.,  and  made  night  yardmaster,  serving  until 
Dec.  17,  1888.  Returning  to  the  Central,  he  was 
successively  switchman,  night  yardmaster  and 
brakeman  until  Aug.  10,  1890,  when  he  was  pro- 
moted to  conductor  and  was  thus  employed  three 


PL.  WALDROX,  one  of  the  passenger 
engineers  at  Water  Valley,  has  had 
O  nearly  a  third  of  a  century  of  rail- 
road experience  over  which  to  look 
back,  and  a  record  of  which  he  may  well  be 
proud.  Born  in  the  town  of  Yates,  Orleans 
county,  X.  Y.,  he  was  reared  in  Michigan,  and 
there  began  his  railroad  career  in  1868  at  Grand 
Junction,  on  a  construction  train  of  the  Chicago 
&  West  Michigan  road,  at  a  time  when  there 
were  only  about  fifty  miles  of  track  spiked  down. 
After  serving  as  fireman  for  about  eighteen 
months,  he  was  promoted  and  ran  on  that  road 
some  seven  years  as  freight  and  extra  passenger 
engineer.  Going  south  in  the  fall  of  1877,  he 
secured  a  position  in  Xovember  on  the  Chicago, 
St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans  road,  on  the  Water 
Valley  district  in  the  freight  service,  and  about 
1880  was  promoted  to  a  passenger  run,  which  is 
his  assignment  at  the  present  time,  on  engine 
No.  948,  pulling  trains  No.  23  and  24,  between 
Canton  and  Jackson,  Tenn.  Mr.  Waldron  was 
married  to  Miss  Anna  Strong,  who  is  the  mother 
of  two  sons:  W.  L.  is  a  fireman  on  the  Central, 
and  F.  M.  at  home.  They  have  a  pleasent  home 
on  Robinson  street.  Water  Valley  Division  Xo. 
i/;,  11.  of  L.  E.,  claims  Mr.  Waldron's  allegiance, 
and  he  has  served  the  order  as  chairman  of  the 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


397 


adjustment  board.  The  only  accident  worthy  of 
mention  that  has  been  sustained  by  him  was  a 
broken  ankle  while  in  the  service  on  the  Michi- 
gan road.  Mis  long  record  with  his  present  em- 
ployers bespeaks  his  standing  as  an  operative. 
Incompetent  men  do  not  remain  long  in  the  ser- 
vice of  any  employer. 


UGH  L.  PALMER,  a  native  of  Missis- 
sippi, has  had  a  railroad  experience 
extending  over  nearly  thirty  years. 
His  first  railroad  work  was  on  bridge 
construction  on  the  Houston  &  Texas  Central, 
and  in  1872  he  began  in  the  operative  department 
as  brakeman,  running,  between  Hearne  and  Deni- 
son.  During  his  two  years'  service  with  this 
road,  he  was  promoted  to  baggageman,  running 
in  that  capacity  the  last  year.  Joining  the  force 
of  the  Texas  Pacific,  he  was  appointed  assist- 
ant receiving  clerk,  serving  some  five  months. 
Returning  to  Jackson,  Tenn.,  he  was,  in  1875, 
given  a  place  as  brakeman  on  the  Cairo  district, 
receiving  his  promotion  to  freight  conductor  in 
Sept.  1877,  and  to  the  passenger  service  ten  years 
later.  During  this  time  he  lost  five  months  from 
a  serious  case  of  blood  poison,  and  while  in  the 
service  of  the  Texas  Central  he  had  two  ribs 
fractured,  these  being  the  only  injuries  he  has 
ever  sustained  during  his  long  railroad  career. 

Mr.  Palmer  was  married  at  Bolivar,-  Tenn., 
to  Miss  Florence  Joy,  and  to  them  have  been 
born  the  following  children :  Hugh  J.,  Mrs. 
J.  W.  Thomas,  •  of  Shelby,  Miss. ;  George  D. ; 
James  J.,  and  Aileen.  Jackson  Division  No. 
149,  O.  R.  C.,  has  Mr.  Palmer's  name  on  the  roll 
of  members.  He  enjoys  the  distinction  of  hav- 
ing had  charge  of  the  last  train  transferred  at 
Cairo  by  boat,  and  the  first  that  crossed  the 
new  bridge  the  day  it  was  opened  to  traffic.  He 
has  a  handsome  pin,  presented  to  him  by  the 
I  "nil  >n  liridge  company,  that  constructed  the  great 
bridge. 


V.  PHILLIPS,  conductor  on  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  was  born  near  Hernan- 
Q  do,  DeSoto  County,  Miss.  He  be- 
gan on  the  Illinois  Central  in  1881  as 
a  transfer  clerk  at  Grand  Junction,  and  after  ser- 
ving in  that  capacity  six  months,  acted  as  night 
watchman  one  year,  and  then  went  into  the  pas- 
senger service  as  flagman  under  Conductor  M. 
Fouche.  After  serving  here  about  a  year  and 
six  months,  between  Jackson  and  Canton,  he 
was  given  a  baggage  car  and  ran  it  two  years 
between  Jackson  and  Canton,  and  then  was  on 
as  joint  express  and  baggageman  between  Jack- 
son and  Cairo  for  about  a  year.  February  21, 
1889,  he  was  promoted  to  conductor,  and  began 
running  through  freight  between  Jackson  and 
East  Cairo,  but  at  present  has  a  preferred  run 
between  Jackson  and  Mounds.  In  1896  he  had 
his  index  finger  of  his  right  hand  cut  off.  Mr. 
Phillips  has  a  fine  record,  having  lost  only  twenty 
days  in  twelve  years.  He  is  a  member  of  Divi- 
sion No.  149,  O.  R.  C.,  at  Jackson.  Our  subject 
married  Miss  Mollie  Steel,  of  Winona,  Miss., 
and  has  no  children.  He  lives  at  210  Institute 
street,  Jackson,  Tenn. 


R.  MAULDIX,  night  foreman  in  the 
round  house  at  Water  Valley,  has 
1  Q  spent  his  entire  life  here,  his  birth 
occurring  May  4,  1871.  His  father, 
J.  L.  Mauldin,  served  as  station  agent  at  Water 
Valley  from  1871  to  1878.  and  now  resides  in 
the  town,  retired  from  railroad  work.  S.  R. 
Mauldin  began  railroad  work  in  the  shops  at 
Water  Valley,  under  Master  Mechanic  Price, 
serving  an  apprenticeship  of  four  and  a  half 
years  before  taking  his  place  at  the  lathe  and 
planer  as  a  journeyman  machinist.  His  merit 
being  recognized,  he  was  promoted  September 
9,  1899,  to  the  night  foremanship  of  the  round 
house,  having  charge  of  all  the  shops  during  the 
hours  he  is  on  duty,  and  having  under  his  au- 
thority one  machinist,  one  boiler-maker,  one  in- 
spector and  twenty-eight  laborers  on  the  night 


398 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


force.  Mr.  Mauldin  was  married  to  Miss  Fewell, 
of  Water  Valley,  where  since  their  marriage  they 
have  made  their  home.  He  is  an  energetic,  hard- 
working man  in  whatever  station  he  may  be 
placed,  and  is  probably  the  youngest  man  hold- 
ing the  position  lie  does  between  Chicago  and 
Water  Valley. 


JA.  CUNNINGHAM,  a  conductor  on  the 
Jackson  district,  began  his  railroad  ca- 
Q  reer  on  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  road, 
March  18,  1878,  at  Nashville,  as  brake- 
man,  being  promoted  to  conductor  within  eigh- 
teen months.  For  nearly  seven  and  a  half  years 
he  ran  a  freight  on  the  road,  and  then  resigned 
to  accept  a  like  position  on  the  Houston  &  Texas 
Central,  remaining  three  years.  After  some 
three  months  on  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas, 
under  the  superintendency  of  Mr.  Hartegan,  he 
joined  the  force  of  the  Central  Pacific  in  Utah, 
remaining  until  June  20,  1890,  as  conductor. 
Coming  to  Jackson,  Tenn.,  he  secured  a  place 
with  the  Mobile  &  Ohio,  running  between  Cairo 
and  Okolona,  Miss.,  for  about  a  year.  January 
26,  1891,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois, 
Central  as  conductor,  and  has  retained  his  place 
to  the  present  time  on  the  Jackson  district.  He 
stands  next  in  line  for  promotion  to  preferred 
freight.  In  his  experience  with  different  rail- 
road managements,  he  prefers  his  present  em- 
ployers to  any.  Mr.  Cunningham  was  born  at 
Nashville,  Tenn.,  and  married  at  Shannon,  Miss., 
to  Miss  Mary  Talbot,  a  native  of  Alabama.  For 
a  number  of  years  Mr.  Cunningham  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Order  of  Railway  Conductors, 
at  present  enrolled  in  Division  No.  149,  at  Jack- 
son, having  transferred  from  Wasatch  Division 
No.  124,  in  Utah.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic order  and  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  also. 
He  has  been  fortunate  in  escaping  serious  injuries 
and  has  suffered  only  fifteen  days'  suspension 
during  his  whole  railroad  career,  and  that  prior 
to  his  employment  on  the  Central.  Mr.  Cun- 
ningham has  a  fine  home  of  his  own  building 
at  No.  244  Institute  street,  Jackson,  Tenn. 


J.   GARVIN,    foreman   of  the   round 

r  house  at  Jackson,  Tennessee,  is  a 
O  native  of  Coldwater,  Mich.,  born  in 
1867.  The  family  is  inclined  toward 
railroad  careers,  T.  F.  Garvin,  a  brother  of  our 
subject,  being  a  paymaster  in  the  employ  of  the 
Chicago  &  Erie  road,  between  Chicago  and  Sala- 
manca, N.  Y.  F.  J.  Garvin  began  as  an  opera- 
tive on  the  Lake  Shore  &  Michigan  Southern 
at  Elkhart,  Ind.,  under  Master  Mechanic  Stevens, 
in  1880,  and  worked  at  that  place  nine  years. 
Coming  to  Jackson,  Tenn.,  he  went  into  the  shops 
as  a  machinist  under  M.  S.  Curley,  remaining 
here  until  1895,  when  he  was  made  round  house 
foreman,  holding  that  position  until  1898.  Be- 
ing transferred  to  the  Burnside  shops  at  Chicago, 
he  served  as  machinist  until  December  of  that 
year,  when  he  was  sent  to  Water  Valley  as  en- 
gine house  foreman,  remaining  a  year  when  he' 
was  transferred  to  Jackson,  Tenn. 

Mr.  Garvin  was  married  at  Elkhart,  Ind., 
to  Miss  Nellie  Ludlow,  of  that  place.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men, of  Jackson,  Tenn.  He  is  a  man  that  has 
won  his  advancements  by  his  own  unaided  ef- 
forts, and  his  ability  to  manage  those  under  his 
charge  makes  him  a  trustworthy  official  in  the 
stations  in  which  he  has  been  placed. 


B.  WILKINSON,  the  oldest  passen- 
ger conductor  on  the  Jackson  district, 
Q  was  born  near  Richmond,  Va.  He 
commenced  railroad  service  August 
1872,  on  the  M.  &  O.  as  brakeman  between  Jack- 
son, Tenn.,  and  Columbus,  Ky.,  and  Baldwin, 
Miss.  Then  in  March  1873,  he  came  to  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  then  called  the  Mississippi  Central, 
as  freight  brakeman  between  Jackson  and  Water 
Valley.  He  continued  eleven  months  and  was 
then  promoted  to  freight  conductor  by  Superin- 
tendent R.  N.  Calhoun,  now  deceased,  and  ran 
freight  until  1875,  when  he  began  as  extra  pas- 
senger and  continued  until  1882  when  he  got  a 
regular  passenger  run.  Since  then,  with  the  ex- 


GEORGE  J.   ROBERTSON. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


401 


ception  of  two  years,  ran  passenger  on  Jack- 
son district,  and  since  1886  has  been  on  regular 
passenger.  He  has  never  been  injured  and  never 
had  a  wheel  off  the  track  between  stations,  no 
passenger  injured  and  no  serious  accident  since 
he  has  been  in  the  passenger  service. 

December  15,  1888,  at  Duck  Hill,  Miss., 
Rube  Burroughs  and  Joe  Jackson,  the  former  a 
noted  outlaw,  boarded  the  train  and  stopped  it. 
Our  subject,  in  company  with  a  young  man,  went 
out  and  ordered  them  back.  The  young  man 
was  killed  but  our  subject  escaped,  and  the  rob- 
bers got  $2,000  of  express  messenger.  Later 
the  men  were  captured. 

Mr.  Wilkinson  is  a  charter  member  of 
Jackson  Division  No.  149,  O.  R.  C.,  the  lodge 
having  been  instituted  September  31,  1884.  W. 
R.  Wilkinson,  a  brother  of  our  subject,  is  now  a 
resident  of  Paducah,  and  is  in  the  employ  of 
the  Illinois  Central.  Mr.  Wilkinson  married 
Miss  Annie  Weatherly  and  has  six  children,  five 
girls  and  one  boy.  He  erected  a  residence  at 
1 20  Grand  avenue,  one  of  the  prettiest  locations 
in  the  city  of  Jackson,  Term. 


EORGE  J.  ROBERTSON,  foreman  of 
the  paint  shops  at  Water  Valley,  Miss., 
began  life  on  his  own  responsibility 
in  the  Illinois  Central  shops  at  Cen- 
tralia,  111.,  where  he  began  learning  the  painter's 
trade  under  Master  Mechanic  Oxley,  in  1857. 
Three  years  later,  after  completing  his  appren- 
ticeship, he  went  to  Holly  Springs,  Miss.,  and 
worked  in  the  shops  of  the  Mississippi  Central 
Railroad  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war 
in  1861,  and  then  espoused  the  Confederate  cause 
and  served  four  years  in  the  ranks  as  a  private 
soldier.  After  the  close  of  hostilities,  Mr.  Rob- 
ertson worked  one  year  for  the  Mississippi  & 
Tennessee  Railroad,  at  Hardy  Station,  and  in 
May  1866,  he  moved  to  Water  Valley  when  that 
place  consisted  of  not  more  than  a  dozen  houses, 
secured  employment  in  the  car  department  of 
shops  there,  and  has  made  that  his  base  of  opera- 


tions continuously  since.  In  1867  Mr.  Robert- 
son was  appointed  foreman  of  the  paint  shops. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Madison  county, 
Tenn.  He  was  married  at  Holly  Springs,  Miss., 
to  Miss  Sallic  Lynch,  of  that  city,  and  their  wed- 
ded life  has  been  blessed  by  the  presence  of  a 
family  of  four  children,  namelv :  Robert,  now 

.-  J 

living  in  Kansas  City ;  Stephen ;  Clarence,  fire- 
man for  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  at  Water 
Valley,  and  Mabel.  Mr.  Robertson  affiliates 
with  the  Masons,  holding  membership  in  the  fol- 
lowing degrees  of  that  fraternity  :  Ancient  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons  No.  402,  McConnico  R. 
A.  Chapter  No.  96,  St.  Cyr  Commandery  Knight 
Templars  No.  6.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Knights  and  Ladies  of  Honor,  and  the  Knights 
of  Honor.  Mr.  Robertson  is  well  known  about 
Water  Valley  and  among  the  railroad  employes, 
and  enjoys  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  a  large 
circle  of  friends. 


W.  STEWMON,  a  conductor  in  the 
service  of  the  Illinois  Central  at  East 
St.  Louis,  is  a  native  of  Benton,  Illi- 
nois. He  began  railroading  on  the 
Illinois  Central  at  Benton,  111.,  as  a  messenger 
boy,  and  continued  as  such  one  year,  when  he  was 
made  assistant  agent  and  later  was  relief  opera- 
tor. In  1890  he  entered  train  service  as  freight 
brakeman  on  Short  Line  for  W.  A.  Dale,  now  in 
the  passenger  service  and  living  at  Paducah.  He 
was  brakeman  three  years  and  was  then  pro- 
moted to  conductor  and  ran  extra  until  1895, 
when  he  was  given  a  regular  crew.  January 
1897  he  was  made  yardmaster  at  Belleville,  and 
also  ran  the  Carondelet  transfer.  In  1899  nc 
was  given  preferred  freight  run,  where  he  is 
engaged  at  the  present  time.  C.  E.  Stewmon, 
a  brother,  while  discharging  his  duties  as  a  brake- 
man, was  killed  in  1893  m  the  yards  at  Benton. 
Mr.  Stewmon  was  never  seriously  injured,  and 
is  a  member  of  Division  No.  3,  O.  R.  C.,  of  St. 
Louis,  Mo.  He  married  Miss  Fannie  Horn  and 
has  one  child,  Mildred,  who  is  a  dear,  sweet  child 
of  three  years  of  age. 


402 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ARRY  H.  ANDERSON  began  on  the 
Illinois  Central  at  DuQuoin,  111.,  in 
1886  as  station  baggage  agent  under 
Agent  S.  K.  Paynter,  and  continued 
in  that  capacity  eighteen  months  and  then  went 
to  the  Short  Line  as  yard  switchman  and  brake- 
man,  and  continued  until  September  1891,  and 
then  went  to  the  M.  &  O.  at  St.  Louis  as  brake- 
man,  and  continued  with  them  one  year  in  that 
capacity,  and  then  went  switching  in  East  St. 
Louis  yards  for  about  a  year  and  then  was  off 
the  road  a  short  time  and  on  his  return  he  got 
a  train  between  East  St.  Louis  and  Cairo,  re- 
mained there  about  a  year  and  then  went  with 
the  Merchants  Bridge  company  and  continued 
with  that  company  and  the  Big  Four  Railroad 
company  until  December  1896.  He  then  returned 
to  the  Illinois  Central  as  a  brakeman  for  two 
months,  when  he  was  given  a  regular  run  be- 
tween East  St.  Louis  and  Carbondale  with  ca- 
boose No.  98,329,  which  position  he  retained 
until  March  1900,  when  he  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Mobile  &  Ohio  Railroad  as  yardmaster. 

Mr.  Anderson  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
3,  O.  R.  C.,  of  St.  Louis. 


IRAM  COOPER  commenced  railroad- 
ing in  1870  on  the  Columbus  &  Hocking 
Valley  Railroad  as  a  fireman  between 
Columbus  and  Athens,  and  continued 
about  a  year  and  then  went  to  the  Chester  & 
Tamaroa  Railroad  at  the  time  of  the  construc- 
tion and  fired  about  two  years,  when  he  was  pro- 
moted and  ran  an  engine  there  until  1882.  He 
was  on  a  mixed  train,  forty-one  mile  run  and 
double  each  day.  In  1882  he  came  to  the  Short 
Line  in  East  St.  Louis,  as  an  engineer  on  extra 
freight,  and  during  the  time  he  was  on  extra  list 
he  ran  every  train  on  the  road.  At  the  end  of  two 
years  he  got  regular  freight  run  on  the  Paducah 
division,  remained  there  a  year  and  then  on  the 
transfer  engine  until  1893,  when  he  got  yard  en- 
gine No.  157  in  the  East  St.  Louis  yards,  where  he 
has  continued  to  the  present  time.  •  While  on 


the  Chester  &  Tamaroa  road  he  went  through 
a  twenty-five  foot  bridge  over  Mary's  river  and 
had  a  narrow  escape  from  death,  breaking  his 
shoulder,  and  was  badly  smashed  up.  Our  sub- 
ject belongs  to  Egyptian  Lodge  No.  512,  B.  of 
L.  E.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Blue  Lodge, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  at  Athens,  and  Royal  Arch  Chap- 
ter at  Chester.  Mr.  Cooper  married  Miss  Sarah 
Wildermuth ;  she  died  January  8,  1894. 


JC.  ASH,  a  prominent  locomotive  en- 
gineer, was  born  in  St.  Clair  county, 
Q  111.  He  began  his  railroad  career  Sep- 
tember 8,  1871,  as  a  local  freight  brake- 
man on  the  Cairo  Short  Line  between  East  St. 
Louis  and  DuQuoin,  and  continued  in  that  ca- 
pacity three  months  and  was  then  made  night 
watchman  of  construction  engine  at  Pinkney- 
ville  for  two  months.  He  then  went  on  as  extra 
fireman  for  six  months  and  was  then  made  regu- 
lar on  freight  and  fired  three  years  steady  for 
Nick  Ring,  and  then  spent  a  year  on  a  coal  train 
and  was  later  made  night  hostler  for  a  year,  Mr. 
Warren  being  master  mechanic  at  the  time.  Then 
for  two  years  and  some  months  he  was  on  as 
extra  runner,  conductor,  brakeman,  and  in  fact 
an  all  round  man.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he 
was  given  engine  No.  5,  and  pulled  the  regular 
coal  train  to  Pinckneyville  a  year  and  then  went 
to  Belleville  for  two  years  and  later  got  the  B. 
&  C.  mixed  run  and  the  Carondelet  transfer  for 
four  years.  He  was  then  promoted  and  given 
the  through  passenger  to  DuQuoin,  and  kept 
that  until  1897,  when  he  took  the  through  pas- 
senger to  Cairo,  but  during  the  summer  was  on 
a  night  run  to  Carbondale.  Late  in  1897  ne 
got  a  through  passenger  to  Paducah,  which  he 
has  at  the  present  time,  having  the  best  run  on 
the  St.  Louis  division.  Mr.  Ash  has  never  been 
seriously  injured  and  has  never  had  an  accident 
that  cost  the  company  a  dollar,  nor  has  he  ever 
been  suspended.  He  is  a  member  of  Egyptian 
Lodge  No.  512,.  B.  of  L.  E.  Our  subject  erected 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


403 


a  fine  residence  at  1105  Tudor  avenue,  East  St. 
Louis. 

Mr.  Ash  married  Miss  Edgar  and  they 
have  four  children :  Bessie,  a  young  lady  of 
rare  musical  abilities  and  a  graduate  of  the  Bee- 
thoven Conservatory  of  Music  at  St.  Louis ; 
Adele,  Jeanette,  and  Edgar  Allen,  a  young  man 
of  fine  ability  as  a  draughtsman. 


kRANK  T.  MOONEY,  the  efficient  gener- 
al night  yardmaster  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
at  New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  entered  the 
service  of  the  company,  on  December 
23,  1883,  as  flagboy  in  the  yards  at  New  Orleans, 
and  remained  in  that  position  nearly  two  years. 
In  June  1885,  he  was  promoted  to  switchman, 
working  in  that  capacity  until  1886,  when  he  re- 
ceived promotion  to  foreman  in  the  yards,  and  on 
November  9,  1889,  was  appointed  night  yard- 
master.  He  was  promoted  in  March  1893*  to 
day  yardmaster,  and  again  in  November  1896,  to 
general  night  yardmaster.  On  account  of  ill- 
health  he  was  compelled  to  resign  the  latter  posi- 
tion in  March  1899,  and  was  transferred  to  Stuy- 
vesant  Dock,  as  assistant  yardmaster,  but  soon 
thereafter  returned  to  his  former  position,  which 
he  still  holds.  Our  subject  is  a  native  of  New 
Orleans,  having  been  born  there,  January  20, 
1870.  He  is  the  son  of  James  P.  and  Margaret 
(Dunn)  Mooney,  the  former  having  departed 
this  life  in  1884,  at  Monroe,  Louisiana,  while 
the  latter  is  still  living  in  the  city  of  New  Or- 
leans. He  acquired  his  education  in  St.  Joseph's 
parochial  school,  conducted  by  the  Christian 
Brothers,  and  also  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  city. 

At  the  age  of  eleven  years  he  began  to  make 
his  own  living,  his  first  employment  being  in 
a  saw-mill,  and  afterward,  as  water-boy  on  the 
Shaw  R.  R.  He  remained  with  the  latter  com- 
pany nearly  two  years,  part  of  the  time  in  charge 
of  the  tool-house.  He  then  went  as  assistant 
pilot  on  the  "  Fred  Wild  "  running  on  the  new 
canal,  and  remained  there  until  December  23, 


1893,  when  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C. 
and  has  since  been  in  the  employ  of  that  road. 

During  his  career  with  the  I.  C.  Mr.  Moo- 
ney has  seen  wonderful  changes,  and  a  great 
growth  in  the  business  of  the  road.  When  he 
began  service  with  the  company,  the  entire  force 
in  the  New  Orleans  yards  consisted  of  three 
switch  engines,  and  twelve  men ;  now  there  are 
thirty  engines,  and  one  hundred  and  thirty-five 
men.  In  those  days,  a  switchman  received  sixty 
dollars  per  month,  and  no  allowance  for  extra 
time ;  now,  the  same  position  pays  seventy-two 
dollars  for  ten  hours  per  day. 

On  the  23rd  day  of  December  1888,  Mr. 
Mooney  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Anna 
Berens,  a  native  of  New  Orleans,  and  their  union 
has  been  blessed  with  four  children,  May  Alice 
Frank  H.,  James  C.,  and  Mary  L. 

( )f  the  social  orders  Mr.  Mooney  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Woodmen  of 
the  World,  and  the  Masonic  order,  the  latter, 
Alpha  Home  Lodge  No.  72,  of  New  Orleans. 
He  has  been  master  of  Crescent  City  Lodge  No. 
101,  of  the  Switchmen's  Mutual  Aid  Association, 
and  vice-master  of  Sunnyside  Lodge,  No.  211, 
Brotherhood  of  R.  R.  Brakemen  of  the  same  city. 

In  their  religious  connections  the  family  are 
adherents  of  the  Catholic  church.  Politically, 
Mr.  Mooney  is  an  unswerving  Democrat. 


JC.    PATTERSON,   a   locomotive   engi- 
neer on  the  Illinois  Central,  was  born  in 
Q    liloomington,  Ind.,  and  began  his  rail- 
road career  on  the  Louisville,  New  Al- 
bany &  Chicago  Railroad,  in  1864,  as  a  fireman 
from    New   Albany   to   Michigan    City,   and   re- 
mained in  that  capacity  four  years  when  he  was 
promoted    to    engineer    and    pulled    freight   five 
years.     He  then  went  to  the  Cairo  &  St.  Louis 
Railroad   and   ran  an   engine  between   East  St. 
Louis  and  Cairo  for  some  time,  and  later  was 
in  the  passenger  service.     He  then  went  to  the 
Cotton   Belt  and   pulled    freight   for  two  years. 
In  1888  he  came  to  the  Short  Line  and  began 


404 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


pulling  freight  between  East  St.  Louis  and  Du 
Quoin,  and  continued  until  1896,  then  on  local 
to  same  place,  and  now  runs  to  Brooklyn  on  pre- 
ferred freight.  In  his  long  railroad  service  of 
over  thirty-five  years,  Mr.  Patterson  has  never 
been  injured.  He  is  a  member  of  Egyptian 
Lodge,  No.  512,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  East  St.  Louis. 

Mr.  Patterson  married  Miss  Ellen  Matlock 
December  13,  1876  and  they  have  two  adopted 
children.  He  has  erected  a  fine  model  residence 
at  not  Tudor  avenue,  East  St.  Louis. 


JH.  JONES,  the  accommodating  passen- 
ger agent  for  the  Illinois   Central,   at 
Q  Cairo,  Illinois,  is  a  native  of  Canada, 
and  was  born  on  a  farm  near  Port  Hope, 
in  the  province  of  Ontario,  on  October  i,  1846. 
He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Anna  Jones,  the  latter 
residing  with  our  subject  at  Cairo,  the  husband 
and  father  having  died  in   1854.     In   1855  the: 
family  of  Mr.  Jones  moved  to  Geneseo,   New 
York,  where  he  received  his  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools,  and  was  afterward  engaged  in  farm- 
ing there. 

Beginning  in  1860,  he  was  for  six  years  at 
Avon  Springs,  New  York,  in  a  hotel  as  clerk. 
He  went  to  Cairo,  111.,  in  February  1867,  and  was 
appointed  clerk  and  ticket  agent,  on  the  transfer 
steamers  "  General  Anderson,"  and  "  Illinois," 
then  used  by  the  Illinois  Central,  and  Mobile  & 
Ohio  roads,  as  transfers  .between  Cairo,  Illinois, 
and  Columbus,  Ky.  He  remained  in  that  posi- 
tion until  September  1873,  resigning  to  go  to 
the  Mobile  &  Ohio,  as  commercial  agent  for  that 
road.  After  a  service  of  one  year  with  the  lat- 
ter company,  he  was  appointed  ticket  agent  for 
the  Illinois  Central,  at  Cairo,  and  from  that  time 
forward  has  been  in  that  position,  a  period  of 
twenty-six  years.  In  1882  he  was  made  ticket 
agent  for  the  "  Cotton  Belt "  Route  and  in  1899 
for  the  Mobile  &  Ohio  R.  R.  He  is  now  joint 
agent  for  the  three  roads,  all  using  the  same  de- 
pot. 


On  August  4,  1868,  Mr.  Jones  was  married 
to  Miss  Ada  Lester,  a  popular  young  lady  of 
Columbus,  Ky.  Their  family  consists  of  H.  A. 
Jones,  who  is  engaged  in  the  clothing  business 
at  Cairo,  Jessie  May,  wife  of  W.  C.  Neal,  re- 
siding at  Detroit,  Mich.,  Jennie  B.,  a  young  lady 
of  high  musical  ability,  residing  in  Chicago, 
Frank  A.,  at  home,  William  L.,  who  is  in  the 
general  passenger  office  of  the  I.  C.  at  Chicago, 
and  John  H.  Jr.,  a  student,  at  home. 

Mr.  Jones  and  his  family  are  members  of 
the  Protestant  Episcopal  church,  of  which  he 
has  been  a  vestry-man  for  fifteen  years. 

In  politics  he  is  Republican.  He  is  a  well 
known  and  popular  citizen  of  Cairo,  and  dis- 
charges his  duties  in  such  a  manner,  as  to  win 
the  confidence  of  his  employers,  and  the  respect 
of  all  who  come  in  contact  with  him. 


G.  DAY,  superintendent  of  bridges 
and  buildings,  on  the  Louisiana 
Q  division  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
was  born  in  Magnolia,  Mississippi, 
April  loth,  1873.  Michael  Day,  his  father  who 
departed  this  life  in  1892,  was  a  shoe  merchant 
at  that  city.  He  was  a  native  of  Germany  and 
came  to  America  when  a  young  man,  prior  to 
which  he  had  been  a  soldier  in  the  German  army. 
His  wife,  the  mother  of  our  subject,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Amelia  Rhine,  is  still  living  at  Magno- 
lia, she  was  also  born  in  Germany,  coming  to 
America  when  a  child. 

W.  G.  Day  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  place,  and  began  life  as  a  clerk  in  a 
general  store  there.  In  1889,  he  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Illinois  Central,  as  a  carpenter.  He 
remained  at  that  work  until  1893,  when  he  was 
appointed  foreman  of  a  carpenter  force,  engaged 
in  building  stations.  In  1894,  he  was  for  a  few 
months  a  bridge  foreman,  receiving  promotion  in 
November  of  that  year,  to  supervisor  of  bridges 
and  buildings,  on  the  Louisiana  division,  and  in 
1896  was  transferred  to  New  Orleans  in  a  simi- 
lar capacity,  and  is  now  acceptably  filling  that 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


405 


position.  At  the  time  of  his  promotion,  Mr. 
Day  was  the  youngest  supervisor  on  the  I.  C. 
system.  He  has  charge  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty  three  miles  of  Main  line. 

On  April  28th,  1898,  Mr.  Day  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Marie  J.,  daughter  of 
William  and  Louise  Lannes,  natives  of  Paris 
and  New  Orleans  respectively.  They  have  one 
child,  a  beautiful  little  daughter,  Marie  J.  Day, 
born  February  19,  1899. 

Mr.  Day  belongs  to  the  Masons,  the  Elks, 
and  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  His 
family  attends  the  Catholic  church.  In  politics 
he  is  independent. 

He  is  a  rising  young  man,  possessing  the  con- 
fidence of  his  superiors,  and  his  genial  disposition 
has  won  for  him  the  friendship  and  esteem  of 
all  his  employes. 


JOHN  T.  WILLIAMS,  who  on  December 
15,  1899,  resigned  the  position  of  'store- 
keeper, for  the  Illinois  Central,  on  the 
New   Orleans    Terminals,    was   born    at 
Natchez,  Miss.,  on  September,  19,  1842.     He  is 
a  son  of  William  J.  and  Mary  T.  (Carroll)  Wil- 
liams, the  former  departed  this  life  in  1887,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-five,  and  the  latter  in  1889  at 
the  age  of  seventy-four  years. 

Mr.  Williams  received  his  educational  train- 
ing in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city,  and 
in  1861,  at  the  age  of  seventeen  enlisted  in  Corn- 
pay  "A"  1 6th  Louisiana  Volunteers  Infantry, 
and  was  with  that  company  for  two  years,  when 
he  was  discharged  on  account  of  disability.  He 
soon  after  joined  the  28th  Mississippi  Cavalry, 
and  was  taken  prisoner,  but  escaped  and  joined 
Powell's  regiment,  the  first  regiment  he  came  to. 
Later  was  detailed  as  one  of  Maj.  Bradford's 
scouts,  where  he  remained  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  During  his  military  service  he  was  twice 
wounded.  In  1865,  after  being  mustered  out 
of  service,  he  returned  to  Natchez,  and  became  a 
merchant  and  planter,  following  that  business  for 
three  years,  and  then  formed  a  connection  with 


Messrs  Carpenter  and  Morgan,  and  was  in  the 
cotton  and  mercantile  business  for  two  years. 
The  next  year  was  spent  as  superintendent  of 
the  extensive  plantation  of  Mr.  George  M.  Davis. 
In  1879  he  went  to  McComb  City,  Miss.,  and  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central,  as  fore- 
man in  the  yards,  and  six  months  later  was  pro- 
moted to  assistant  storekeeper,  remaining  until 
January  1894  in  that  position.  He  was  then 
transferred  to  New  Orleans,  as  storekeeper  for 
the  company,  which  he  held  until  his  resignation 
December  15,  1899.  On  the  7th  of  September 
1865,  Mr:  Williams  was  joined  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Susan  S.  Samuel,  of  Natchez,  who  was  born 
and  educated  in  that  place.  They  are  the  parents 
of  five  children :  Richard  I.,  a  machinist ;  Mamie 
S.  at  home;  Thomas  W. ;  Albert  P.  and  Hoi- 
comb  J. 

Mr.  Williams  belongs  to  the  Masonic  order, 
and  is  also  a  member  of  Lodge,  No.  36,  Knights 
of  Pythias,  of  McComb  City.  He  has  been  D. 
D.  G.  C.  of  the  latter.  The  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church  claim  Mr.  Williams'  family  as  sup- 
porters. In  politics  he  is  a  staunch  supporter 
of  the  principles  of  Democracy. 


R.  BROOKS,  conductor  for  the  I. 
C.  at  East  St.  Louis,  is  a  native  of 
Q  Cape  Girardeau,  Mo.  He  began  his 
service  in  1892  on  the  Cairo  Short 
Line  as  a  freight  brakeman  for  J.  C.  Tedford, 
between  East  St.  Louis  and  Pinckneyville,  and 
was  with  him  for  a  few  trips  and  was  then  with 
various  conductors  on  all  divisions  of  the  road 
and  continued  until  September  1897,  when  he 
was  promoted  to  conductor  and  ran  extra  until 
Christmas,  1897,  when  he  was  injured  and  was 
off  the  road  a  year.  On  this  date  he  was  walking 
his  train  when  it  broke  in  two  and  our  subject 
fell  to  the  ground  on  the  track,  sustaining  a 
fracture  of  both  ankles  and  had  a  narrow  escape 
from  death.  At  the  end  of  the  year,  in  Novem- 
ber 1898,  he  returned  and  ran  extra  until  the 
summer  of  1899  when  he  was  given  caboose  No. 


406 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


98.343.  and  now  runs  between  East  St.  Louis 
and  Mounds  in  the  chain  gang  and  also  between 
Carbondale  and  Brooklyn.  Mr.  Brooks  married 
Miss  Clara  McLean.  Socially  he  is  a  member 
of  Division  No.  3,  O.  R.  C.,  of  St.  Louis. 


JAMES  W.  KINABREW  is  a  well  known 
conductor  in  the  passenger  service  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  on  the  Louisiana  divi- 
sion. He  entered  the  service  of  the  N. 
O.  J.  &  G.  N.  R.  R.  (now  the  I.  C.  R.  R.)  in 
1871,  as  ticket  and  freight  agent  at  Johnstown, 
Miss.,  where  he  remained  two  years.  Desiring 
a  more  active  life,  he  sought,  and  obtained  a 
position  in  the  train  service  of  the  road.  Begin- 
ning as  brakeman,  at  which  he  served  only  a 
few  months,  he  was  promoted  to  extra  conduc- 
tor, and  a  year  later  was  made  a  regular  conduc- 
tor in  the  freight  service,  between  New  Orleans, 
and  Canton,  Miss.  He  was  in  this  branch  of 
the  service  until  1878,  when  he  again  became 
agent  at  Johnstown.  In  1879,  he  returned  to 
the  train  service,  as  brakeman,  and  was  soon 
after  advanced  to  conductor  in  the  freight  ser- 
vice, and  finally,  in  1890,  was  promoted  to  con- 
ductor in  the  passenger  service,  on  the  same  divi- 
sion, and  is  filling  that  position  in  the  most  cred- 
itable manner  at  the  present  time. 

Mr.  Kinabrew  was  born  in  Amite  county, 
Miss.,  on  November  30,  1850,  and  is  the  son  of 
John  G.  and  Lettie  (Montgomery)  Kinabrew, 
who  were  farmers  of  that  place,  and  are  now 
deceased,  the  former  in  1852  and  the  latter  in 
1874.  He  was  educated  at  the  Peabody  school 
in  Summit,  Miss.  On  October  6,  1870,  while 
walking  on  the  track  on  his  way  to  school,  he 
noticed  a  broken  rail,  and  realizing  the  danger. to 
a  passenger  train  which  was  soon  due  at  that 
point,  he  ran  forward  and  succeeded  in  flagging 
the  train,  thus  averting  a  serious  disaster.  In 
consideration  of  his  bravery  he  was  presented 
by  H.  S.  McComb,  then  president  of  the  N.  O. 
J.  &  G.  N.  R.  R.,  with  a  beautiful  gold  watch, 
bearing  the  following  inscription :  "H.  S.  Mc- 


Comb, President  of  the  N.  O.  J.  &  G.  N.  R.  R., 
to  James  W.  Kinabrew  A  token  of  regard  for 
your  noble  effort  in  saving  train,  Oct.  6,  1870. 
'Spectemur  Agendo.'  "  On  Oct.  16,  1874,  Mr. 
Kinabrew  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Aman- 
da Alford,  of  Pike  county,  Miss.  They  have  two 
children,  Hattie  T.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Mr.  L. 
Williams,  of  New  Orleans,  and  Lettie,  at  home. 
Socially  Mr.  Kinabrew  is  identified  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Knights  of  Honor. 
He  and  his  family  are  members  and  liberal  sup- 
porters of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In 
politics  he  is  independent. 


£s\  Kl      E.  CRANMER,  a  popular  conductor 

U  running    as    extra   in    the    passenger 

O  service  of  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  R.  R.,  was 
born  in  New  Orleans,  October  31, 
1862.  He  is  the  son  of  T.  E.  and  Jennie  E. 
(Allen)  Cranmer,  both  having  departed  this  life 
within  two  months  of  each  other  during  the 
present  year  (1900),  the  latter  on  January  loth, 
and  the  former  on  February  23rd.  Mr.  Cran- 
mer Sr.  was  for  many  years  a  steamboat  engineer 
on  the  Mississippi  river,  and  was  also  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Illinois  Central,  L.  &  N.  and  Y.  &  M. 
Y.  railroads. 

Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  New  Orleans,  and  in  1878,  at  the  age 
of  sixteen,  entered  the  government  service  on 
the  revenue  cutter,  "John  A.  Dix,"  remaining  in 
the  service  three  years.  In  1881  he  went  to 
Mexico  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  building 
of  the  Sonora  Railroad,  working  there  one  year. 
He  then  returned  to  New  Orleans  and  again  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  U.  S.  government  as 
registry  clerk  in  the  New  Orleans  post  office, 
which  position  he  held  two  years.  After  a  short 
clerkship  with  the  L.  &  N.  express  company,  he 
became  identified  on  July  8,  1885,  with  the  L. 
X.  ( ).  &  T.  R.  R.  (now  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  R.  R.) 
as  baggage  master,  running  between  New  ( )r- 
leans  and  Yicksburg,  Miss.  He  was  soon  of- 
fered a  position  as  brakeman  on  the  same  division 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


407 


for  the  same  road,  and  accepting  it,  was,  after 
two  years'  faithful  service,  promoted  to  conduc- 
tor in  the  freight  service.  Occupying  that  posi- 
tion until  1898,  he  then  received  promotion  to 
extra  passenger  conductor,  and  is  at  the  present 
time  engaged  in  that  branch  of  the  service. 

Mr.  Cranmer  was,  on  July  24,  1891,  married 
to  Miss  Naomi  Powell,  who  was  born  in  New 
Orleans  on  May  19,  1875.  Their  union  has  re- 
sulted in  the  birth  of  two  children,  Lula  E.  and 
Ettalee.  In  politics  he  is  a  believer  in  and  a 
firm  supporter  of  Democratic  principles,  and  in 
religious  views  is  a  Protestant. 


L.  HATCH,  a  conductor  in  the 
freight  service  on  the  New  Orleans 
Q  division  of  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi 
Valley  R.  R.,  residing  in  Vicksburg, 
was  born  in  Chenango  Bridge,  N.  Y.,  on  Febru- 
ary 3,  1861.  His  parents  were  Sylvanus  and 
Anna  B.  (Snell)  Hatch,  both  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing. The  early  life  of  Mr.  Hatch  was  spent  as 
that  of  most  farmer's  boys,  attending  the  dis- 
trict school  in  winter,  and  working  on  his  fath- 
er's farm  in  summer.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
two  he  entered  railroad  life  as  a  brakeman  in 
the  service  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  R.  R.,  between  Utica  and  Binghamton, 
X.  Y.,  and  held  that  position  from  1883  until 
1888.  He  was  then  promoted  to  conductor  on 
the  same  road,  remaining  in  the  service  until 
1896.  In  1897  he  went  south,  and  locating  at 
Vicksburg,  Miss.,  entered  the  service  of  the  Ya- 
zoo &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  as  a  flagman  on 
a  freight  run  between  Vicksburg  and  New  Or- 
leans, continuing  in  that  branch  of  the  service 
until  1898.  He  was,  in  that  year,  promoted  to 
conductor  in  the  freight  service,  on  the  New  Or- 
leans division,  and  is  now  employed  in  that  capa- 
city, rendering  the  company  excellent  service. 

Miss  F.  A.  Bailey,  a  native  of  Syracuse,  N. 
Y.,  educated  in  the  Onondago  Academy  of  that 
state,  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Hatch  on  March 
1 6,  1898.  Mrs.  Hatch  is  a  woman  of  fine  at- 


tainments, and  is  deeply  interested  in  the  work  of 
the  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union. 
Both  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church.  Mr. 
Hatch  is  a  valued  member  of  Vicksburg  Divi- 
sion No.  231,  O.  R.  C.  Politically  he  is  a  Pro- 
hibitionist. 


PHILIP  H.  MURPHY,  former  superin- 
tendent of  construction  for  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  at  Freeport,  111.,  was 
born  in  New  York  city  in  1832.  The 
family  moved  to  Detroit,  Mich.,  when  ovir  sub- 
ject was  four  years  old.  He  attended  school 
under  Ludwig  Stanton,  and  took  the  regular 
course  of  instruction  at  that  time  given  in  the 
public  schools,  and  also  took  a  course  in  an  acad- 
emy in  which  he  acquired  a  knowledge  of  Latin 
and  the  higher  English  branches.  At  the  age 
of  fifteen  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Michigan 
Central  Railroad  as  an  assistant  to  his  father, 
who  was  a  railroad  constructor  running  an  en- 
gine which  pulled  a  supply  train  over  wooden 
rails.  The  family  then  moved  to  Elgin,  111., 
where  he  and  his  father  supplied  the  old  Galena 
&  Chicago  Union  Railroad  with  ties  and  wood. 
He  then  became  agent  at  Gilbert  Station  on  the 
same  road,  and  remained  there  for  a  short  time. 
In  1856  he  was  appointed  cashier  for  the  I.  C. 
R.  R.  at  Galena,  where  he  remained  until  1857, 
when,  on  account  of  the  panic  which  ensued, 
the  forces  were  cut  down,  and  our  subject  being 
the  youngest  man,  was  obliged  to  relinquish  his 
position.  He  went  to  Chicago  and  worked  in 
the  office  of  the  superintendent  of  transporta- 
tion, and  also  in  the  office  of  W.  P.  Johnson, 
general  passenger  agent,  as  extra  man.  In  the 
fall  of  1857  he  was  appointed  ticket  agent  at 
Freeport,  and  remained  there  about  one  and  one- 
half  years ;  was  then  agent  at  Warsaw,  111.,  until 
1 86 1  ;  then  served  as  agent  at  Pana  for  a  short 
time,  after  which  he  was  agent  at  Centralia  for 
six. months.  He  then  became  cashier  of  the 
American  Express  company  at  St.  Louis,  but 
after  six  months  was  compelled  on  account  of 


408 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ill-health  to  resign.  He  then  returned  ty  Pana 
as  station  agent  for  one  month,  after  which  he 
came  to  Freeport  as  agent,  and  remained  in  that 
position  from  1864  to  1886.  At  that  time  he 
was  sent  over  the  route  of  the  Chicago,  Madison 
&  Northern  R.  R.  (now  the  Freeport  division  of 
the  I.  C.  R.  R.)  to  prospect,  and  was  afterward 
instructed  to  purchase  the  right  of  way  of  the 
same.  He  also  purchased  the  lands  for  the  Free- 
port  yards,  and  solicited  the  location  of  the  Free- 
port  Malleable  Iron  Works  for  the  use  of  the 
company.  This  is  now  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  shops. 
He  was  then  appointed  superintendent  of  con- 
struction and  remained  in  that  capacity  until  the 
road  was  completed,  then  became  station  agent 
and  remained  in  the  service  until  his  death  which 
occurred  March  31,  1889. 

On  the  4th  of  June,,  1856,  Mr.  Murphy  mar- 
ried Miss  Catherine  O'Neil,  who  died  September 
i,  1899.  Of  his  children,  Henry  is  an  employe 
of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  company  at  Freeport;  Daniel 
T.  is  freight  house  foreman  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  at 
Freeport.  Mr.  Murphy  was  a  Catholic  in  re- 
ligion. In  politics  he  was  a  Republican. 


E.  DUNBAR,  a  highly  esteemed  con- 
ductor in  the  passenger  service  on 
tne  Louisiana  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  residing  at  Canton,  Miss., 
was  born  in  Copiah  county,  in  that  state,  October 
9,  1860.  His  father,  Jackson  Dunbar,  was  a 
prominent  farmer  and  horse  dealer  of  that  county, 
and  died  in  1890,  survived  by  his  wife,  who  re- 
sides in  the  old  homestead  in  Mississippi.  The 
educational  training  of  our  subject  was  acquired 
in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  county,  and 
at  the  high  schools  of  Hazelhurst  and  Beaure- 
gard.  In  early  life  he  was  employed  as  clerk  in 
a  store,  at  the  same  time  assisting  his  father  in 
the  livery  and  sale  business.  At  the  age  of 
twenty  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.,  as 
brakeman  on  a  freight  train,  between  New 
Orleans  and  Canton,  Miss.,  and  served  in  that 
capacity  for  two  years.  He  was  then  promoted 


to  conductor  in  the  freight  service,  and  after  a' 
faithful  record  of  eight  years  in  that  line,  was, 
in  1892,  promoted  to  the  passenger  service,  where 
he  is  now  employed. 

January  4,  1888,  witnessed  the  union  of  Mr. 
Dunbar  and  Miss  Emma  C.  Bauer,  of  McComb 
City,  Miss.  They  have  one  child,  Charles  E. 
Dunbar  Jr.,  who  was  born  December  26,  1889, 
and  is  now  a  fine  boy  attending  the  public  schools 
of  Canton.  Mr.  Dunbar  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order,  having  passed  through  the  K.  T. 
degree.  He  is  also  a  Knight  of  Pythias,  K.  of 
A.  A.,  a  member  of  O.  R.  C.  and  "  Old  Re- 
liables," of  the  U.  S.  and  Canada.  His  family 
attends  the  Presbyterian  church.  Politically  he 
is  a  Democrat. 


B.  RIDLEY,  a  well  known  conductor 
in  the  freight  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  on  the  Memphis  division, 
entered  the  employ  of  the  company 
in  March  1896.  He  acquired  his  first  knowledge 
of  railroad  work  on  the  Louisville  &  Nashville 
R.  R.  where  he  began  in  1884,  as  a  brakeman 
between  Nashville,  Tennessee  and  Decatur,  Ala- 
bama. After  serving  eighteen  months  as  brake- 
man, he  was  promoted  to  conductor  in  the  freight 
department  and  also  ran  as  extra  passenger 
conductor  until  1896,  when  he  left  that  road  and 
secured  a  position  on  the  I.  C.  under  J.  T.  Hara- 
han,  whose  headquarters  are  in  Chicago.  He 
has  been  in  the  employ  of  the  I.  C.,  as  conductor 
in  the  freight  service,  between  Memphis  and 
Paducah,  since  1896,  and  is  a  very  popular  man 
on  the  division. 

Mr.  Ridley  was  born  near  Nashville,  Tenn., 
on  June  5,  1863,  and  is  a  son  of  Moses  McNairy 
and  Mary  E.  (Baker)  Ridley,  both  deceased. 
Moses  Ridley  was  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser  of 
Davidson  county,  Tennessee,  and  the  early  life 
of  our  subject  was  spent  in  work  on  the  farm, 
and  attending  the  district  schools,  but  as  he  left 
home  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  the  principal  part 
of  his  education  was  acquired  after  that  time. 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


411 


1  k  was  afterward  employed  in  a  mercantile 
house  at  Nashville,  and  later  opened  a  grocery 
store  at  Mud  Tavern,  Term.  He  was  in  business 
there  one  year,  when  he  began  his  railroad  career. 
Mr.  Ridley  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
being  a  Knight  Templar,  and  is  a  member  also 
of  the  O.  R.  C.,  and  is  democratic  in  politics. 
He  is  not  a  member  of  any  church,  though  his 
parents  belonged  to  the  Baptist  church. 


iHARLES  FAESSLER,  engineer  on  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad,  Amboy  divi- 
sion, is  a  native  of  Baden-Baden,  Ger- 
many, where  he  was  born  Aug.  5,  1868. 
His  parents,  Rinehart  and  Ursula  Faessler,  emi- 
grated to  America  when  our  subject  was  still  a 
child,  and  coming  west  located  in  Amboy,  111. 
Here  he  attended  school  and  later  worked  on  a 
farm  in  that  vicinity  until  twenty-six  years  of 
age.  At  this  time  he  entered  the  employ  of  the 
I.  C.  R.  R.  as  a  fireman,  and  remained  in  that 
position  until  1895,  when  he  was  promoted  to 
the  right  side  where  he  is  still  engaged,  running 
a  freight  engine  on  the  Amboy  division,  and  is 
making  a  record  for  stability,  faithfulness  and 
industry.  On  the  2gih  of  October,  1896,  Mr. 
Faessler  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Kate 
McGunigal,  of  LaSalle,  111.  Mrs.  Faessler  was 
born  in  1871.  By  her  union  with  Mr.  Faessler 
she  is  the  mother  of  one  son,  Charles,  who  was 
born  August  17,  1897.  'Mr.  Faessler  is  a  mem-' 
her  of  the  B.  of  L.  F.,  and  B.  of  L.  E.  He  is  a 
Catholic  in  his  religious  views,  and  in  politics  a 
staunch  Democrat.  ••  •> 


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'ILLIAM  L.  ICKES,  engineer  on  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad,  Freeport 
division,  entered  the  service  as  brake- 
man  on  the  Champaign  division  in 
1881.  and  after  three  years  was  transferred  to 
the  Centralia  division,  served  two  years  and  was 

23 


then  promoted  to  conductor,  serving  on  that  divi- 
sion as  such  for  one  year.  He  was  then  trans- 
ferred to  the  C.  M.  &  N.  R.  R.,  running  between 
Chicago  and  Freeport  as  freight  conductor 
one  year,  and  as  passenger  conductor  three 
years.  In  1891  he  began  firing  on  the  Freeport 
division,  making  his  first  run  with  George  Good- 
rode,  and  after  three  and  one-half  years  in  that 
capacity  was  promoted  to  the  right  side,  in  1895, 
running  as  extra  until  July  1899  when  he  was 
given  a  regular  run  in  charge  of  engine  No.  489. 
Mr.  Ickes  was  born  in  Victoria,  111.,  October  15, 
1862.  He  married  Miss  Flora  Pendergast, 
whose  father  was  section  foreman  at  Irvington, 
111.,  and  by  whom  he  has  four  children,  William 
G.,  Ralph  E.,  Ferol  R.  and  Irma  Irene.  He  is  a 
member  of  Racine  Division  No.  27  B.  of  L.  E., 
also  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  having 
attained  the  thirty-second  degree. 


JA.  FRATES,  train  master  of  the  Fulton 
district  of  the  Memphis  division,  has 
Q  been  in  the  railroad  service  since  the 
age  of  fourteen.  He  is  a  son  of  Mr. 
Anthony  and  Mrs.  Mary  (Enos)  F rates,  and  was 
born  at  Forest  Hill,  California,  April  23,  1866, 
attending  the  public  schools  of  his  native  place. 
While  still  a  mere  boy  he  entered  the  office  of  the 
Southern  Pacific  at  Martinez,  California,  and 
served  a  year  as  office  boy.  Having  learned 
telegraphy  during  the  year,  he  was  employed  as 
operator  at  various  points  along  the  line  for  a 
period  of  three  or  four  years.  Removing  to 
Texas  he  served  as  extra  operator  at  a  number 
of  points  in  the  state  for  several  roads  for  abouf 
four  years  and  in  1887  he  entered  the  service  of 
the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  at  Leadville,  Colorado, 
as-  train  dispatcher  remaining  here  until  i88y. 
Going  to  Vicksburg  he  worked  six  months  as 
dispatcher  for  the  Louisville,  New  Orleans  & 
Texas  and  then- -went  to  Water  Valley  as  train 
dispatcher  for  the  Illinois  Central  half  a  year. 
From  there  he  was  transferred  to  Jackson,  Tenn., 
in  the  same  capacity,  remaining  five  years,  be- 


412 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ing  promoted  to  chief  dispatcher  and  assistant 
train  master.  In  1896  he  was  transferred  to 
Memphis  as  trainmaster  and  has  served  in  that 
capacity  to  the  present  time.  Mr.  Prates'  mar- 
riage was  celebrated  at  Oskaloosa,  Iowa,  in  1887, 
to  Miss  Lulu  Buck,  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Mattie  (Bonell)  Buck.  Their  five  children  are 
Berenice,  Joseph,  Earl,  Clifford  and  Ramona. 
The  family  attends  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  Mr.  Frates  is  a  high  degree  Mason 
having  passed  through  the  rites  of  the  Blue 
Lodge,  Chapter,  Commandery  and  the  Mystic 
Shrine.  His  quick  perception  and  close  atten- 
tion to  business  has  won  him  his  advancement 
to  his  present  responsible  position. 


ILLIAM  WHITE,  the  former  effi- 
cient master  mechanic  at  Memphis, 
has  laid  a  broader  foundation  of 
learning  than  is  usual  in  the  me- 
chanical arts,  having  taken  a  full  course  of  law 
as  well.  Born  at  Ionia,  Mich.,  January  28,  1863, 
he  was  reared  in  his  native  place  and  attended 
the  common  schools  until  the  age  of  sixteen 
when  he  became  an  apprenticed  machinist  in  the 
shops  of  the  Detroit,  Lansing  &  Northern,  at 
Ionia.  Serving  his  full  term  he  became  a 
journeyman  machinist  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
and  then  sought  to  add  to  his  knowledge  the 
practical  operating  of  a  railroad  by  becoming  a 
fireman  at  which  he  was  engaged  some  nine 
months.  Returning  to  his  trade  he  was  thus 
engaged  until  1884,  when  he  began  a  course  of 
law  under  the  tutelage  of  Hon.  J.  H.  Mitchell, 
of  Ionia,  having  decided  to  adopt  a  professional 
career.  After  completing  the  full  course,  just 
prior  to  his  examination  for  admission  to  the 
bar,  he  decided  to  return  to  his  first  choice  of 
a  vocation  and  secured  a  place  in  the  shops  at 
Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  in  the  service  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad,  remaining  there  until  April 
1889,  when  he  was  given  charge  of  the  air  brake 
department  which  he  held  two  years.  Promoted 
to  assistant  general  foreman  he  was  transferred 


to  the  shops  of  the  Cleveland  &  Pittsburg  divi- 
sion at  Wellesville,  Ohio,  remaining  here  until 
late  in  the  year  1897.  December  i,  of  that  year 
he  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  and 
was  appointed  general  foreman  of  the  Freeport 
shops  remaining  at  his  post  until  May  15,  1898, 
when  he  was  transferred  to  the  Paducah  shops  in 
the  same  capacity.  The  first  of  December  fol- 
lowing he  was  appointed  master  mechanic  at 
Memphis  and  discharged  the  duties  there  until 
he  was  tendered  and  accepted  the  position  of 
general  master  mechanic  of  the  L.  E.  &  W.  Ry., 
with  headquarters  at  Lima,  Ohio,  where  he  is 
at  present  located. 

Mr.  White's  marriage  occured  at  Carson 
City,  Mich.,  March  21,  1889,  Miss  Harriett  E. 
Trask  becoming  his  bride.  Two  children  have 
been  born,  Genevieve,  January  21,  1891,  and 
Stuart  B.,  October  13,  1892. 

Mr.  White  is  the  son  of  William  R.  and 
Lydia  A.  (Bliss)  White.  The  father  is  a  pat- 
tern maker  by  trade,  and  at  present  employed 
in  the  shops  at  Memphis.  E.  B.  White,  a  brother 
of  our  subject,  is  general  foreman  of  the  L.  E. 
&  W.  R.  R.,  with  headquarters  at  Rankin,  111. 
The  family  are  Protestant  Episcopal  by  faith, 
and  politically  are  Democrats.  Mr.  White's  ad- 
vancement has  been  solely  by  his  own  merit  and 
efforts.  Had  not  his  qualifications  been  above 
the  average,  and  his  executive  ability  of  a  high 
order,  he  would  not  have  attained  a  position 
above  that  of  a  journeyman  in  his  trade. 


'ILLIAM  L.  DAVIS,  chief  train  dis- 
patcher for  the  Vicksburg  division  of 
the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R. 
R.  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  is  a  native  of 
Fayette  county  in  that  state,  and  was  born  Jan- 
uary 4,  1839.  He  is  a  son  of  S.  W.  and  Mary 
(Brown)  Davis,  both  deceased.  Mr.  Davis  Sr. 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  was  an  elder  of 
the  Presbyterian  church. 

William  L.  Davis  received  his  educational 
training  in  the  schools  of  his  native  county,  and 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


413 


at  the  Marshall,  Texas,  University.  In  the  au- 
tumn of  1853  he  entered  a  telegraph  office  at 
Marshall,  Texas,  and  acquiring  a  knowledge  of 
the  business,  was  in  1854  sent  to  Crockett,  Texas, 
as  telegrapher.  He  taught  the  business  to  a  man 
there,  with  a  view  of  leaving  the  place,  and  turn- 
ing the  position  over  to  him,  which  he  did,  and 
went  to  Rusk,  Texas,  where  he  also  taught  his 
successor  the  routine  of  telegraphy.  Returning 
to  Marshall,  he  was  soon  afterward  sent  to 
Shreveport,  La.,  as  telegrapher,  but  was  there 
but  a  short  time  when  he  went  to  Mansfield,  La., 
working  there  six  months,  and  subsequently  re- 
turning to  Shreveport.  The  sickness  and  death 
of  his  father  called  him  home  at  this  time,  where 
he  remained  six  years.  While  at  Crockett, 
Texas,  he  exchanged  lessons  in  telegraphy  with 
the  editor  of  the  Crockett  Printer  for  the  privi- 
lege of  learning  the  printing  business,  and  ac-1 
quired  a  knowledge  of  type-setting  and  other 
work  connected  with  a  printing  office.  With  a 
partner  he  bought  the  Hopkins  County  Tele- 
graph, a  newspaper  published  at  Bright  Star, 
Texas,  which  he  published  and  of  which  he  was 
junior  editor  until  the  spring  of  1861.  Mr. 
Davis  then  disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  paper, 
volunteered  in  the  service  of  the  Confederacy, 
becoming  a  member  of  Company  I,  of  the  First 
Texas  heavy  artillery,  which  was  stationed  at 
Galveston,  and  from  which  he  was  detailed  until 
the  surrender  of  the  Confederate  forces  in  1865. 
He  then  went  to  the  Indian  Territory,  but  was 
there  only  a  short  time,  when  he  became  ill,  and 
went  to  Brownsville,  Ark.,  where  his  mother  then 
resided.  He  then  went  to  Little  Rock,  and  se- 
cured a  position  with  the  Pine  Bluff  Telegraph 
company,  assisting  in  the  construction  of  that 
system,  and  afterward  was  for  a  year  manager 
of  their  office  at  Little  Rock.  His  next  work 
was  with  the  Memphis  &  Little  Rock  Telegraph 
company,  at  Fort  Smith,  Ark.,  and  afterward 
at  Van  Buren.  He  then  went  to  Princeton,  Ark., 
where  he  took  charge  of  an  office,  and  remained 
about  one  year.  Going  to  Houston,  Texas,  he 
was  employed  there  in  the  office  of  the  Star 
State  Telegraph  company,  remaining  six  months, 
and  was  then  transferred  to  Galveston  as  mana- 


ger of  the  office.  He  was  afterward  assistant 
superintendent.  When  the  Star  State  Telegraph 
lines  were  sold  to  the  American  Telegraph  com- 
pany, he  became  their  manager  at  Houston,  Tex- 
as. Mr.  Davis  was  appointed  assistant  superin- 
tendent at  Marshall,  Texas,  serving  there  for 
about  one  year.  He  then  went  to  Memphis,  and 
for  a  time  was  unemployed,  but  secured  a  posi- 
tion as  operator  at  Grand  Junction,  Tenn.  From 
that  place  he  went  to  Union  City,  Tenn.,  where 
he  finally  became  agent  for  the  Nashville  & 
North-Western  R.  R.,  occupying  that  position 
until  October  1873.  He  then  went  to  Jackson, 
Tenn.,  as  train  dispatcher  for  the  Mobile  &  Ohio 
R.  R.,  and  was  in  the  employ  of  that  company 
until  July  1878.  In  that  year  he  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  C.  St.  L.  &  N.  O.  R.  R.  (now 
the  Illinois  Central)  as  train  dispatcher,  and  De- 
cember i,  1878,  was  sent  to  McComb  City,  Miss., 
in  that  capacity,  remaining  there  until  September 
1883.  He  then  went  to  Boyce,  La.,  as  dispatcher 
on  the  New  Orleans,  Texas  &  Pacific  R.  R.,  and 
from  there  to  Baton  Rouge,  as  chief  dispatcher 
for  the  L.  N.  O.  &  T.  R.  R.  From  Baton  Rouge 
he  was  transferred  to  Wilson,  remaining  there 
as  chief  dispatcher  until  May  1885,  when  two 
divisions  were  consolidated,  and  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  as  chief  dispatcher, 
and  occupied  that  position  until  1890.  In  the 
latter  year,  he  went  to  Natchez,  as  superintendent 
of  the  Natchez  and  Jackson  division  where  he 
remained  nearly  two  years,  until  the  road 
changed  management.  He  then  went  to  Vicks- 
burg, where  he  secured  the  position  of  train 
dispatcher,  on  the  Vicksburg,  Shreveport  & 
Pacific  R.  R.  After  a  short  service  there,  he 
went  to  the  Alabama  Great  Southern  R.  R.  at 
Birmingham,  Alabama,  as  dispatcher,  and  from 
there  on  November  i,  1892,  to  the  Louisville, 
New  Orleans  &  Texas  R.  R.  at  Memphis,  Tenn., 
where  he  has  since  remained,  in  his  present  po- 
sition as  chief  train  dispatcher. 

Mr.  Davis  was  twice  married.  His  first 
wife,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  1868,  was  Miss 
Nannie  Hamilton ;  she  died  in  1879,  and  m  1880, 
he  was  united  to  Miss  Octavia  W.  L.  Carey,  who 
departed  this  life  in  1889. 


414 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


His  children  by  his  first  marriage  are  Ivy, 
and  David  W.,  chief  clerk  in  the  roadmas- 
ter's  office  at  Memphis.  To  the  second  union 
was  born  one  child,  Mary  Davis. 

Mr.  Davis  is  a  Knight  Templar  and  belongs 
to  the  Old  Timers  Telegrapher's  Association. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and 
a  Republican  in  politics. 


EORGE  E.  JARMAN,  is  the  capable 
and  highly  popular  supervisor  of 
tracks  and  bridges,  on  the  Aberdeen 
division  of  the  Illinois  Central,  and 
a  generous,  whole-hearted,  self-made  man,  who 
has  risen  by  his  own  efforts  from  a  poor  boy,  to 
his  present  responsible  position.  Mr.  Jarman  was 
born  in  Monroe  county,  Mississippi,  where  his 
father  was  a  wealthy  planter  before  the  war. 
Although  a  strong  upholder  of  the  union,  Mr. 
Jarman  Sr.  fought  with  the  people  of  his. own 
state, -and  was  killed  during  the  Smith  raid,  be- 
ing shot  down  in  the  presence  of  his  wife.  His 
property  and  slaves  were  confiscated,  leaving  the 
mother  penniless,  with  a  family  of  twelve  chil- 
dren. Our  subject  being  a  strong,  active  boy, 
hired  out  as  a  plow-boy,  to  assist  his  mother,  pur- 
suing his  studies  at  night,  under  the  supervision 
of  an  older  sister,  who  had  in  their  days  of  afflu- 
ence, received  the  benefits  of  a  good  education.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-two  he  secured  employment  as 
porter,  with  the  Mobile  &  Ohio  R.  R.,  afterward 
assisting  with  office  work,  and  studying  telegra- 
phy. He  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, in  1885,  as  a  laborer,  on  the  section,  near 
West  Point,  Miss.,  and  from  there  to  the  Yazoo 
&  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  with  Captain  E.  J. 
Martin.  He  next  worked  successively,  as  sec- 
tion foreman  on  the  Mobile  &  Ohio  R.  R.  and  the 
Kansas  City,  Memphis  &  Birmingham  R.  R.  re- 
maining with  the  latter  company  four  years.  In 
the  fall  of  1891  he  returned  to  the  I.  C,  being 
appointed  section  foreman  on  the  Grenada  divi- 
sion, and  worked  there  until  1897.  In  the  lat- 
ter year  he  was  made  supervisor  of  tracks  on 


the  Grenada  division,  and  in  April  1898,  was 
transferred  to  the  Aberdeen  division,  in  his  pres- 
ent capacity. 

His  jurisdiction  embraces  the  tracks  and 
bridges  on  the  Aberdeen  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  from  Durant,  to  Tchula,  Miss.,  and  the 
coal  run  into  Brilliant,  Ala.  He  has  a  force  of 
sixteen  section-foremen,  two  extra  gang  foremen, 
one  bridge  foreman,  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven 
laborers,  and  sixteen  bridgemen  under  his  super- 
vision. Jan.  22,  1880,  Mr.  Jarman  was  united  to 
Miss  Maggie  Dance.  They  have  one  child  liv- 
ing, 'a  bright  little  girl  of  eight  years,  who  stands 
at  the  head  of  her  class  in  school,  although  the 
youngest.  They  reside  in  one  of  Durant's  most 
beautiful  homes.  A  brother  of  Mr.  Jarman,  Ed- 
gar, is  a  prosperous  farmer,  and  a  prominent  citi- 
zen of  Oklahoma.  By  the  united  efforts  of  the 
family,  they  have  recovered  their  old  home  in 
Mississippi,  where  their  mother  is  now  residing. 
Mr.  Jarman  is  a  fine  looking  man,  standing  six 
feet,  four  inches,  and  weighing  two  hundred  and 
thirty  pounds.  He  is  a  man  of  sterling  worth,  who 
has  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all,  in  the  com- 
munity of  which  he  is  a  respected  member. 


F.  GALVANI,  freight  agent  for  the 
Illinois  Central  at  Canton,  Miss., 
Q  entered  the  employ  of  the  company  in 
1888,  as  brakeman  on  the  Louisiana 
division  of  the  road,  out  of  McComb  City.  After 
two  years  service  in  that  capacity,  he  was  ap- 
pointed night  yardmaster  at  the  same  place,  hold- 
ing that  position  three  years.  He  was  then  pro- 
moted to  conductor  in  the  freight  service,  on  the 
same  division,  and  in  July  1893,  was  transferred 
to  Canton,  Miss.,  and  given  his  present  position. 
In  the  fall  and  winter  season  Mr.  Galvani  is 
one  of  the  busiest  men  in  the  service,  as  Canton 
is  in  the  center  of  the  vegetable  country,  of  Mis- 
sissippi, and  hundreds  of  car  loads  of  tomatoes 
and  other  vegetables  are  weekly  shipped  to  the 
Chicago  markets.  He  has  quite  a  force  of  clerks 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


415 


in  his  office,  among  them  his  brother,  Charles, 
who  is  his  chief  clerk. 

Mr.  Galvani  was  born  at  New  Orleans,  on 
April  25,  1862,  and  is  a  son  of  Charles  Galvani, 
an  artist  of  note,  of  that  city,  who  is  now  deceased. 
His  wife  prior  to  her  marriage  to  Mr.  Galvani 
was  Miss  Mary  McElwee,  of  Amite,  La.  Two 
sons  are  the  result  of  their  union,  Ernest  and 
Beauregard.  Socially,  he  is  connected  with  the 
Order  of  Elks,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  O. 
R.  C.,  of  Canton.  Both  he  and  his  wife,  are  de- 
voted adherents  of  the  Episcopal  church. 


AURICE  C.  MULCONERY,  engi- 
neer at  East  St.  Louis,  began  his 
railroad  career  October  27,  1885,  in 
the  capacity  of  wiper  and  helper  in 
the  shops  of  the  Cairo  Short  Line.  Six  weeks 
later  he  secured  a  position  as  fireman,  worked  in 
the  East  St.  Louis  yards  two  weeks,  then  between 
that  city  and  DuQuoin  under  Engineer  William 
Ash,  and  later  under  his  father  one  year,  and  for 
others,  both  to  DuQuoin  and  other  points  from 
East  St.  Louis.  July  17,  1888,  Mr.  Mulconery 
was  set  up  to  engineer  and  spent  his  first  fifteen 
months  in  that  capacity  in  the  East  St.  Louis 
yards,  and  later  ran  extra  out  of  East  St.  Louis 
for  a  short  time.  He  then  moved  to  Belleville 
and  worked  in  that  city  at  different  times  in  the 
yards,  on  transfer  eight  years,  and  as  extra  pas- 
senger engineer.  In  November  1898,  our  sub- 
ject returned  to  East  St.  Louis  and  his  present 
run  is  from  that  city  to  Mounds,  and  his  regular 
engine  is  No.  507.  His  runs  were  255  and  286. 
He  is  also  occasionally  called  upon  to  make  an 
extra  run  on  a  passenger  train.  Mr.  Mulconery 
was  born  in  Belleville,  111.,  a  son  of  Michael  Mul- 
conery, of  whom  a  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in 
this  volume. 

In  August  1891  our  subject  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Maggie  Keefe,  of  Belleville, 
111.,  and  their  wedded  life  has  been  blessed  by 
the  birth  of  two  children,  Maurice  and  Agnes, 
the  latter  of  whom  died  February  24,  1900.  So- 


cially our  subject  is  identified  with  Egyptian 
Lodge  No.  512,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  East  St.  Louis. 
He  has  been  a  very  successful  railroad  man,  is 
an  able  engineer  and  has  never  met  with  serious 
accident  since  he  has  been  on  the  road. 


,HARLES  R.  SMITH,  a  widely  known 
and  valued  employe  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, is  an  engineer  in  the  passenger 
service  on  the  Louisiana  division  of 
the  road.  He  was  born  at  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  and 
at  the  age  of  seven  years  moved  with  his  parents 
to  Ohio,  where  his  father,  Daniel  G.  Smith,  was 
engaged  in  the  tanning  business.  When  quite 
young  he  entered  the  shops  of  the  Dayton  & 
Union  road,  at  Greenville,  Ohio,  and  soon  re- 
ceived an  appointment  as  fireman.  In  1863  he 
was  promoted  to  engineer,  and  going  to  Mem- 
phis, Tenn.,  in  1865,  became  identified  with  what 
was  then  known  as  the  Memphis  &  Charleston 
R.  R.  He  worked  for  that  road  as  engineer 
three  years,  and  from  1868  until  1876  was  with 
the  Alabama  Central  Railroad  as  engineer  on 
different  divisions  of  that  road.  On  December 
26,  1876,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  at 
McComb  City,  as  engineer  under  Master  Me- 
chanic Greener.  He  remained  in  the  service  un- 
til 1880,  when  he  resigned,  and  going  to  Ohio, 
worked  for  a  short  time  in  the  service  of  the  Big 
Four  R.  R.  Returning  to  the  service  of  the  I.  C. 
at  McComb  City,  in  1880,  he  was  given  a  regular 
run  as  engineer  in  the  pasenger  service,  which  po- 
sition he  retains,  and  is  filling  with  eminent  sat- 
isfaction, having  charge  of  engine  No.  932,  with 
George  Cutrer  as  fireman.  A  brother  of  our 
subject,  Edgar  Smith,  is  a  prominent  engineer 
on  the  Big  Four  system.  Charles  R.  Smith  mar- 
ried Miss  Davidson,  whose  father,  W.  B.  David- 
son, was  employed  for  a  number  of  years  as  a 
painter  on  the  I.  C.  Their  union  has  been 
blessed  with  the  following  children,  viz :  Glen, 
who  is  in  the  employ  of-  Holmes  Bros.,  of  Mc- 
Comb City ;  Addie,  a  young  lady  at  home ;  How- 
ard, Geary  and  St.  Clair.  Julia  May  Holt,  a 


416 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


bright  little  girl  with  great  musical  abilities,  is 
an  adopted  daughter.  The  family  reside  in  a 
fine  home  just  completed  on  Minnesota  avenue. 
Mr.  Smith  belongs  to  Division  No.  196,  B.  of 
L.  E.,  and  was  the  first  Engineer  of  the  lodge. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor, 
of  McComb  City,  where  he  is  highly  esteemed 
by  all  the  citizens. 


JOSEPH  A.  DUNHAM,  foreman  in  the 
shops  at  Centralia,  was  born  in  the  town 
of  St.  Johns,  New  Brunswick,  September 
16,  1858,  and  spent  his  boyhood  in  Cana- 
da, where  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade. 
After  his  removal  to  Waterloo,  Iowa,  he  learned 
the  millwright's  trade  with  the  firm  of  Wil- 
ford  &  Northway,  afterwards  removing  to 
Laporte,  Iowa,  and  from  there  to  Greene  in 
the  same  state.  Later  he  returned  to  Waterloo 
and  spent  two  years  in  the  employ  of  J.  T.  Bur- 
kett,  as  journeyman.  He  then  followed  general 
carpentering  until  October  14,  1886,  when  he 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  as  a 
carpenter,  and  in  February  1888,  was  placed  in 
charge  of  the  car  repairing  department  and  also 
of  the  wrecking  gang  on  the  road.  On  August 
i,  1891,  he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  fore- 
man of  the  carpenter  shops,  at  Waterloo,  and  was 
retained  in  that  capacity  until  December  I,  1899, 
when  he  was  transferred  to'  the  shops  at  Cen- 
tralia. Our  subject's  father,  Joseph  Dunham,  is 
also  a  carpenter,  and  is  now  employed  in  the  I. 
C.  shops  at  Waterloo. 

December  31,  1883,  Mr.  Dunham  was  mar- 
ried at  Jesup,  Iowa,  to  Miss  Eva  M.  Phillips, 
and  to  this  union  have  been  born  three  children, 
,  viz :  Adelbert,  Mary  Louise,  and  one  who  died 
in  infancy.  Socially  our  subject  is  identified 
with  the  following  fraternities :  Howland 
Lodge  No.  274,  A.  O.  U.  W. ;  Melchoir  Court 
No.  8.  Tribe  of  Ben  Hur;  Degree  of  Honor, 
A.  O.  U.  W. ;  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men,  and 
formerly  held  membership  with  the  Select 
Knights,  A.  O.  U.  W. 


ICHAEL  MULCONERY,  a  retired 
engineer  living  at  Belleville,  began 
his  railroad  career  as  a  wiper  in 
the  round  house  at  that  place  in  De- 
cember 1858.  Three  months  later  he  secured  a 
position  as  fireman  in  the  passenger  service  under 
Engineer  Webb  Ross,  between  Belleville  and 
East  St.  Louis,  a  fourteen  mile  run,  and  retained 
that  position  until  1861,  at  the  same  time  making 
an  occasional  run  in  the  freight  service.  He 
then  went  to  Litchfield  to  accept  a  position  as 
fireman  between  that  city  and  Terre  Haute,  Ind., 
for  the  Terre  Haute  &  Indianapolis  Railroad. 
Being  unsatisfied  with  the  place,  however,  he 
remained  but  two  weeks,  then  secured  a  run  be- 
tween Litchfield  and  East  St.  Louis  which  he 
retained  six  weeks,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  same 
year  he  went  into  the  Litchfield  round  house 
in  the  capacity  of  dispatcher.  In  March  1862, 
Mr.  Mulconery  was  sent  to  East  St.  Louis  in 
charge  of  old  engine  No.  I,  which  he  used  in 
the  yards  during  that  summer  and  part  of  the 
following  winter,  doing  some  extra  work  on  the 
line  at  the  same  time,  as  there  were  but  two 
crews  on  the  Belleville  branch.  After  spending 
about  eight  months  in  the  East  St.  Louis  yards, 
our  subject  was  placed  in  charge  of  engine  No. 
5,  which  hauled  a  coal  train,  and  was  thus  en- 
gaged three  years.  He  then  used  different  en- 
gines, retaining  each  but  a  short  time,  until  he 
took  the  levers  of  No.  50,  a  Norris  engine,  and 
had  her  until  May  1869  on  a  coal  train.  At  the 
last  named  date  Mr.  Mulconery  was  promoted 
to  the  passenger  service  and  given  engine  No.  3, 
a  new  machine,  Hinckley  make,  and  for  nine 
months  she  plied  at  his  will  between  Belleville 
and  East  St.  Louis.  He  then  began  a  career  of 
about  eighteen  years  on  engine  No.  II,  and  one 
fireman,  William  Ryan,  stood  by  his  side  during 
seventeen  years  of  that  time.  In  1888  he  got 
engine  No.  40  for  a  short  time,  and  later  No. 
1 1 80,  which  he  retained  until  he  tendered  his 
resignation  in  1890,  after  thirty-two  years  of 
continuous  service  on  the  railroad.  Remarkable 
as  it  may  seem,  this  long  career  was  entirely  free 
from  wrecks,  and  our  subject  never  received 
an  injury  while  on  the  road. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


417 


Mr.  Mulconery  was  born  in  County  Tip- 
perary,  Ireland,  and  in  1850  came  to  America  at 
the  age  of  fourteen  years,  and  brought  his  sister 
with  him.  He  located  in  Johnstown,  Pa.,  at- 
tended school  there,  and  made  that  his  home  un- 
til 1853,  and  then  went  west  to  Chicago  to  learn 
the  moulder's  trade.  From  February  to  October 
of  the  year  1858,  he  did  construction  work  on 
the  Pittsburg  &  Ft.  Wayne  Railroad,  and  then 
moved  to  Belleville,  111.,  and  entered  the  employ 
of  the  railroad. 

Mr.  Mulconery  was  married  at  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  in  1859,  to  Miss  Mary  Gary,  and  of  their 
family  we  have  the  following  record :  Mary, 
wife  of  Patrick  Quirk,  engineer  on  the  Short 
Line ;  Emma,  wife  of  Michael  Hayes,  of  Detroit, 
Mich. ;  Margaret  at  home ;  John  S.,  an  engineer 
at  East  St.  Louis ;  Maurice  C.,  whose  sketch 
appears  on  another  page  of  this  volume ;  Kate ; 
Michael  T.,  an  employe  of  the  Mobile  &  Ohio 
Railroad  at  East  St.  Louis,  111. ;  William,  an  em- 
ploye in  the  round  house  at  East  St.  Louis ;  An- 
drew, an  engineer  for  the  Illinois  Central  com- 
pany at  East  St.  Louis;  Rosie  and  Laura.  So- 
cially our  subject  affiliates  with  Division  No.  37, 
B.  of  L.  E.,  of  East  St.  Louis,  being  one  of  the 
charter  members  of  the  lodge,  which  was  organ- 
ized in  1863. 


EORGE  H.  STINESPRING,  a  popu- 
lar engineer  in  the  passenger  service 
of  the  Illinois  Central,  on  the  Missis- 
sippi division,  between  Jackson  and 
Natchez,  became  identified  with  the  company  as 
a  laborer  in  the  Natchez  shops.  He  then  secured 
a  position  as  fireman  between  Natchez  and  Jack- 
son, under  Engineer  Rand,  where  he  worked 
one  year,  and  then  returned  to  the  shops,  and  go- 
ing to  Harrison,  Miss.,  when  the  shops  were  re- 
moved to  that  point.  He  worked  at  Harrison 
about  one  year,  returning  to  Natchez  as  hostler, 
where  he  served  two  years.  He  then  took  the 
examination  for  promotion  to  engineer,  and  be- 
ing successful  was,  on  September  27,  1892,  given 


charge  of  a  work  train.  He  was,  after  ten 
months,  promoted  to  the  freight  service,  and  in 
1899  Promoted  to  the  passenger  service,  where  he 
now  has  a  regular  run  on  engine  No.  48.  Mr. 
Stinespring  was  born  in  Winsborc,  La.,  on  March 
23,  1867,  and  is  a  son  of  Caleb  Stinespring,  who 
died  January  22,  1869.  Our  subject  has  a 
brother,  Frank,  a  machinist  in  the  employ  of 
the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  at  Cleveland,  Texas.  Mr. 
Stinespring  was  united  to  Miss  Broadnax,  of 
Natchez,  and  they  have  three  children,  Arthur, 
George  and  Frank,  all  residing  with  their  pa- 
rents, in  a  substantial  home  on  Gallatin  street, 
in  Jackson.  Socially  he  is  a  member  of  Divi- 
sion No.  281,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Vicksburg.  His 
career  on  the  road  has  been  free  from  serious  ac- 
cidents, and  having  risen  through  his  own  ef- 
forts, his  future  promises  to  be  a  successful  one. 


'ILLIAM  KIRKWOOD,  foreman  of 
the  blacksmith  shop  for  the  Illinois 
Central  company  at  East  St.  Louis, 
began  work  at  this  place  for  the 
Short  Line  in  1888,  as  a  blacksmith,  and  after 
serving  three  years  was  promoted  to  the  position 
of  foreman.  At  present  he  has  charge  of  a 
force  of  eight  experienced  blacksmiths  and  two 
apprentices,  but  his  force  is  usually  larger.  Mr. 
Kirkwood  was  born  in  Scotland  in  1841,  learned 
his  trade  in  the  land  of  his  nativity,  and  pursued 
it  eight  years  in  Glasgow.  In  1879  ne  came  to 
America,  located  in  New  Jersey,  where  he 
worked  six  months  for  Morris  Sinclair  &  Co., 
and  later  came  west  and  worked  several  years 
for  the  Mount  Carbon  Coal  &  Railroad  company, 
at  Murphysboro,  111.  Upon  severing  his  connec- 
tion with  the  last  named  firm,  our  subject  spent 
some  time  in  traveling  from  place  to  place,  and 
finally  found  suitable  employment  with  the 
"Southeastern"  Railroad  at  Mt.  Vernon,  111. 
About  eighteen  months  later  he  returned  to  Mur- 
physboro for  a  time,  then  went  to  Ration,  N.  M., 
for  eighteen  months,  then  returned  to  the  east 
and  spent  five  months  with  the  Iron  Mountain 


418 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Railroad  company,  then  eleven  months  with  the 
Missouri  Pacific  Railroad  company,  after  which 
he  began  work  for  the  Short  Line,  and  continued 
in  that  connection  until  that  line  was  bought  by 
the  Illinois  Central  company  and  he  began  work 
for  them.  Mr.  Kirkwood  was  married  "at  Mt. 
Vernon,  111.,  to  Miss  Anna  Yeager,  and  two 
children.  Lizzie  and  William,  have  been  born  to 
them.  Socially  our  subject  affiliates  with  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  holding  membership  in  Blue 
Lodge  No.  504  and  Chapter  No.  196,  both  of 
East  St.  Louis,  and  also  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen,  of  East  St.  Louis.  He  is  an 
efficient  workman,  industrious  and  trustworthy, 
and  has  a  clean  record  on  the  books  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  company. 


to  whom  were  born ;  two  sons,  Walter  C.  and 
Lucius  Lamar.  Mr.  Dlount  is  the  owner  of  a 
well  of  acid  mineral  water  on  his  estate  eight 
miles  north-east  of  Coffeeville,  which  possesses 
unusual  curative  properties.  A  development  of 
the  property  will  make  it  one  of  the  most  effi- 
cacious health  resorts  in  the  state,  and  one  at 
which  northern  patrons  will  find  an  ideal  winter 
home.  Mr.  Blount  is  high  up  in  Masonic  cir- 
cle's;-holding  membership  in  Valley  City  Lodge 
No.  402,  at  Water  Valley,  Coffeeville  Chapter 
Xo.  33,  and  St.  Cyr  Conimandery  No.  6,  at 
Water  Valley.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  Lochinvar  Lodge,  and  the 
Knights  of  Honor  Lodge,  No.  1062,  both  of 
Water  Valley.  Mr.  Blount's  chief  qualification 
is  thoroughness,  and  this,  no  doubt,  is  the  se- 
cret of  his  unusual  professional  success. 


DSAAC  TAYLOR  BLOUNT,  attorney  for 
the  Illinois  Central  at  Water  Valley,  Miss., 
was  born  in  Ripley,  Tippah  county,  that 
state,  December  22,  1846.  During  the  last 
year  of  the  war  he  served  in  the  Trans-Missis- 
sippi army  in  Tappan's  brigade,  and  after  hos- 
tilities ceased  attended  the  law  school  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Mississippi,  under  L.  Q.  C.  Lamar, 
graduating  and  being  admitted  to  practice  in 
1870.  He  began  the  practice  of  his  profession 
at  Pittsboro,  Calhoun  county,  where  he  remained 
twelve  years,  removing  to  Water  Valley  in  1883. 
In  1886  he  was  appointed  to  the  staff  of  resident 
attorneys  by  the  Illinois  Central,  and  has  re- 
tained their  confidence  ever  since.  During  all 
his  years  of  service  for  the  company,  he  has  lost 
but  one  case  of  personal  injury  litigation,  in- 
volving only  $1000.  In  fourteen  years  this  is 
the  entire  amount  of  judgment  in  personal  in- 
jury cases  that  has  been  secured  against  the 
company  in  cases  in  which  he  has  been  for  the 
defense.  He  enjoys  a  large  practice,  and  has 
appeared  on  one  side  or  other  of  every  important 
case  that  has  come  before  the  courts  of  Yalo- 
busha  county  since  he  has  been  established  there. 
Mr.  Blount  was  married  at  Bellefontaine", 
Miss.,  to  Miss  Susan  M.  Hubbard,  now  deceased. 


•-px\ORBES  DAVIDSON,  foreman  of  the 
r=<\  carpenter  department  of  the  East  St. 
Louis  shops,  began  his  railroad  career 
about  the  year  1868  in  the  employ  of 
the  St.  Louis,  Iron  Mountain  &  Southern  Rail- 
road, with  whom  he  spent  eleven  years.  In  1879 
he  entered  the  employ  of  that  part  of  the  Terre 
Haute  &  Indianapolis  Railroad  that  has  since 
been  bought  by  the  Illinois  Central  company, 
and  after  working  in  the  shops  as  a  carpenter 
two  years,  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  fore- 
man of  that  department,  and  was  retained  by  the 
Illinois  Central  company  when  it  came  into  pos- 
session of  the  line.  As  foreman  of  this  depart- 
ment Mr.  Davidson  has  charge  of  a  force  of 
about  seventy-five  men,  and  in  addition  to  this 
has  charge  of  the  carpenter  work  of  several  way 
stations  along  the  line,  practically  the  entire  St. 
Louis  division.  His  men  do  all  of  the  car  re- 
pairing, the  wood  work  of  the  engines,  and  the 
repairing  of  coaches.  As  a  result  of  many  years 
of  .experience,  Mr.  Davidson  has  become  a  very 
efficient  workman,  and  one  of  the  best  informed 
me'n  in  the  East  St.  Louis  shops.  He  is  very 
thorough  and  systematic  in  his  work,  is  in  good 


Z.  J.  GOODWIN. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


421 


standing'  with  the  company,  and  enjoys  the  good 
will  of  those  over  whom  he  has  authority  and  a 
circle  of  warm  friends.  Mr.  Davidson  was  born 
in  Davenport,  Iowa,  and  came  to  East  St.  Louis 
with  his  father,  William  Davidson.  The  latter 
was  a  bridge  carpenter  and  worked  for  the  Iron 
Mountain  Railroad  in  1859.  He  moved  to  St. 
Louis  in  1861  and  died  in  that  city  in  1863.  Our 
subject  was  married  in  St.  Louis  Mo.,  to  Miss 
Irene  C.  Hernden,  of  Audrain  county,  Mo.,  and 
to  them  have  been  born  three  children,  as  follows  : 
Joseph,  manager  of  the  circulation  of  the  East 
St.  Louis  Journal,  East  St.  Louis,  111. ;  Irene 
Helen  and  Edward.  Socially  Mr.  Davidson  is 
identified  with  the  St.  Louis  Railroad  Club,  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  No.  55,  and  the  Mystic 
Workers,  No.  217,  all  of  St.  Louis. 


eighteen  months,  when  he  was  promoted  to  bag- 
gageman. Four  years  service  in  that  capacity 
was  followed  by  promotion  to  conductor  in  the 
freight  service,  which  he  held  about  nine  years, 
or  until  1879.  In  the  latter  year  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  passenger  service  in  the  Grenada 
district,  and  has  since  retained  that  position.  Mr. 
Goodwin  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ellen 
X.  Hooper,  of  Grenada,  on  January  25,  1870. 
Not  having  any  children  of  their  own,  this  good 
couple  have  reared  three  adopted  children.  He 
belongs  to  the  Masonic,  the  Odd  Fellows,  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  and  the  Elks  organizations. 
He  is  also  connected  with  the  O.  R.  C.  The 
Baptist  church  finds  iti  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Goodwin 
valued  members.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 


J.  GOODWIN  is  one  of  the  best 
known  employes  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
•  Q  tral  on  the  Grenada  district.  He  is  a 
conductor  in  the  passenger  service  on 
the  Memphis  division,  and  dates  his  connection 
with  the  road  from  1879.  Mr.  Goodwin  was 
born  in  Lafayette  county,  Miss.,  November  30, 
1848,  and  is  a  son  of  Crawford  and  Francis 
(Hunt)  Goodwin,  both  living  and  residing  in 
Grenada,  Miss.  Crawford  Goodwin  was  a  sol- 
dier in  the  Mexican  war,  and  was  also  in  the 
Civil  war  on  the  Confederate  side,  serving  part 
of  the  time  as  an  officer.  Z.  J.  Goodwin,  after 
acquiring  his  education  in  the  public  and  private 
schools  of  Grenada,  Miss.,  began  life  as  a  sales- 
man in  a  store  in  the  latter  city,  and  remained  in 
that  business  until  1861.  During  the  war  he 
followed  the  printing  business,  working  on  the 
Rebel  Picket.  In  1865  he  engaged  in  the 
drug  business  at  Grenada,  and  was  thus  occupied 
for  one  year.  He  then  (in  1866)  entered  the 
service  of  the  Mississippi  &  Tennessee  R.  R. 
(now  the  I.  C.  system)  of  which  he  was  one 
of  the  original  employes,  and  is  one  of  only  three 
survivors.  He  served  as  brakeman  on  that  road 
between  Grenada,  Miss.,  and  Memphis  for  about 


LORETTO  H.  FOSS,  one  of  the  pro- 
ficient engineers  at  Water  Valley,  Mis- 
sissippi, is  a  native  of  Maine,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  the  town  of  Leeds, 
Androscoggin  county.  His  father,  Uriah  Foss, 
a  farmer,  was  prominently  connected  with  the 
militia  of  the  state,  and  during  the  disputed 
boundary  between  Maine  and  New  Brunswick, 
was  in  charge  of  the  state  forces  during  the  cam- 
paign on  the  frontier.  Mr.  Foss  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools  of  Leeds  and  in  the 
Webster  University,  at  Auburn,  Me.  In  1867 
he  entered  the  service  of  the  Michigan  Central  at 
Detroit,  and  worked  in  the  car  shops  at  Jackson, 
Michigan,  where  he  served  something  less  than 
two  years.  Returning  east  he  secured  a  position 
as  fireman  on  the  Maine  Central,  and  in  eighteen 
months  was  set  up  and  given  an  engine,  running 
official  and  pay  car,  as  well  as  extra  out  of 
Farmington  four  years.  Coming  to  the  western 
metropolis,  he  secured  a  position  on  the  Chicago, 
St.  Paul  &  Kansas  City  line  for  a  year,  and  in 
1888  joined  the  force  of  the  Illinois  Central  at 
Water  Valley,  under  Mr.  Price,  master  mechanic, 
running  on  the  Mississippi  and  Louisiana  divi- 
sions. At  present  he  has  a  "manifest"  run  on 


422 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


the  south  end  of  the  Mississippi,  one  of  the  best 
runs  on  the  line. 

Mr.  Foss  was  married  in  Portland,  Me.,  to 
Miss  Woodford,  and  has  a  son  and  a  daughter 
living  in  Maine,  the  former  an  engineer  on  the 
Maine  Central,  where  he  has  been  employed  some 
twelve  years.  Mr.  Foss  is  a  member  of  the 
Water  Valley  Division  No.  99,  B.  of  L.  E., 
which  organization  he  joined  in  Maine  prior  to 
coming  west  the  last  time.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  order  in  the  Farmington  lodge, 
and  of  Madison  Lodge  No.  20,  Knights  of  Pyth- 
ias, at  Canton,  Miss.  In  the  many  years  of 
railroad  life,  Mr.  Foss  has  escaped  serious  in- 
jury, but  on  many  occasions  by  a  narrow  mar- 
gin. He  is  a  living  example  of  the  fact  that  in 
the  new  south  the  Yankee  and  Southerner  can 
live  in  harmony  together. 


W.  SOMMERS,  one  of  the  most  ex- 
perienced engineers  in  the  service 
of  the  Illinois  Central,  on  the  Aber- 
deen division,  began  his  railroad 
career  in  1868,  on  the  Hudson  River  R.  R. 
Working  as  fireman  until  1875,  he  was  in  that 
year  promoted  to  engineer  in  the  freight  service, 
of  that  road,  and  afterward  ran  on  the  elevated 
road,  and  out  of  Brooklyn,  for  four  years.  He 
then  went  to  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  R.  R. 
working  out  of  Louisville,  in  the  freight  and 
passenger  service,  of  that  road  for  some  months. 
In  1884  he  was  employed  on  what  is  now  the 
Louisville  division  of  the  Illinois  Central,  first 
in  the  freight,  and  later  in  the  passenger  service, 
remaining  there  until  1890.  He  then  accepted 
a  position  with  the  Norfolk  &  Western  R.  R. 
"out  of  Radford,  Va.,  and  was  with  that  road 
about  five  years.  In  1895  Mr.  Sommers  came 
to  the  Aberdeen  division  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
and  has  since  remained  there,  having  at  the 
present  time  a  local  run,  from  Aberdeen  to 
Durant,  Miss.,  with  conductor  Humphries.  Our 
subject  is  a  man  of  wide  experience  in  his  work, 
having  had  charge  of  different  makes  of  engines, 


and  made  a  close  study  of  mechanics.  He  has 
perfected,  and  patented,  a  flue  or  boiler  cleaner, 
which  is  pronounced  an  invention  of  great  worth, 
as  it  saves  labor  and  expense.  Mr.  Sommers 
was  very  seriously  scalded  in  an  accident,  while 
on  the  New  York  Central,  and  was  incapacitated 
for  duty,  for  four  months,  bearing  the  marks 
to  the  present  day.  On  August  21,  1891,  he  had 
a  very  narrow  escape  from  death.  While  on 
the  Norfolk  &  Western  R.  R.  his  conductor 
forged  an  order,  and  as  he  was  going  down  a 
mountain  with  a  train  of  forty-five  cars,  collided 
with  another  train  of  forty-two  cars.  The  en- 
gines came  together  with  a  terrible  crash,  in  a 
deep  cut,  and  Mr.  Sommers  saved  his  life  by 
jumping,  and  climbing  a  steep  bank.  Mr.  Som- 
mers was  born  in  Poughkeepsie,  New  York,  and 
is  the  son  of  Frederick  William  Sommers,  a 
native  of  .Germany.  He  is  married  and  has 
several  children ;  one  of  his  daughters  being  mar- 
ried and  a  resident  of  Brooklyn,  another  daugh- 
ter at  home,  a  son  in  the  I.  C.  service,  and  an- 
other son  an  apprentice  in  the  shops  at  Durant. 
Socially,  he  is  connected  with  Division  No.  99, 
B.  of  L.  E.  Hdf  joined  Vanderbilt  Division  in 
New  York  in  1878,  and  represented  Paducah 
Division,  as  a  delegate  to  the  National  Conven- 
tion at  Chicago,  in  1886,  and  in  New  York,  in 
1887.  Mr.  Sommers  is  a  very  intelligent  man, 
with  a  retentive  memory,  and  his  reminiscences 
of  early  railroad  life  are  very  interesting. 


JOHN  O'M ALLEY,  first  began  work  on 
the  Illinois  Central  on  the  section  in  the 
Chicago     yards     and     worked     thirteen 
months  and  then  served  as  switch  ten- 
der  in   the   same   yards   eighteen   months.     He 
then  began  firing  on  No.  200,  with  Jack  Tansy, 
engineer,  and  was  on  that  two  months ;  then  in 
the  suburban  service  for  nine  months  firing  on 
Xo.  226.     He  then  went  into  the  road  service 
between  Chicago  and  Champaign  as  fireman  on 
the  extra  list.     He  was  on  the  road  that  way 
three  years  and  took  charge  of  engine  No.  309 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


423 


and  lias  been  on  the  road  ever  since.  Our  sub- 
ject is  a  son  of  Edward  O'Malley  of  Dublin,  Ire- 
land, who  was  a  farmer  and  came  to  America 
in  1846  and  resided  on  a  farm  in  Champaign 
county,  111.,  until  his  death.  Our  subject 
was  born  in  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  Decem- 
ber 24,  1866.  He  married  Miss  Bridget  Campbell 
of  Ireland,  and  they  have  five  children,  Edward, 
John,  Mabel,  Larry  and  Katherine.  Mr.  O'Mal- 
ley never  had  a  wreck  or  a  '"smash-up"  and  was 
never  injured  in  any  way.  He  is  a  member  of 
Division  No.  10,  B.  of  L.  E.,  at  Burnside.  The 
family  resides  at  number  1841,  goth  street,  Chi- 
cago. 


FRANK  C.  DALTON,  began  work  for 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  as  a  fire- 
man at  Jackson,  Tenn.,  January  14, 
1896.  He  began  his  railroad  career, 
however,  in  March,  1887,  in  the  employ  of  the 
Mobile  &  Ohio  Railroad  as  a  fireman  between 
East  St.  Louis  and  Cairo,  111.  Four  years  later 
he  was  set  up  to  engineer  and  served  that  com- 
pany in  the  capacity  of  engineer  about  two  years 
and  a  half.  He  then  found  employment  with 
the  Centralia  &  Chester  Railroad  as  an  engineer 
and  remained  in  that  capacity  until  he  was  em- 
ployed by  the  Illinois  Central  company  at  Jack- 
son, Tenn.  Mr.  Dalton's  first  work  on  the  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad  was  a  job  of  firing  under 
engineer  Edgar  Chandler  between  Jackson  and 
Mounds.  Eight  months  later  he  was  promoted 
to  the  passenger  service,  worked  one  year  under 
engineer  D.  R.  Staley  and  later  worked  with 
different  engineers  in  the  freight  service.  His 
first  regular  engine  on  the  Illinois  Central  was 
No.  608,  the  next  No.  949,  and  the  next  No.  620. 
Our  subject  was  set  up  to  engineer  November  11, 
1899,  made  his  first  trip  November  15,  of  that 
year,  on  engine  No.  608,  and  has  since  been  run- 
ning extra  out  of  Jackson,  Tenn.  Mr.  Dalton 
was  born  in  Walworth  county,  Wisconsin,  near 
the  town  of  Sharon,  but  moved  when  quite  young 
with  his  parents  to  Waterloo,  Iowa.  He  was 
married  in  Cairo,  111.,  to  Miss  Ella  Leahigh, 


of  that  city,  and  two  sons  have  been  born  to  them  : 
Clarence,  born  September  2,  1895,  and  Raymond, 
born  January  i,  1897.  Socially  our  subject  is  a 
member  of  Russell  Division  No.  -m,  B.  of  L.  E., 
of  Murphysboro,  111.  Mr.  Dalton  has  never  met 
with  serious  accident  since  being  on  the  railroad. 


W.  TAYLOR,  foreman  of  the  car 
shops  at  Water  Valley,  Miss.,  began 
Q  his  railroad  career  in  the  shops  of  the 
Mississippi  Central  Railroad  at  Can- 
ton Miss.,  in  1865.  He  worked  there  until  March 
i,  1867,  and  then  went  to  Water  Valley  and  be- 
gan work  for  John  Beckton  who  was  then  mas- 
ter car  builder.  In  1887,  our  subject  was  ap- 
pointed foreman  of  the  car  shops  and  a  great 
many  new  cars  have  been  built,  as  well  as  old 
ones  repaired  under  his  directions.  He  has 
charge  of  a  force  of  about  ninety-four  men.  Mr. 
Taylor  was  born  in  Sunland,  Durham  county, 
England,  but  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years  he  emi- 
grated to  America,  located  at  New  Orleans  where 
he  made  his  home  for  a  time  and  subsequently 
worked  in  different  places  before  coming  to 
Water  Valley. 

He  was  married  in  Water  Valley  to  Miss 
Fannie  Holcomb  of  that  city,  and  their  home 
has  been  blessed  by  the  advent  of  a  family  of 
three  children,  of  whom  we  have  the  following 
record  :  John,  storekeeper  at  the  Illinois  Central 
shops  of  Chicago,  but  for  ten  years  previous  he 
was  time  keeper  at  Water  Valley.  He  married 
Mollie  Yeager  of  Water  Valley,  and  two  chil- 
dren, Fred  and  Walter,  have  been  born  to  them. 
The  second  son,  W.  F.,  is  a  machinist  in  the 
Water  Valley  shops,  and  Ed  is  an  apprentice  in 
the  shops  at  Water  Valley.  In  the  social  circles 
of  Water  Valley,  Mr.  Taylor  is  identified  with 
the  Knights  of  Honor,  and  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen.  He  has  been  quite  successful 
since  he  has  been  in  the  employ  of  the  railroad 
although  he  met  with  one  quite  serious  accident. 
On  November  30,  1872,  he  had  two  fingers  taken 
off  his  left  hand  by  coming  in  contact  with  a 
saw. 


424 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


H.  MURRAY,  JR.,  general  foreman  of 
the  car  department  and  engine  house 
Q  for  the  Illinois  Central,  at  Brooklyn, 
began  his  railroad  career  fifteen  years 
ago  in  Omaha,  on  the  Northwestern  as  a  ma- 
chinist's helper,  after  which  he  went  to  East  St. 
Louis  and  went  to  work  on  the  Cairo  Short  Line 
in  the  laboring  gang.  He  then  spent  two  years 
and  eight  months  as  a  fireman,  and  in  1889,  was 
promoted  to  engineer  on  the  incline  at  Brooklyn, 
serving  in  this  capacity  ten  years,  seven  of  which 
were  with  the  Cairo  Short  Line  and  three  years 
with  the  Illinois  Central ;  he  was  then  promoted 
to  his  present  position. 

Mr.  Murray  was  married  to  Miss  Alma  A. 
Pell,  and  they  have  one  daughter  Flora,  now 
attending  school.  Mr.  Murray's  father  was 
Patrick  H.  Murray,  a  farmer.  Our  subject  is  a 
member  of  Lodge  No.  621,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  also  of 
East  St.  Louis  Division  No.  512,  B.  of  L.  E.  Mr. 
Murray  has  been  successful  in  his  chosen  calling 
and  has  built  two  nice  residences  in  Brooklyn. 


was  not  long  after  this,  however,  that  the  corn- 
pan}'  again  took  him  from  the  road  and  made 
him  foreman  of  the  Weldon  shops,  but  shop  work 
was  not  to  his  taste  and  after  five  months  of  in- 
door work,  he  again  resigned  and  went  back  to 
the  line.  We  can  note  but  one  accident  in  this 
sketch,  and  that  one  is  a  head  end  collision  at 
Leverett,  111. 

Mr.  Gepper  was  born  in  1850,  near  Stras- 
burg,  on  the  Rhine,  and  came  to  America  in 
1851.  In  1870,  he  was  united  in  marriage,  at 
Watseka,  111.,  to  Miss  Mary  Thompson  and  they 
have  reared  a  family  of  two  sons,  Albert,  a 
fireman  on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  and 
Anthony,  an  engineer  on  the  Chicago  Junction 
Railroad.  Socially  Mr.  Gepper  affiliates  with 
Division  No.  10,  B.  of  L.  E.,  at  Burnside,  and 
also  the  Masonic  fraternity,  Lodge  No.  508,  of 
Chicago,  in  the  latter  of  which  he  has  held  a 
membership  since  1871. 


ICHAEL  GEPPER,  an  engineer  whose 
home  is  at  394  East  Sixty-fourth 
street,  Chicago  began  railroading 
in  August,  1872,  and  served  as  a 
brakeman  eighteen  months.  He  began  firing 
in  August,  1874,  on  engine  No.  121,  with 
Joseph  Elwood,  now  deceased,  on  the  right 
side  of  the  engine.  In  the  fall  of  1879,  Mr.  Gep- 
per  was  put  in  charge  of  the  lever  and  throttle 
of  a  switch  engine  for  a  short  time,  but  was  soon 
given  a  freight  run  north  from  Cairo. 

In  1881  Mr.  Gepper  left  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral company  and  worked  with  the  Chicago,  Mil- 
waukee &  St.  Paul  company  until  March  1884. 
when  he  returned  to  the  Illinois  Central  and 
operated  freight  engine  No.  179  for  three  years. 
In  1890  he  was  given  a  passenger  run  between 
Chicago  and  Champaign.  In  1892  Mr.  Gepper 
was  appointed  foreman  of  the  shops  at  Cham- 
paign, but  three  months  later  he  resigned  this 
position  and  took  his  old  place  on  the  engine.  It 


iHARLES  GALVANI,  chief  clerk  in 
the  freight  department  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  at  Canton,  Miss.,  entered  the 
service  of  the  company  in  January 
1871,  as  night  watchman  at  Crystal  Springs, 
Miss.  In  October  1872  he  was  appointed  agent 
for  the  company  at  Byram,  in  the  same  state, 
where  he  was  employed  until  September  1883. 
In  the  latter  year  he  went  to  Magnolia,  Miss., 
where  he  was  agent  and  operator,  until  March  21, 
1892,  when  he  resigned.  His  next  work  was 
at  Kenner,  La.,  where  he  remained  only  a  short 
time.  From  there  he  went  to  Bogue  Chitto, 
Miss.,  and  in  1892,  his  brother,  B.  F.  Galvani, 
being  appointed  freight  agent  for  the  Illinois 
Central  at  Canton,  Miss.,  our  subject  went  to 
that  place  and  was  made  chief  clerk  of  the  de- 
partment, which  position  he  is  now  filling.  Mr. 
Galvani  was  born  at  New  Orleans,  on  April  10, 
1853.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Sallie  Hogg,  of 
Alabama.  They  are  the  parents  of  the  following 
children :  Ilda,  wife  of  T.  J.  Martin,  of  Har- 
rison, Miss.,  Annie,  Alma.  Charles,  Edwin  and 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


425 


Malcomb.  Socially  Mr.  Galvani  is  connected 
with  Jefferson  Davis  Lodge,  Knights  ot  Pythias, 
and  Sincerity  Lodge  No.  214,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
both  of  Magnolia,  Miss.  He  and  his  wife  hold 
membership  in  the  Baptist  church  of  that  city. 
An  interesting  collection  of  old  I.  C.  relics,  such 
as  papers,  reports,  etc.,  were  given  to  the  His- 
torical Company  by  Mr.  Galvani. 


RED  E.  PLACE,  is  general  foreman  of 
the  locomotive  department  at  the  Burn- 
side  shops,  Chicago.  He  began  his 
railroad  career  in  the  Illinois  Central 
shops  at  Waterloo,  la.,  in  the  master  mechanic's 
office,  July  I,  1883,  in  the  capacity  of  clerk,  ma- 
chinists' apprentice  and  journeyman  machinist, 
and  was  then  promoted  to  the  office  of  foreman 
of  the  engine  house  at  Waterloo.  Later,  Mr1. 
Place  was  made  general  foreman  at  Waterloo 
until  October  i,  1895,  when  he  was  called  to  per- 
form the  duties  of  the  same  office  at  the  shops 
in  Chicago. 


JOHN  W.  REAGIN,  a  popular  young  en- 
gineer in  the  freight  service  of  the  Ya- 
zoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.,  between 
Vicksburg  and  New  Orleans,  began  his 
career  on  the  Tennessee  Coal  &  Iron  R.  R.,  as  a 
fireman  out  of  Birmingham,  Ala.     He  was  with 
that  company  eighteen  months,  when  he  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R. 
R.  as  fireman  between  Vicksburg  and  New  Or- 
leans, serving  in  that  capacity  from  1893  to  1896. 
In  the  latter  year  he  was  examined  and  received 
promotion  to  engineer,  and  is  now  in  charge  of 
the  local  and  through  freight,  on  his  old  run. 

Mr.  Reagin  was  born  in  Huntsville,  Ala., 
on  April  9,  1873.  His  father  is  Robert  Reagin, 
a  butcher  and  stock  buyer,  of  Huntsville.  On 
February  14,  1900,  Mr.  Reagin  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Louise  Lefoldt,  a  daughter 


of  Julius  and  Maggie  (Landfair)  Lefoldt,  of 
German  descent.  He  is  a  member  of  Division 
No.  281,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Vicksburg.  Mr.  Rea- 
gin's  work  on  the  railroad  has  been  successful, 
and  although  in  a  number  of  small  wrecks,  he 
has  never  been  injured.  He  is  at  present  in 
charge  of  engine  No.  83,  and  has  made  some 
pretty  fast  time  with  it.  On  February  6,  1900, 
he  left  Wilson,  La.,  with  the  wrecking  train,  at 
7 :3<D  P.  M.,  arriving  at  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  at 
10:45  P-  M.,  a  distance  of  112  miles,  made  in 
three  hours  and  fifteen  minutes,  with  a  stop  of 
ten  minutes  on  the  trip.  Mr.  Reagin  has  many 
firm  friends  on  the  road,  and  his  worth  is  ap- 
preciated by  the  company.  His  promotion  is 
only  a  matter  of  time. 


ILLIAM   DEWITT   DUNNING  is 
a  man  whose  life  affords  a  splendid 
example    of    what    can    be    accom- 
plished by  industry,  push  and  strict 
attention  to  business. 

"Lives  of  great  men  reached  and  kept, 
Were  not  attained  by  sudden  flight, 
But  they,  while  their  companions  slept, 
Were  toiling  upward  in  the  night." 

Mr.  Dunning,  during  his  life,  has  filled  near- 
ly every  position  between  the  lowest  on  the  line 
and  the  one  he  holds  today;  working  his  way 
upward  step  by  step. 

The  subject  of  our.  sketch  began  railroading 
as  a  freight  brakeman  on  the  Wabash  Railroad, 
running  from  Springfield  to  Danville,  entering 
the  service  of  this  company  in  August  1867,  and 
remained  with  them  two  years.  He  next  became 
a  newsboy,  generally  known  as  "  Peanuts  ",  on 
the  Wabash  and  later  entered  the  service  of  the 
Hannibal  &  St.  Joe  Railroad,  running  from 
Quincy  to  St.  Joe,  in  the  capacity  of  passenger 
brakeman  and  as  train  baggageman  until  1871. 
After  leaving  the  Hannibal  &  St.  Joe  company, 
Mr.  Dunning  came  to  Chicago  and  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  for 
whom  he  served  as  passenger  brakeman  for  six 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


months,  then  assistant  dock  master  for  a  time, 
then  assistant  yardmaster,  train  clerk,  foreman 
of  the  "  in  freight  "  house,  from  that  he  rose  to 
yardmaster  and  finally  was  appointed  trainmaster 
and  had  charge  of  the  Chicago  Terminals  for 
seven  years,  making  an  aggregate  of  eighteen 
years  in  the  employ  of  the  Chicago  &  Alton  com- 
pany. Mr.  Dunning  next  found  employment  with 
the  Pullman  company  until  Aug.  15,  1890,  when 
he  became  trainmaster  of  the  Chicago  and  Cham- 
paign division  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  and 
performed  the  duties  of  that  office  until  1893, 
when  the  Chicago  Terminal  district  was  formed 
to  handle  the  World's  Fair  traffic ;  he  was  then 
appointed  trainmaster  of  Chicago  passenger  ter- 
minals, having  charge  of  the  suburban  train  ser- 
vice, also  through  passenger  business  on  ter- 
minals. 

April  25,  1878,  Mr.  Dunning  was  married 
in  Chicago  to  Miss  Isabella  Cowan,  and  their 
wedded  life  has  been  blessed  by  the  presence  of 
one  son,  William  N.,  who  has  been  a  student  of 
engineering  in  the  University  of  Chicago,  and 
is  now  employed  in  the  bridge  department  of 
the  Illinois  Central  company.  Socially  Mr.  Dun- 
ning is  a  member  of  the  National  Union,  Lincoln 
Council  No.  68,  of  which  he  has  been  twice 
elected  president.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Honor,  and  has  served  this  fraternity 
in  the  capacity  of  Grand  Dictator  for  Illinois  for 
four  years,  and  also  holds  a  membership  in  the 
Supreme  Lodge  of  the  Knights  of  Honor. 


S.  JONES,  better  known  as  "Scott" 
Jones,  is  one  of  the  oldest  engineers 
on  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley- 
division  of  the  Illinois  Central.  His 
first  work  was  with  the  civil  engineering  corps 
on  that  division,  when  it  was  known  as  the  Louis- 
ville, New  Orleans  &  Texas  R.  R.  He  was  in 
that  branch  of  the  service  for  two  years,  covering 
all  parts  of  the  road,  and  was  then  employed 
in  the  freight  department  as  fireman,  where  he 
remained  three  years.  Promotion  to  engineer 


followed,  at  Vicksburg,  and  he  was  placed  in 
charge  of  an  engine  in  the  construction  service, 
at  the  Hamburg  gravel  pit.  He  was  then  for 
four  months  on  a  construction  train  between 
Baton  Rouge  and  New  Orleans,  when  he  was 
sent  to  the  freight  service  between  Wilson  and 
New  Orleans,  and  later  between  Vicksburg  and 
Wilson.  In  1897  he  was  promoted  to  the  pas- 
senger service,  and  now  has  a  run  between  Jack- 
son and  Clarksdale.  Mr.  Jones  was  born  in 
Holmes  county,  Miss.,  October  27,  1865.  He 
is  a  son  of  Clinton  H.  Jones,  deceased,  who  was 
a  merchant  and  farmer  there.  Our  subject  mar- 
ried Miss  Voinkle,  of  Vicksburg,  and  they  have 
two  children,  Jessie  and  Lily.  Division  No.  281 
B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Vicksburg,  claims  Mr.  Jones  as 
a  valued  member.  He  is  one  of  the  best  known 
men  on  the  division  on  which  he  runs,  and  be- 
ing a  man  of  genial  disposition,  he  makes  friends 
everywhere  he  goes. 


AMUEL  W.  TATE,  a  well  known  en- 
gineer in  the  passenger  service  on  the 
Memphis  division  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, entered  the  employ  of  the  com- 
pany seventeen  years  ago  at  Jackson,  Tenn.  His 
first  work  was  as  clerk  in  the  store  room  at  that 
place,  where,  after  working  six  months,  he  en- 
tered the  regular  road  service  as  fireman  "on  a 
switch  engine  under  Engineer  Alex.  Hight,  ser- 
ving for  two  and  a  half  years  in  the  construc- 
tion and  freight  departments,  between  Jackson 
and  Cairo,  and  Jackson  and  Canton.  He.  was 
then  promoted  to  engineer  on  a  bridge  train,  and 
later  was  on  a  freight  train  in  the  Cairo  district 
for  two  months.  Going  to  Water  Valley,  he 
ran  on  an  extra  and  switch  engine  for  six  months, 
and  July  4,  1885,  entered  the  regular  freight  ser- 
vice on  the  Aberdeen  district.  He  was  employed 
there  only  three  months  when  he  returned  to 
Water  Valley,  where  he  remained  in  the  freight 
service  until  the  spring  of  1886.  His  next  work 
was  on  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  Railroad 
out  of  Durant,  Miss.  In  November  1886  he 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


427 


returned  to  Water  Valley,  and  remained  there  in 
the  freight  and  passenger  service  until  June  1896, 
when  he  was  appointed  to  a  fast  run  on  engine 
No.  382,  between  Memphis  and  Canton,  which  he 
now  holds.  Mr.  Tate  is  a  native  of  Orange 
county,  North  Carolina,  and  was  born  February 
14,  1858.  His  father,  George  W.  Tate,  a  me- 
chanic, still  resides  there.  A  brother  of  our  sub- 
ject is  a  fireman  in  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, running  out  of  Memphis,  and  another 
brother,  who  held  a  similar  position,  is  dead. 
Mr.  Tate  married  Miss  Ida  Gifford,  of  Water 
Valley,  Miss.,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  a 
bright  little  son,  Wallace.  Our  subject  is  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  also  of  Divi- 
sion No.  23,  B.  of  L.  E.  He  has  served  on  the 
board  of  adjustment,  and  was  a  delegate  to  the 
convention  at  St.  Louis  in  1898,  and  at  Milwau- 
kee in  1900.  He  has  just  built  a  fine  residence 
at  the  corner  of  Osage  and  Preston  avenues,  in 
Memphis. 


VHILIP  W.  BOWERS,  a  veteran  tele- 
grapher in  the  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  at  Polo,  111.,  was  born  August 
14,  1844.  His  father,  John  Henry 
Bowers,  was  a  stone  mason  contractor,  born  at 
Lockhaven,  Pa.,  in  1782,  and  died  in  1866.  The 
mother,  Miss  Nancy  Moffiey,  who  was  born  in 
1802,  and  died  in  1889.  She  was  a  woman  of 
strong  religious  nature,  a  German  Methodist, 
hardy  and  thrifty,  who  besides  doing  much  to 
assist  in  the  duties  of  the  farm,  reared  a  family 
of  fifteen  children,  eight  sons  and  seven  daugh- 
ters. The  education  of  our  subject  was  acquired 
in  the  public  schools  of  Freeport,  111.,  and  in 
1856  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, and  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Union  R.  R. 
(now  the  Chicago  &  North- Western  R.  R.),  and 
the  Illinois  &  Mississippi  Telegraph  company, 
as  a  messenger  boy.  He  acted  in  that  capacity 
two  years,  studying  telegraphy  during  that  time. 
He  then  returned  to  school,  continuing  his  stud- 
ies under  Professor  Frick,  and  in  1860  went  to 
Polo,  111.,  to  take  charge  of  the  railroad  and 


commercial  telegraph  office.  He  was  thus  oc- 
cupied until  June  1864,  when  he  enlisted  in  the 
1 42nd  Illinois  Infantry.  He  was  detailed  from 
his  regiment  in  July  1864,  and  mustered  into  the 
telegraph  corps,  working  as  military  operator, 
until  the  lines  were  returned  by  the  United  States 
government  in  1866  to  the  original  owners.  Mr. 
Bowers  then  returned  to  Illinois  and  again  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  I.  C.,  doing  press  work  at 
Freeport,  111.,  until  1867.  He  was,  in  the  latter 
year,  re-assigned  to  his  former  position  at  Polo, 
111.,  and  has  since  held  that  position.  He  is  the 
oldest  operator,  holding  one  position,  on  the  Illi- 
nois Central  system. 

In  February  1879,  Mr.  Bowers  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Emma  Kling,  of  Boonesboro, 
Iowa,  and  to  their  marriage  one  daughter,  Mil- 
licent,  was  born,  who  is  now  being  trained  in 
the  Chicago  Conservatory  of  Music,  after  hav- 
ing taken  a  post  graduate  course  at  the  high 
school  of  Polo,  her  native  town.  Mr.  Bowers' 
long  residence  in  Polo,  together  with  his  affable 
and  courteous  manners  in  the  discharge  of  his 
duties,  have  won  for  him  the  sincere  regard  of 
all  its  citizens. 


'ILLARD  W.  HATFIELD,  an  en- 
gineer in  the  passenger  service  of 
the  Illinois  Central  on  the  Mississip- 
pi division,  dates  his  connection  with 
the  road  from  1882.  Beginning  as  a  fireman  at 
Centralia,  111.,  with  Engineer  F.  L.  Betts,  he 
worked  there  until  1884.  In  that  year  he  was 
sent  to  Water  Valley,  Miss.,  working  for  over  a 
year  as  fireman,  and  on  August  27,  1886,  was 
promoted  to  engineer,  taking  charge  of  engine 
No.  271,  an  old  wood-burner.  He  worked  out 
of  Water  Valley  until  June  27,  1897,  when  he 
went  to  Memphis,  and  has  since  had  charge  of 
engine  No.  384,  between  that  city  and  Canton, 
Mississippi. 

Mr.  Hatfield  was  born  at  DuQuoin,  111., 
July  17,  1861,  and  is  the  son  of  David  D.  Hat- 
field,  a  carpenter  by  trade,  now  residing  in  Colo- 


428 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


raclo.  Mr.  Hatfield  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Mrs.  Ida  Myers.  He  is  a  member  of  Division 
\o.  23,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Memphis,  also  of  Lodge 
No.  83,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  of  Water  Valley.  He  has  a  pleasant 
home  at  No.  423  Iowa  avenue,  in  the'  city  of 
Memphis. 


COLQUHOUN,  of  Canton,  Miss., 
a  hardware  merchant  and  dealer 
Q  in  house-furnishing  goods  and 
agricultural  implements,  is  a  well 
known  ex-employe  of  the  Illinois  Central.  He 
entered  the  service  of  the  company  in  1865  as  a 
brakeman  on  the  Mississippi  Central,  and  one 
year  later  was  promoted  to  conductor  in  the 
freight  service.  A  service  of  one  year  in  this 
department  was  followed  by  his  appointment  to 
conductor  in  the  passenger  service.  He  held 
the  latter  position  until  the  road  changed  hands, 
but  continued  as  conductor  in  the  passenger  ser- 
vice, and  held  that  position  until  1889.  Resign- 
ing from  the  service  of  the  I.  C,  he  went  to  the 
Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Texas  R.  R.  as  con- 
ductor in  the  passenger  service,  where  he  re- 
mained until  January  6,  1899,  when  he  retired 
from  -railroad  work  to  embark  in  his  present 
business.  Mr.  Colquhoun  was  born  at  Danville, 
Ya.,  on  April  u,  1845,  ar>d  is  a  son  of  James 
Colquhoun,  at  one  time  clerk  of  the  United  States 
court,  and  afterward  engaged  in  farming,  and 
who  departed  this  life  in  1876.  There  were 
five  children  in  the  parental  family,  our  subject 
being  the  oldest.  Then  came  Robert  M.  and  James, 
both  of  whom  were  with  the  engineering  corps 
which  surveyed  the  Mississippi  Central  (now  a 
part  of  the  I.  C.  system)  through  Canton,  Miss., 
under  E.  D.  Frost  and  Capt.  Winchester.  Rob- 
ert afterward  became  a  conductor  on  the  Missis- 
sippi Central,  and  was  for  fifteen  years  division 
superintendent,  occupying  that  position  at  the 
time  of  his  death  in  1892.  James,  now  deceased, 
was  also  a  conductor  on  the  Mississippi  Central, 
and  was  for  five  years  station  agent  at  Canton. 


Prior  to  this  he  was  trainmaster  and  assistant 
superintendent  for  four  years.  Then  came 
Clara,  wife  of  S.  T.  McKee,  now  sheriff  of  Madi- 
son county,  Miss.  Lastly  Martha,  who  married 
J.  M.  Randall,  a  farmer  residing  near  Canton. 

The  original  of  this  sketch  married  Sallie 
Unthank,  of  Bolivar,  Tenn.,  granddaughter  of 
General  R.  P.  Neely.  They  are  the  parents 
of  four  children :  Mary  Belle,  Walter,  Robert 
and  Norman.  Mr.  Colquhoun  retains  mem- 
bership in  Division  number  175,  O.  R.  C., 
of  Memphis,  Tennessee.  With  his  wife 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 
During  his  railroad  career  Mr.  Colquhoun  made 
hosts  of  friends,  and  is  greatly  missed  by  his 
former  fellow  employes,  who  have  nothing  but 
words  of  praise  for  him.  He  is  conducting  a 
large  and  profitable  business,  and  is  classed 
among  the  best  citizens  of  the  community  in 
which  he  resides. 


ANIEL  S.  BAILEY,  superintendent  of 
the  Springfield  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  is  in  point  of  years  one  of 
the  oldest  men  in  the  service  of  the 
company.  His  career  as  a  railroad  man  began 
at  Ashley,  111.,  on  January  i,  1865,  where  he  was 
employed  as  station  baggageman.  His  unem- 
ployed time  was  devoted  to  the  study  of  tele- 
graphy and  on  March  i,  1865,  he  was  appointed 
night  operator  at  Anna,  111.  Fiom  the  latter 
place  he  was  sent,  June  5,  of  the  same  year,  to 
Champaign,  111.,  in  the  same  capacity.  In  De- 
cember 1866  he  began  his  work  as  train  dis- 
patcher at  Champaign,  serving  there  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  and  being  promoted  to  a  similar 
position  in  the  city  of  Chicago  in  February  1873. 
In  1877  he  was  again  promoted  to  assistant  train 
master,  going  from  Chicago  to  Amboy,  111.,  in 
April  1880,  as  assistant  superintendent  of  the 
Amboy  division.  Leaving  this  position  he  was 
appointed  acting  superintendent  for  the  Freeport 
division  at  Rockforcl.  111.,  in  September  1889, 
and  thence,  December  i,  1890,  to  Superintendent 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


431 


of  the  Springfield  division  with  headquarters  at 
Clinton,  111. 

Mr.  Bailey  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  having 
heen  born  at  Danville,  November  5,  1846,  and 
is  a  fine  example  of  what  industry  and  presever- 
ance  will  accomplish  in  the  life  of  a  railroad 
man. 


W.  FRISBIE,  engineer  on  I.  C.  R. 
R.,  was  born  in  Detroit,  Mich.,  April 
25,  1866,  and  is  the  son  of  C.  H. 
and  Ruth  (Antisdell)  Frisbie.  The 
father,  a  native  of  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  was  an  engi- 
neer on  the  Michigan  Central  R.  R.,  and  ran  the 
first  engine  that  entered  Chicago  from  the  east. 
He  died  in  Aurora,  111.,  Sept..  1898,  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death  (aged  seventy-five  years)  was 
one  of  the  oldest  engineers  in  the  U.  S.  The 
mother  is  a  native  of  New  York,  and  is  now  liv- 
ing at  Riverside,  111.,  aged  sixty-seven.  Their 
family  consisted  of  seven  children,  as  follows  : 
William,  born  in  Detroit,  became  an  engineer 
on  the  Santa  Fe,  and  was  killed  in  a  wreck  on 
that  road  Sept.  10,  1897;  C.  W.  is  an  engineer  on 
the  Santa  Fe  ;  Hattie  is  the  wife  of  Ben  Reynolds, 
a  passenger  conductor  on  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  ; 
Jennie  married  Frank  Boomer,  an  engineer  on 
the  Santa  Fe  R.  R.,  and  resides  in  New  Mexico; 
N.  W.,  our  subject  ;  George  was  a  fireman  on  the 
Rock  Island  R.  R.,  and  died  in  January  1893  ; 
Frank  lives  with  his  mother,  and  is  employed 
by  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  Ry.  N.  W.  Frisbie  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  Aurora,  111.  In 
1882  he  entered  the  service  of  the  C.  B.  &  Q. 
Ry.,  as  a  fireman  between  Downer's  Grove  and 
Chicago,  firing  for  his  father  on  a  passenger 
engine.  After  six  years'  service  in  this  capacity 
he  was  promoted  to  engineer.  In  July  1888  he 
entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central,  and 
has  been  running  freight  engine  ever  since,  mak- 
ing his  home  in  Freeport. 

July  18,  1890,  Mr.  Frisbie  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Flora  Hagadon,  of  Chicago. 
She  is  the  daughter  of  George  and  Mary 
(Puffer)  Hagadon.  Her  father  is  a  railroad 


employe,  and  their  home  is  in  Mississippi.  Mrs. 
Frisbie  was  born  September  28,  1861.  Her  union 
with  Mr.  Frisbie  resulted  in  the  birth  of  three 
children  :  George  N.,  born  December  29,  1892  ; 
Charles  H.,  deceased,  born  February  I,  1895; 
William  W.,  deceased,  born  February  14,  1898. 
Mr.  Frisbie  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Bap- 
tist church.  Mr.  Frisbie  belongs  to  the  Masonic 
order  and  the  B.  of  L.  E.  In  politics  he  votes 
the  Republican  ticket. 


ENJAMIN  LICHTENBERGER,  con- 
ductor  on  the  Amboy  division  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad,  was  born 
March  i,  1868,  in  Decatur,  Illinois. 
His  father,  George  Lichtenberger,  who  was  a 
farmer  through  life,  died  in  1878,  aged  fifty  years. 
The  mother,  formerly  Anna  Rucker,  died  in  1880. 
Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  town.  His  early  life  was  spent 
in  farming,  and  he  also  worked  on  a  bridge  gang 
for  eight  months.  In  1890  he  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  a  brakeman  on  the  Am- 
boy division,  and  remained  in  that  position  until 
February  16,  1893,  when  he  was  appointed  con- 
ductor, which  position  he  retains  at  the  present 
time.  Mr.  Lichtenberger  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Kate  Wheeler,  of  Ida  Grove,  Iowa, 
January  26,  1891.  Mrs.  Lichtenberger  was  born 
in  Macon  county,  111.,  March  30,  1874,  but  re- 
ceived her  education  in  Ida  county,  Iowa.  This 
union  has  been  blessed  with  four  children :  Sadie 
May,  born  July  16,  1892;  Maggie  H.,  born  June 
i,  1894;  Gladys  M.,  born  May  28,  1896;  Mildred 
L.  E.,  born  December  22,  1898.  Mr.  Lichten- 
berger met  with  a  very  serious  accident  which 
nearly  cost  him  his  life.  On  the  25th  day  of 
March,  1895,  he  was  walking  over  his  train  while 
crossing  the  Illinois  River  at  La  Salle,  when  the 
tin  roof  of  a  car  was  blown  off,  hurling  him  into 
the  River  bottom,  a  distance  of  ninety-four  feet. 
His  left  leg  was  broken  in  two  places,  but  his 
recovery  was  rapid,  and  he  was  only  off  duty 
twenty-two  weeks. 


24 


432 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Canton, 


ST.  JOHN,  an  old  and  faithful  em- 
ploye of  the  Illinois  Central,  is  the 
'  Q  accommodating  and  efficient  operator 
and  dispatcher  for  the  company  at 
Miss.  In  1852,  before  the  I.  C.  road 
was  ever  commenced,  he  was  a  messenger  boy. 
In  1854  he  was  a  telegrapher  in  charge  of  the 
office  at  Port  Gibson,  Miss.,  where  he  worked 
for  three  years.  His  next  position  was  at  Bran- 
•don,  in  that  state,  where  he  was  agent  and  opera- 
tor during  1 86 1.  The  following  year  he  went 
to  Canton,  and  worked  at  the  key  for  some  time, 
but  returned  to  Brandon  and  was  there  and  in 
other  small  towns  along  the  I.  C.  until  1864.  Re- 
turning to  Canton,  he  worked  there  and  at  Jack- 
son, Miss.,  for  a  short  time,  and  in  1865  resumed 
his  former  position  at  Canton,  where  he  has  since 
remained.  Few  telegraphers  spend  a  life  time  at 
the  work,  and  the  question  has  often  been  asked, 
"What  becomes  of  the  telegraphers  when  they 
grow  old?''  Mr.  St.  John  is  an  exception  to 
the  rule,  and  has  remained  true  to  his  adopted 
profession.  Although  he  is  now  getting  along 
in  years,  he  is  as  punctual  at  work  as  the  strictest 
of  employers  could  desire.  He  has  one  assist- 
ant, Edward  W.  Stiles,  a  competent  man,  who 
has  been  in  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  since  1884; 

Mr.  St.  John  was  a  messenger  at  nine  years 
of  age,  an  operator  at  twelve,  and  manager  of 
an  office  at  fifteen.  He  remained  faithfully  at 
his  post  through  two  yellow  fever  epidemics  at 
Canton,  and  worked  night  and  day  for  two 
weeks,  with  only  one  hour's  rest  out  of  twenty- 
four.  He  has  always  been  strictly  temperate, 
not  a  drop  of  liquor  has  ever  been  touched,  does 
not  use  tobacco  in  any  form,  never  uttered  an 
oath,  and  is  not  a  member  of  any  church.  In 
his  business  relations  he  has  never  made  a  mis- 
take. 

Mr.  St.  John  is  a  native  of  Claiborne  county, 
Miss.,  where  he  was  born  August  23,  1846,  a 
son  of  John.  H.  St.  John,  an  architect  and  buil- 
der, well  known  throughout  the  south,  but  who 
removed  to  California,  where  he  died.  The  wife 
of  Mr.  St.  John  was  formerly  Miss  Minerva 
Bennett,  of  Brandon,  Miss.,  whose  father,  Jo- 
seph Bennett,  was  at  one  time  lieutenant  gover- 


nor of  the  state  of  Mississippi.  Three  children 
have  been  born  to  them :  Henry,  who  is  an 
electrician  residing  at  Yazoo  City ;  Mamie,  wife 
of  J.  W.  Norri,  of  Canton,  and  Ethel,  married  to 
S.  L.  North,  a  merchant  of  Yazoo  City.  Charles 
St.  John  Lumlev,  a  nephew,  was  also  reared  in 
the  family,  and  is  now  night  operator  for  the 
I.  C.  at  Canton,  and  although  only  sixteen  years 
of  age,  is  considered  one  of  the  brightest  and 
most  intelligent  young  men  in  the  employ  of  the 
road.  Mr.  St.  John  affiliates  with  the  Knights 
of  Honor,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  His  wife  is 
a  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  of  Canton,  and 
both  are  highly  esteemed  by  a  large  circle  of/ 
friends  and  acquaintances. 


ON.  JOHN  A.  WEBB,  a  prominent 
citizen  of  Jackson,  Miss.,  who  now  oc- 
cupies the  responsible  position  of  Sec- 
retary of  the  Mississippi  Railroad 
Commission,  was  born  near  Lexington,  Va.,  Sep- 
tember 16,  1843.  He  entered  the  service  of  the 
Southern  Express  company  in  1866  as  second  ex- 
press messenger,  under  now  Conductor  Jewett, 
between  Jackson,  Miss.,  and  Mobile,  Ala.,  on  the 
Mobile  &  Ohio  R.  R.  He  held  that  position 
one  year,  and  in  1867  was  made  baggagemaster 
.between  Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  Canton,  Miss.,  on 
what  was  then  the  Mississippi  Central  R.  R.  He 
was  then  appointed  assistant  agent  at  Canton, 
and  was  a  year  later  transferred  to  Water  Val- 
ley, Miss.,  as  clerk  in  the  office  of  the  general 
superintendent.  He  next  served  in  the  freight 
department  at  the  same  place,  as  freight  accoun- 
tant, and  in  1869  was  appointed  agent  at  Vaiden, 
Miss.,  remaining  there  until  1870.  In  the  latter 
year  he  was  sent  to  Canton,  as  local  agent,  and 
in  a  short  time  was  appointed  general  agent  there, 
occupying  that  position  until  1872.  He  was 
then  appointed  agent  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  acting  in 
that  capacity  until  December  1882,  when  he  was 
appointed  traveling  freight  agent  for  one  year. 
He  then  accepted  a  position  with  the  Natchez, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


4S3 


Jackson  &  Columbus  R.  R.  as  general  freight 
and  passenger  agent,  and  after  one  year's  service 
went  to  the  Yicksburg,  Shreveport  &  Pacific  R. 
R.  as  agent  at  Shreveport,  La.,  where  he  was 
stationed  for  five  years.  Returning  to  Jackson 
in  1889,  he  was  again  agent  for  the  I.  C.  at  that 
city  until  181)4,  when  he  was  transferred  to 
( ireenville.  Miss.,  in  a  similar  capacity,  where  he 
remained  two  years.  -His  next  work  was  as 
chief  clerk  for  the  I.  C.  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  where 
he  served  until  1898,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  secretary  of  the  Mississippi  Railroad  Com- 
mission, with  offices  in  the  State  Capitol,  at  Jack- 
son. Mr.  Webb  married  Miss  Sallie  Gordon  of 
Yaiden,  Miss.,  and  they  have  an  interesting  fami- 
ly of  ten  children :  W.  G.  conducts  a  dray  line ; 
John  G.,  employed  as  flagman  on  the  I.  C.  rail- 
road:  M.  S.,  employed  as  conductor  on  the  I.  C. 
railroad ;  Lula ;  Xina ;  Mrs.  Bessie  S.  Hoar,  Mr. 
Hoar  is  employed  in  the  civil  engineering  de- 
partment of  the  I.  C. ;  Sadie  E.,  Clara  B. ,  Lil- 
lian H.  and  George  J.  Our  subject  is  connected 
with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  a  member  of  Pearl 
Lodge  Xo.  23,  also  a  Knight  Templar,  mem- 
ber of  Mississippi  Commandery  No.  I,  and  be- 
longs to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
all  of  Jackson.  He  is  at  present  a  member  of 
the  board  of  aldermen  of  his  native  city  (Jack- 
son). Mr.  and  Mrs.  Webb  hold  membership 
with  the  Presbyterian  church,  of  which  they  are 
sincere  and  valued  members.  A  long  and  active 
career,  lias  gained  prominence  for  Mr.  Webb  in 
railroad  circles,  and  as  a  citizen,  he  is  held  in  the 
highest  esteem,  in  the  community  in  which  he 
reskles. 


JM.  CHANDLER,  a  capable  young  train 
dispatcher    on    the    Aberdeen    division 
O  of  the  Illinois  Central,  at  Durant,  Miss., 
is    a    native    of    Scottsboro ,  Alabama. 
Thrown  on  his  own  resources  when  only  a  boy, 
our   subject,   through   his  own   efforts,   acquired 
an  education,  in  the  schools  of  his  native  place, 
afterward   studying  telegraphy.     His  first  posi- 
tion was  with  the  Memphis  &  Charleston  R.  R. 


as  relief  operator,  where  he  served  some  time, 
and  then  entered  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, at  Grenada,  Miss.,  as  night  operator  and 
agent,  where  he  remained  twb  years.  He  was 
then  transferred  to  Durant,  as  day  operator, 
and  on  May  i,  1899  was  promoted  to  his 
present  responsible  position.  Mr.  Chandler  is 
a  young  man  of  studious  and  quiet  habits,  who 
has  risen  through  his  own  energy  and  ambition. 
He  is  connected  socially,  with  the  Knights  of 
Pythias, .of  Grenada,  Miss.,  and  the  Masons  of 
Durant,  Miss. 


F.  WARD,  an  old  and  experienced 
engineer  in  the  freight  service,  on 
the  Aberdeen  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  is  a  native  of  Binghamton, 
Xew  York.  His  first  knowledge  of  railroad 
work  was  acquired  in  the  6o's,  when  he  was  a 
fireman  in  the  freight  and  passenger  service,  and 
was  later  promoted  to  engineer.  He  next  worked 
for  the  Lehigh  Valley  R.  R.  taking  charge  of  a 
large  double-head  engine,  with  twelve  drivers, 
requiring  the  services  of  two  fireman,  and  one 
of  the  fastest  trains  on  that  road.  Resigning 
from  the  employ  of  the  latter  road,  he  went  to 
the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  R.  R.  in  the  service  be- 
tween Richmond  and  Greenville,  and  afterward 
had  charge  of  a  passenger  run,  between  Rich- 
mond and  (jordonsville,  and  Charlottesville  and 
Clifton  Forge,  which  he  held  for  six  years.  He 
was  also  in  the  passenger  service  of  that  road,  be- 
tween Richmond,  Lynchburg,  and  Clifton  Forge, 
a  distance  of  230  miles.  Mr.  Ward  next  worked 
for  the  Northern  Pacific  in  Dakota  and  Montana, 
having  a  run  at  one  time  between  Livingstone, 
Montana,  and  St.  Paul,  Minn.  While  in  the 
north,  he  ran  over  two  divisions,  on  a  dark  night, 
without  a  pilot,  and  on  a  new  track,  which  indi- 
cates great  skill.  Mr.  Ward's  experience  in  the 
north  and  west  are  very  interesting.  He  has 
plowed  through  snow  five  feet  deep  in  winter, 
with  the  thermometer  below  zero.  At  a  watering 
point,  he  once  offered  some  men  five  dollars  to 


434 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


till  the  tender  tank,  which  they  refused  on  ac- 
count of  the  severe  cold.  He  bored  a  hole  in  the 
tank,  filled  the  tender,  and  plugged  up  the  hole. 
In  the  warm  season,  the  grasshoppers  were  so 
thick,  that  the  track  was  greased  by  them  so  com- 
pletely, as  to  impede  the  progress  of  the  train. 

Mr.  Ward  returned  to  Richmond,  Va.,  and 
became  identified  with  the  Atlantic  Coast  Line, 
working  there  several  years,  and  resigning  to 
accept  a  position  with  the  Illinois  Central.  He 
is  at  present  in  the  regular  freight  service  of 
the  latter  road,  on  the  Aberdeen  division,  on 
engine  No.  1312.  Socially,  Mr.  Ward  is  con- 
nected with  the  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Richmond,  Va., 
also  the  Knights  of  Honor,  and  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  fellows.  He  is  married  and  has 
one  son.  Being  a  man  of  pleasant  manners,  and 
an  interesting  talker,  he  enjoys  the  acquaintance 
of  a  wide  circle  of  friends. 


ICHAEL   EGAN,   an   ex-employe   of 
the  Illinois  Central  railroad,  residing 
at  Amboy,  111.,  was  born  in  Kilrush, 
County  of  Clare,  in  the  province  of 
Munster,  Ireland,  September  26,  1821. 

His  father,  John  Egan,  a  mason  contractor 
by  trade,  and  his  mother  Johanna  Meskell,  were 
natives  of  Ireland,  the  father  dying  in  that  coun- 
try, but  the  mother  emigrated  to  America,  living 
with  her  children  for  many  years,  and  died  in 
Amboy,  111.,  December  8,  1880.  To  this  mar- 
riage there  were  eight  children  born,  four  sons 
and  four  daughters,  two  of  each  coming  to  this 
country,  all  of  whom  are  living  except  one  daugh- 
ter who  died  in  New  York  City. 

Our  subject  was  given  every  opportunity 
possible  for  an  education  in  the  country  in  which 
he  was  born  and  he  acquired  a  very  complete 
course.  Leaving  school  at  the  age  of  seventeen 
years  he  went  to  work  with  his  father,  learn- 
ing the  trade,  and  continued  with  him  for  six 
years,  when  he  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen  Mor- 
rissy  of  the  same  place.  He  continued  to  work 
at  his  trade  for  about  a  year  and  then  with  his 


wife,  on  February  9,  1846,  emigrated  to  this 
country,  landing  in  Castle  Garden,  New  York, 
March  12.  He  worked  in  the  east  for  twenty 
months  and  then  removed  to  Springfield,  Mass., 
where  he  followed  his  trade  for  seven  years. 
While  in  Springfield  he  became  a  naturalized 
citizen  of  the  United  States  and  during  this  time 
he  became  acquainted  with  J.  B.  Wyman  and  was 
induced  by  him  to  try  his  luck  in  the  west  and 
during  the  winter  of  1852  came  to  Illinois,  ar- 
riving at  LaSalle  in  March  1853,  and  com- 
menced work  at  once  for  the  Illinois  Central 
railroad  on  bridges  and  culverts  south  of  the 
Illinois  river.  He  came  to  Amboy,  111.,  the  fol- 
lowing June  and  began  the  erection  of  the  rail- 
road buildings  which  he  superintended  until  their 
completion  in  1855.  He  continued  in  the  employ 
of  the  company  until  1876,  when  for  four  years 
he  engaged  in  contracting  and  work  on  his  own 
account.  In  1880  he  again  accepted  a  position 
in  the  employ  of  the  railroad  company  as  pur- 
chasing and  disbursing  agent  of  wood,  coal  and 
ties,  superintending  the  work  in  the  quarries 
in  the  southern  part  of  the  state,  near  Carbon- 
dale,  employing  two  hundred  men  most  of  the 
time.  Mr.  Egan  in  1885,  through  over-work 
and  exposure,  became  ill  with  malarial  fever 
resigned  his  position  and  has  since  given  his  at- 
tention to  private  affairs  at  his  home  in  Amboy, 
Illinois. 

Mr.  Egan's  record  with  the  company  was 
in  every  respect  one  of  commendation  and  he 
was  always  held  in  high  respect  by  his  superiors, 
being  entrusted  with  the  handling  of  many  thou- 
sands of  dollars,  the  account  of  which  always 
balanced  to  a  cent.  In  1885  Mr.  Egan  was 
elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  appointed  No- 
tary Public  by  the  Governor  of  the  state  in  which 
capacity  he  served  for  twelve  years.  When 
elected  to  justice  he  knew  but  little  about  law, 
but  by  close  application  soon  became  acquainted 
with  his  duties  and  his  decisions  were  always 
considered  fair  and  just.  To  his  marriage  with 
Miss  Morrissy  in  1844,  and  who  died  January 
27,  1869,  there  were  eleven  children  born,  all  of 
whom  except  five  are  living  and  prominent  in 
railroad  life,  a  brief  mention  of  wh-ich  follows : 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


435 


John  M.,  born  March  25,  1848,  at  Spring- 
field, Mass,,  is  president  of  the  Georgia  railroad 
and  resides  at  Savannah,  Ga.  Peter  Paul,  born 
June  13,  1851,  at  Holyoke,  Mass.,  was  state  boiler 
inspector  at  Denver,  Colo.,  and  died  October  14, 
1898.  Francis,  born  February  26,  1853,  at 
Holyoke,  Mass.,  is  assistant  division  superinten- 
dent of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad  located  at 
Denver,  Colo.  Alfred  H.,  born  January  27, 
1855,  at  Amboy,  111.,  is  assistant  division  super- 
intendent of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  and  resides  at  Evans- 
ville,  Ind.  Joseph,  born  May  12,  1857,  at  Amboy, 
111.,  is  chief  train  dispatcher  at  Winslow,  Ari. 
Mary,  born  February  2,  1860,  is  living  with  her 
father  at  Amboy,  111.,  and  was  formerly  clerk 
for  her  brother.  Benjamin  F.,  born,  April  28, 
1862,  at  Amboy,  Illinois,  is  assistant  division 
superintendent  of  the  Great  Northern  and  is 
located  at  Grand  Forks,  North  Dakota. 

Mr.  Egan  was  again  married  in  1872  to 
Mrs.  Helen  (Stewart)  Barrie  and  of  this  union 
two  children  were  born,  Helen  S.  and  William 
A.,  the  latter  of  whom  is  now  employed  by  the 
Illinois  Central  railroad  in  Chicago. 

Mr.  Egan  has  held  the  highest  office 
(Mayor)  in  the  gift  of  the  city  in  which  he  still 
lives  and  has  always  been  a  worthy  member  of 
the  social  and  business  circles  of  the  community. 
In  his  religious  belief  he  has  always  been  a  firm 
and  devoted  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church. 


X  DWARD  D.  COWAN,  the  accommo- 
dating passenger  and  ticket  agent  for 
the  Illinois  Central,  at  Canton,  Miss., 
is  in  point  of  service  one  of  the  oldest 
employes  of  the  company.  His  first  connection 
with  the  I.  C.  was  a  position  as  time-keeper  at 
New  Orleans,  for  the  N.  O.  J.  &  G.  N. 
R.  R.  which  he  held  five  years.  Going  to  Can- 
ton, Miss.,  during  the  civil  war,  he  returned  to 
the  employ  of  the  I.  C.  as  clerk  in  the  freight 
office  there,  which  position  he  held  until  1870, 
when  he  was  promoted  to  ticket  agent,  where  he 


has  since  remained.  That  division  of  the  I.  C. 
was  then  known  as  the  New  Orleans,  Jackson  & 
Great  Northern  R.  R.,  and  on  being  absorbed 
by  the  I.  C.  he  was  retained  in  his  old  position. 
Mr.  Cowan  was  born  at  Wilmington,  North  Caro- 
lina, and  is  a  son  of  Robert  H.  and  Mrs.  S.  T. 
Cowan,  both  now  deceased.  Mr.  Cowan  Sr. 
was  cashier  of  the  state  bank  of  Wilmington, 
and  a  man  of  prominence.  Edward  D.  Cowan 
married  Miss  Drew  Campbell,  of  Canton,  Miss., 
and  they  have  four  children :  John,  an  engineer 
in  the  yards  of  the  I.  C.  at  Canton ;  Kate,  wife 
of  B.  B.  Ford  of  the  same  city ;  Drew,  wife  of 
John  F.  Dinkins,  an  extensive  planter  of  western 
Mississippi,  and  Thomas,  a  machinist  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  R.  R. 
In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Cowan  is  a  Catholic, 
while  his  wife,  a  lady  of  amiable  disposition, 
who  has  hosts  of  friends,  adheres  to  the  Metho- 
dist church.  He  is  a  prominent  and  popular 
citizen  of  Canton,  where  his  long  residence  has 
made  him  a  familar  figure  of  that  city. 


C.  ELLIS,  a  conductor  in  the  freight 
service  of  the  Illinois  Central,  on 
'  Q  the  Aberdeen  division,  is  a  native  of 
Mississippi.  After  leaving  school, 
Mr.  Ellis  entered  a  drug  store,  at  West  Point, 
Miss.,  and  advanced  to  prescription  clerk,  but 
had  determined  on  a  railroad  career,  and  was 
waiting  for  an  opening.  Mr.  Ellis  says  his  first 
call  to  go  on  the  road  was  made  memorable  by 
the  fact  that  Sam  Jones,  the  famous  evangelist, 
was  to  lecture  at  West  Point  that  night,  and  he 
had  taken  tickets  and  arranged  to  go.  However, 
when  the  call  came,  he  was  glad  of  the  opportuni- 
ty, but  found  this  work  rather  hard  after  coming 
from  a  drug  store.  Perseverance  and  determina- 
tion have  much  to  do  with  making  a  success, 
and  our  subject  possessed  these  in  abundance. 
He  was  in  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  as  brakeman, 
in  the  freight  and  passenger  service,  for  some 
years,  and  was  finally  promoted  to  conductor, 
where  he  is  serving  at  the  present  time.  He  has 


436 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


charge  at  present  of  caboose  Xo.  98,612,  with  W. 
Deloach,  and  Lee  McComb  as  his  crew.  His 
career  on  the  road  has  been  free  from  accidents. 
Mr.  Ellis  married  a  daughter  of  W.  L.  and 
A'nn  (Moore)  Doss  of  West  Point,  Miss.  W. 
L.  Doss  is  a  veteran  of  the  Mexican  and  Civil 
wars.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ellis  have  four  interesting 
children,  Sidney,  Hugh,  Annie  Moore,  and  Joe 
H.  Socially,  Mr.  Ellis  is  connected  with  Pearl 
River  Division  Xo.  304,  O.  R.  C..  of  Canton. 
Miss.  A  brother  of  Mr.  Ellis  is  a  graduate  of 
a  Xew  York  college,  and  the  proprietor  of  the 
leading  drug  store  in  West  Point,  one  of  the 
finest  in  the  state. 


AML'EL  J.  CALHOUN,  an  experienced 
engineer  on  the  Aberdeen  division 
of  the  Illinois  Central,  was  born  in 
Bedford  county,  Ya.  Isaac  Calhoun, 
his  father,  is  a  descendant  of  the  Calhoun  fami- 
ly, of  which  John  C.  Calhoun,  the  statesman,  was 
a  member.  Mr.  Calhoun  Sr.  is  a  retired  farmer, 
living  at  the  age  of  eighty-four.  Our  subject 
began  his  railroad  career  on  the  Chesapeake  & 
Ohio  R.  R.  in  the  round  house  at  Huntington, 
West  Yirginia.  After  a  short  service  there, 
he  went  to  the  Richmond  &  Danville  R.  R.  as  a 
fireman,  running  out  of  Manchester,  and  working 
on  that  road  until  1884.  In  the  latter  year,  going 
to  North  Carolina,  where  he  remained  until  1887. 
From  1887  to  1890  he  was  in  the  service  of  the 
Louisville  &  Nashville  R.  R.,  with  headquarters 
at  Birmingham,  Ala.  He  then  worked  succes- 
sively with  the  East  Tennessee  &  Virginia  R.  R., 
the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  R.  R.  and  the  Louisville 
&  Nashville  R.  R.  until  1897.  In  that  year  he 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central,  Cairo 
division,  and  later  as  engineer  on  the  Aberdeen 
division,  and  has  since  remained  there.  Mr. 
Calhoun  has  never  been  seriously  injured  during 
his  railroad  career,  his  closest  call  being  while 
with  the  C.  &  O.  R.  R.  Considerable  damage 
was  done,  in  a  small  collision  on  crossing  at 
Low  Moor,  Ya.,  but  no  blame  was  attached  to 


him.  Several  brothers  of  our  subject  are  suc- 
cessful railroad  men.  They  are:  W.  R.  Calhoun, 
an  engineer  for  eleven  years  with  the  Chesapeake 
&  Ohio  R.  R. ;  C.  T.,  an  engineer  on  the  Northern 
&  Western  R.  R.  and  another  brother  is  a  bridge 
foreman. 

The  wife  of  Mr.  Calhoun,  was  an  estimable 
lady  of  Richmond,  Ya.  Mr.  Calhoun  believes  in 
the  usefulness  of  fraternal  organizations.  He 
holds  membership  with  the  following:  Division 
Xo.  99,  B.  of  L.  E.  of  Water  Yralley ;  Division 
Xo.  402,  B.  of  L.  F. ;  Lodge  No.  13,  Knights  of 
Pythias,  of  Jackson,  Term. :  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  of  Hinton,  West  Virginia; 
Modern  Woodmen  of  the  World,  of  Durant, 
Miss..  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  of 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  the  Order  of  Elks,  at  Water 
Valley,  Miss.  He  is  a  man  of  wide  experience 
in  railroad  work,  having  been  in  the  service  of 
different  companies,  thereby  gaining  new  experi- 
ence and  ideas.  His  service  with  the  I.  C.  has 
been  satisfactory  in  every  respect,  and  he  is 
looked  upon  by  his  superiors  as  a  valuable  man. 


'ILL1AM  C.  SOUTH  WICK,  now 
farming  one  mile  south  of  Water 
Valley,  Miss.,  is  one  of  the  oldest 
railroad  men  in  the  state.  He  be- 
gan as  a  machinist  in  the  shops  of  the  New  Or- 
leans, Jackson  &  Great  Northern  in  1856  and  a 
year  later  was  examined  and  promoted  to  en- 
gineer, running  a  passenger  train  between  New 
Orleans  and  Canton,  Mississippi,  continuing  in 
this  service  until  the  outbreak  of  the  war.  Fn- 
listing  in  1861,  in  the  2ist  Mississippi  regiment 
in  General  Lee's  army,  he  served  through  the 
Yirginia  campaign,  participating  in  twenty-three 
engagements  beginning  with  that  of  Bull  Run. 
After  being  transferred  to  another  company  he 
was  given  a  furlough,  but  never  returned  to  the 
service.  During  this  long  service  he  escaped  in- 
jury, coming  through  the  arduous  campaigns 
without  a  wound.  After  the  war  he  returned  to 
his  old  place  on  the  railroad,  that  was  then 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


437 


known  as  the  Mississippi  Central,  and  after  two 
years  on  the  south  end  of  the  line,  was  transferred 
to  Water  Valley,  on  the  Mississippi  division, 
and  ran  out  of  there  in  the  passenger  service 
until  1895,  when  he  was  retired  from  road 
service,  and  given  a  place  in  the  shops  at  Water 
\  alley  as  night  foreman  of  the  round  house. 
In  1897  he  was  transferred  to  Paducah,  Ky., 
working  in  the  shops  as  machinist,  some  eighteen 
months,  until  he  met  with  an  accident  while  out 
hunting,  losing  his  left  hand  and  fore-arm  by 
the  accidental  discharge  of  his  gun  in  climbing  a 
fence.  Incapacitated  from  working  at  his  trade, 
he  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  eighty 
acres,  one  mile  south  of  Water  Valley,  and  is 
now  engaged  in  raising  the  staples,  cotton  and 
corn.  Mr.  Southwick  is  a  breeder  of  a  fine 
grade  of  registered  animals,  and  has  four  blacks 
engaged  to  do  the  manual  labor  and  attend  to 
the  stock.  The  parents  of  Mr.  Southwick, 
George  and  Mary  ( Pritchard )  Southwick,  were 
both  natives  of  the  state  of  New  York,  where 
they  died  on  the  farm  that  had  for  many  years 
been  their  home.  John  Southwick,  a  brother 
of  our  subject,  who  resided  in  New  Orleans 
during  his  life-time,  was  the  first  conductor  on 
the  road,  now  a  part  of  the  Central  system, 
having  begun  during  the  construction  period  of 
the  old  Southern  Railroad,  as  it  was  then  known, 
under  contractor  Harris.  Charles  Cone,  a  bro- 
ther-in-law, was  also  one  of  the  first  conductors 
on  the  line  under  the  early  management.  Mr. 
Southwick  married  Miss  Emma  Wellborn,  a 
daughter  of  Mrs.  Julia  Wellborn,  deceased,  who 
owned  a  large  plantation  in  Mississippi.  The 
father  died  when  the  daughter  was  very  young. 
Mrs.  Southwick  died  September  6,  1893,  having 
been  the  mother  of  four  children — George 
Clifford,  is  now  a  traveling  salesman  for  a  large 
wholesale  paint  and  glass  firm  in  Louisville,  Ky. ; 
\Yilheltnina  died  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years : 
Charles  died  at  the  age  of  six  months ;  Fay, 
who  was  born  in  1889,  is  the  light  of  her  father's 
household,  which  is  presided  over  by  a  sister  of 
Mr.  Southwick,  since  the  death  of  his  wife.  Dur- 
ing her  life-time,  the  wife  was  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  church,  while  Mr.  Southwick  is  a  com- 


municant of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  faith. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  affiliating 
with  the  Water  Valley  lodge  number  33,  and 
still  holds  his  membership  in  division  number 
99  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  WTater  Valley.  Being  one  of  the 
oldest  operatives  on  the  southern  end  of  the 
system,  Mr.  Southwick  is  widely  known,  and  his 
friends  are  numbered  by  the  hundred,  not  only 
amongst  railroad  circles,  but  in  other  walks  of 
life  as  well. 


J.  EVERETT,  locomotive  engineer 
at  Water  Valley,  entered  the  employ 
of  the  railroad  company  in  the  fall 
of  1870.  at  McComb  City,  where  he 
operated  a  stationary  engine,  sawing  wood  for 
the  company  for  about  a  year.  He  then  went  to 
Water  Valley  and  secured  a  position  as  carpenter 
in  the  shops  under  John  Beckton,  but  in  1875  he 
returned  to  McComb  City  to  learn  the  painters' 
trade,  and  served  an  apprenticeship  of  four  years. 
In  1879  Mr.  Everett  began  work  for  the  T.  &  P. 
Railroad,  and  fired  two  years  between  Goldsboro 
and  Achafla  River,  crossed  the  cab  in  1881,  and 
for  the  following  six  months  had  charge  of  an 
engine  on  the  same  run.  Our  subject  then 
returned  to  \Vater  Valley  and  began  working 
in  the  Illinois  Central  round-house,  putting  in 
engine  truck  springs,  driving  and  tender  springs 
&c.  About  a  year  and  a  half  later  he  secured  a 
position  as  fireman  between  Jackson,  Tenn.,  and 
Canton,  Miss.,  and  spent  about  a  year  in  that 
capacity,  the  most  of  the  time  in  the  passenger 
service,  but  made  an  occasional  freight  run. 
Subsequently  he  fired  in  the  summers  and  ran  in 
the  winters  for  two  years,  then  ran  on  local 
between  Water  Valley  and  Durant  for  three 
years,  and  the  rest  of  his  work  has  been  on, a 
chain  gang.  The  number  of  Mr.  Everett's  first 
regular  engine  was  No.  748,  and  later  he  had 
Nos.  709  and  268.  He  had  No.  870  in  the  chain 
gang,  and  later  Nos.  864,  499,  874  and  the  one 
he  is  using  now  is  No.  86 1.  Our  subject  was 
badly  scalded  in  September  1895,  at  Elliott,  by 


438 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


the  bursting  of  a  flue,  but  that  is  the  only  time 
lie  has  been  injured  on  the  road,  and  he  has 
met  with  marked  success  as  an  engineer.  Mr. 
Everett  was  born  in  Summit,  Pike  County,  Miss. 
He  was  married,  in  the  city  in  which  he  now 
makes  his  home,  to  Miss  Lillie  Cross,  and  to 
them  have  been  born  seven  children,  whose 
names  in  the  order  of  their  birth  are  as  follows : 
Lillian,  James,  Thomas,  Ira  B.,  Annie,  Ruth  and 
Robert.  Socially,  Mr.  Everett  is  identified  with 
Division  No.  99,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Water  Valley. 


A.  HADAWAY,  engineer  at  Water 
Valley,  began  his  railroad  career 
Q  at  Jackson,  Tenn.,  in  the  fall  of 
1878,  as  an  apprentice  under  J. 
M.  Keith,  in  the  Illinois  Central  shops.  Com- 
pleting his  apprenticeship  in  August  1883,  he 
secured  a  position  as  fireman,  served  in  that  ca- 
pacity about  ten  months,  and  in  August  1884,  he 
was  promoted  to  freight  engineer,  and  given 
a  run  between  Water  Valley  and  Jackson,  Tenn., 
being  located  at  Water  Valley.  Subsequently 
he  served  in  the  chain  gang  for  a  time,  and  in 
1889  was  promoted  to  the  passenger  service  until 
1893,  running  between  Jackson  and  Canton, 
Miss.  Mr.  Hadaway's  engine  pulled  the  first  fast 
mail  train  that  was  put  on  between  Jackson,  Tenn., 
and  New  Orleans,  and  he  stood  at  the  head  of 
that  train  for  about  a  year.  From  1893  until 
1894  he  worked  with  a  chain  gang,  but  since  the 
latter  date,  has  been  in  the  preferred  freight  ser- 
vice between  Water  Valley  and  Jackson,  Tenn. 
Mr.  Hadaway's  first  engine  was  No.  323,  of  which 
he  had  charge  about  a  year,  and  later  he  had 
charge  of  No.  304  for  four  years.  In  the 
passenger  service,  he  operated  Nos.  1155  and 
1113,  and  for  three  years  he  stood  on  the  right 
side  of  No.  621.  His  regular  engine  now  is 
No.  632.  Mr.  Hadaway  has  not  been  called  be- 
fore the  officials  since  1885.  He  has  a  very  good 
record  on  the  company's  books,  and  a  reputation 
of  being  a  very  careful  and  able  engineer.  Once, 


however,  it  was  his  misfortune  to  become  the  vic- 
tim of  another  man's  carelessness,  resulting  in 
a  head  end  collision,  March  28,  1894,  near  Ox- 
ford, between  No.  53  and  a  banana  train.  Our 
subject  was  badly  hurt  and  was  laid  up  four 
months. 

Mr.  Hadaway  was  born  in  Jackson,  Tenn. 
He  was  married  in  Water  Valley,  Sept.  1888, 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  Boydston  of  that  city.  Social- 
ly he  is  identified  with  Division  No.  99,  B.  of 
L.  E.,  of  which  he  became  a  member  in  1885. 
For  two  terms  he  served  that  body  in  the  capaci- 
ty of  division  chief,  attended  the  convention  at 
St.  Paul  in  1894,  and  the  one  at  St.  Louis  in  1898. 
He  is  also  a  Mason,  holding  memberships  in 
the  Valley  City  Lodge,  No.  402,  and  St.  Cyr 
Commandery,  Knights  Templar  No.  6.  Mr. 
Hadaway  bought  his  present  home  on  Market 
street  in  1893. 


HILLIPS  JAY,  who  holds  the  responsi- 
ble  position  of  claim  agent  for  the  Illi- 
nois  Central  at  Durant,  Miss.,  is  large- 
ly a  self-made  young  man.  He  was 
born  December  16,  1872,  in  Clark  county,  Missis- 
sippi, and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  J.  and  Mary  A.  Jay, 
the  latter  a  member  of  one  of  the  oldest  families 
of  the  state  of  Mississippi.  Phillips  Jay,  hav- 
ing lost  his  father  when  quite  young,  was  com- 
pelled to  earn  his  own  living.  He  attended  the 
common  schools  of  Escatawpa,  Ala.,  and  began 
life  as  a  clerk  in  the  Stonewall  Cotton  Mills  com- 
pany, accumulating  sufficient  funds  to  carry  him 
through  college,  he  entered  Fairview  College 
it  Binnsville,  Miss.,  and  later  took  the  law  courso 
at  the  State  University  at  Oxford.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  fall  of  1896,  and  opened 
an  office  at  Lexington,  where  he  practiced  his 
profession  until  accepting  the  position  he  now 
holds  with  the  I.  C.  He  had  previously  held 
various  offices  of  importance,  and  was  the  can- 
didate of  the  Progressive  party  for  State  Sena- 
tor, to  fill  out  the  unexpired  term  of  Judge  T.  A. 
Wood  of  the  third  district  in  1897,  but  was  de- 


C.  A.  MORENO. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


441 


fcated  by  Hon.  Dan'l  W  Heidelberg.  Mr.  Jay's 
territory  as  claim  agent  for  the  I.  C.  extends 
over  135  miles  of  the  Aberdeen  division,  and 
1 1 5  miles  of  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R. 
R.,  and  on  the  Mississippi  division  from  Grena- 
da to  Canton,  and  from  Aberdeen  to  Brilliant, 
Ala.  His  time  is  about  evenly  divided  between 
office  and  road  work.  A  brother  of  our  subject, 
Edward  Jay,  now  twenty-four  years  of  age,  holds 
a  position  with  the  Mobile  &  Ohio  R.  R.  The 
success  which  has  marked  Mr.  Jay's  career,  is 
very  gratifying,  and  being  still  quite  a  young 
man,  he  is  certain  to  make  his  mark  in  life. 

jtjtjtjtjtjt 


A.  MORENO,  roadmaster  on  the 
fourteenth  division  of  the  Yazoo  & 
'Q  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R.  residing 
in  Memphis,  Tennessee,  was  born 
in  Columbus,  Georgia,  December  I4th,  1862. 
His  parents,  Theodore  and  Virginia  (Anderson) 
Moreno,  are  still  living  and  are  residents  of 
Gainesville,  Georgia.  Mr.  Moreno  acquired  his 
education  in  the  common  and  high  schools  of 
Gainesville,  Georgia,  graduating  from  the  latter 
in  1880.  He  then  went  to  the  engineering  de- 
partment of  the  East  Tennessee,  Virginia  & 
Georgia  R.  R.  which  was  in  course  of  construc- 
tion, working  there  for  about  two  years,  and  was 
afterward  in  the  office  of  the  chief  engineer  at 
Atlanta.  In  1883  he  entered  the  service  of  the 
Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Texas  R.  R.  (now  the 
Y.  &  M.  V.  R.  R.)  locating  between  Baton 
Rouge,  Louisiana,  and  Vicksburg,  Mississippi, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  making  the  prelimi- 
nary survey  of  that  road.  After  the  completion 
of  the  road  in  1884,  he  remained  in  the  Engineer- 
ing Department  until  1886.  He  then  went  to  the 
Kansas  City,  Memphis  &  Birmingham  R.  R. 
in  the  capacity  of  engineer,  remaining  one  year, 
and  then  returned  to  the  Louisville,  New  Orleans 
&  Texas  road,  where  he  served  as  resident  engi- 
neer, during  the  construtcion  of  the  Branch 
Lines,  in  the  Delta,  until  1889.  During  the  lat- 
ter year,  he  was  supervisor  for  the  same  road, 


with  headquarters  at  Rosedale,  Mississippi.  In 
1890,  he  went  to  Memphis,  and  entered  the  office 
of  J.  C.  Hutchins,  Superintendent  of  Roadway, 
as  assistant  engineer,  which  position  he  held  un- 
til 1894,  when  he  was  promoted  to  Roadmaster 
on  the  Vicksburg  division,  of  the  Yazoo  &  Mis- 
sissippi Valley  R.  R.  His  jurisdiction  embraces 
218  miles  of  Main  track,  and  300  miles  of  branch 
lines. 

On  the  2ist  of  June  1893,  Mr.  Moreno  was 
married  to  Miss  Susie  W.  Saunders,  a  native  of 
Memphis.  They  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  in  politics  Mr.  Moreno 
votes  with  the  Democratic  party. 


JOHN  C.  JACOBS,  who  for  thirty-six 
years  served  as  superintendent  of  the 
Northern  division  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
was  born  near  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  Novem- 
ber 15,  1819,  two  years  later  his  father  with  his 
family  removed  to  Frederick  county,  Maryland, 
where  our  subject  spent  his  early  boyhood  days. 
When  about  thirteen  years  old  the  death  of  his 
father  made  him  to  a  great  extent  responsible 
for  the  care  and  support  of  his  mother  and  four 
younger  children.  Undaunted  by  his  youth  he 
assumed  this  responsibility,  with  the  same  tena- 
city shown  to  have  existed  during  his  after  life, 
and  manfully  starting  out  secured  a  position  on 
a  farm,  where  by  strict  frugality  he  was  not  only 
able  to  earn  his  own  living,  but  to  contribute 
somewhat  to  the  support  and  maintenance  of  the 
family.  He  continued  working  around  on  farms 
until  the  year  1837,  when  he  secured  a  position 
on  the  B.  &  O.  railroad  in  the  capacity  of  section 
hand,  for  which  he  was  paid  87^  cents  per  day.. 
Later  he  was  made  brakeman  on  that  road  on  a 
freight  train,  his  run  being  between  Harper's 
Ferry  and  Point-of-Rocks.  In  1838  this  run 
was  abandoned  and  he  was  thrown  out  of  employ- 
ment, nothing  else  offering  he  accepted  a  position 
at  Harper's  Ferry  as  coal  heaver.  He  remained 
in  this  position  a  few  months,  then  was  given  a 
position  as  locomotive  fireman  on  the  I>.  &  O. 


442 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


and  served  in  that  capacity  until  1841,  when  he 
was  promoted  to  the  position  of  engineer,  where 
he  remained  until  1849,  and  was  then  made  super- 
visor of  engines  on  that  road,  having  entire 
charge  of  the  motive  power,  consisting  at  that 
time  of  107  engines.  In  1853  the  position  of 
assistant  supervisor  of  trains  was  added  to  his 
duties,  and  as  such  he  had  special  charge  of  the 
movement  and  working  of  trains  over  the  heavy 
grades  of  the  Alleghenies.  Mr.  Jacobs  remained 
with  the  B.  &  O.  until  the  fall  of  1856,  and  dur- 
ing his  latter  connection  with  that  company,  was 
closely  identified  with  the  construction  of  what 
was  then  known  as  the  western  end  of  their  line, 
and  in  that  year  he  severed  his  connection  with 
that  company  at  the  solicitation  of  John  H.  Dole, 
who  was  then  general  superintendent  of  the  I. 
C.  system.  He  came  west  and  accepted  the  posi- 
tion of  division  superintendent  of  the  Northern 
division,  extending  from  Dunleith  to  Centralia, 
and  entered  upon  his  duties  October  8,  1856, 
where  he  remained  until  his  retirement  in  1892. 
In  1892,  having  passed  the  seventy-second 
milestone  in  his  journey  of  life,  and  finding  that 
the  cares  and  duties  of  his  position  were  weigh- 
ing heavily  on  one  so  far  advanced  in  age,  he 
deemed  it  prudent  to  step  aside  and  let  younger 
blood  enter  the  service ;  and  after  consulting 
with  a  few  of  his  most  intimate  friends,  under 
date  of  March  7,  1892,  tendered  his  resignation 
as  division  superintendent  to  President  Fish,  as- 
signing for  his  reasons  for  doing  so  those  named 
above.  Under  date  of  March  9,  1892,  Mr.  Fish 
replied  to  his  letter  of  resignation,  "  accepting 
the  same  with  regret."  To  show  the  high  ap- 
preciation with  which  he  was  held  by  that  gentle- 
man, the  closing  paragraph  of  his  letter  will  bear 
repetition : 

"In  testimony  of  the  high  appreciation  in  which 
you  have  been,  and  are  still  held  by  this  company,  and 
on  account  of  your  long  and  useful  service,  and  of  the 
faithful  and  efficient  way  in  which  you  have  performed 
your  every  duty,  I  take  pleasure  in  enclosing  herewith 
check  for  your  salary  for  seven  months,  from  March  1 
to  October  1,  1892. 

"Rest  assured  that  in  leaving  the  service  you  carry 
with  you  the  best  wishes  of  every  man  in  it  for  your 
continued  health  and  prosperity,  and  none  more  so 
than  of  your  friend,  STUYVF.SANT  FISH." 


If  held  in  such  high  esteem  by  his  superior 
officers,  what  shall  we  say  for  his  subordinates, 
many  of  whom  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder  with 
him  in  the  battle  for  many  years?  Our  feeble 
pen  can  not  do  the  subject  justice,  more  than 
to  say  that  the  universal  expression  among  them 
was  one  of  sadness  and  regret. 

In  token  of  the  respect  in  which  he  was 
held  by  the  men  under  him,  the  officers  and  em- 
ployes of  the  Amboy  division  presented  to  him 
and  his  wife  a  testimonial  of  their  appreciation 
of  his  service  among  them,  duly  signed  by  many 
old  employes,  and  bound  in  Turkish  morocco. 

On  the  nineteenth  anniversary  of  his  service 
with  the  Illinois  Central  the  employes  presented 
to  Mr.  Jacobs  a  finely  finished  cabinet,  and  to 
Mrs.  Jacobs'  a  tea  service  of  thirteen  pieces  of 
exquisite  beauty  and  design. 

Mr.  Jacobs  was  married  in  Middletown, 
Conn.,  November  6,  1846,  to  Miss  Harriet  A. 
Hough.  Of  this  marriage  were  born  three  sons 
and  one  daughter,  viz :  Mary  H.,  born  near  Har- 
per's Ferry,  Va.,  February  6,  1848,  married  E. 
E.  Chase  and,  died  September  29,  1868;  John  C., 
born  at  Piedmont,  W.  Va..  May  29,  1852,  died 
in  infancy ;  William  F.,  born  at  Amboy,  Decem- 
ber 6,  1859,  was  for  many  years  connected  with 
the  I.  C.,  serving  as  train  master  after  a  long 
service  as  dispatcher.  He  now  resides  at  Otta- 
wa, 111. ;  Charles  C.,  born  at  Amboy,  December 
16,  1862,  was  in  the  employ  of  the  I.  C.  as  civil 
engineer  for  several  years  and  is  at  present  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  steel  truss  bridges 
at  Amboy. 

In  the  church  Mr.  Jacobs  always  manifested 
the  true  virtues  of  a  Christian,  being  a  member 
as  well  as  a  regular  attendant  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church  of  Amboy,  and  was  for  many  years 
one  of  its  trustees. 

Mr.  Jacobs  died  February  27,  1893.  Ah 
extract  from  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Jacobs  from  Mr. 
Stuyvesant  Fish,  on  that  date,  says : 

"Those  of  his  family  who  survive  him  have  the 
satisfaction  of  knowing  that  John  C.  Jacobs  at  all 
times  did  his  duty,  and  I  know  of  no  higher  praise  that 
can  be  given  to  any  man." 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


443 


'  I — -vNOSS  W.  RHYXE,  a  jovial  and  popular 
=r-^  conductor  in  the  freight  service  of  the 
\\  Illinois  Central,  on  the  Aberdeen  divi- 
sion, is  a  native  of  Lexington,  Miss., 
where  his  faille/,  D.  W.  Rhyne,  is  postmaster. 
Mr.  Rhyne  after  acquiring  a  practical  education, 
worked  in  a  store  for  two  years,  and  in  1891 
entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  as 
brakeman  in  the  freight  service,  at  Jackson,  Miss. 
He  was  afterward  transferred  to  Aberdeen,  and 
promoted  to  conductor  on  the  Aberdeen  division, 
in  January  1898,  which  position  he  is  now  filling 
with  success.  His  caboose  is  No.  98,111, 
with  S.  H.  Kuykerdol  and  Bud  Mathews  as 
crew.  Mr.  Rhyne  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Daniels  of  Durant,  Mississippi,  and 
they  are  the  parents  of  two  children :  Lillian, 
aged  five,  and  Harris,  aged  three.  Socially,  he 
is  a  member  of  Division  Xo.  304,  O.  R.  C.,  of 
Canton,  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  Protective 
Knights  of  America,  of  Durant.  Mr.  Rhyne  is 
physically  a  man  of  large  proportion,  with  an 
equal  amount  of  good  nature  and  practical  com- 
mon sense  accompanying  it.  He  is  a  popular 
citizen  of  Durant,  where  he  resides  with  his  fami- 
ly, on  Magnolia  street,  in  a  pretty  home  of  his 
own. 


OLLIE  CAMPBELL,  a  popular  engi- 
neer in  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, on  the  Aberdeen  division,  was 
born  in  Chickasaw  county,  Mississippi. 
John  Campbell,  the  father  of  our  subject,  is 
engaged  as  hostler  in  the  round  house,  at  Durant, 
Miss.  John  Campbell  Jr.,  a  brother,  is  an  engi- 
neer on  the  Aberdeen  division,  and  Joseph  Camp- 
bell, another  brother,  is  a  flagman  in  the  I.  C. 
service.  Mr.  Campbell  after  acquiring  a  good 
common  school  education,  entered  the  service  of 
the  Illinois  Central  in  1890,  as  a  fireman,  work- 
ing in  the  freight  and  passenger  department  suc- 
cessively, and  as  extra  engineer  until  1897.  He 
was  then  given  a  run  in  the  regular  service,  and 
is  now  on  engine  Xo.  261 ,  where  he  is  doing  satis- 
factory and  successful  work.  Mr.  Campbell 


was  joined  in  marriage  to  Miss  Osborn,  of 
Durant,  a  young  ladv  of  many  excellent  qualities. 
Socially  he  is  connected  with  Division  No.  99, 
P>.  of  L.  E.,  of  Water  Valley,  and  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  of  Aberdeen.  Mr.  Campbell 
is  an  active,  hustling  young  man,  possessing  the 
good  will  of  his  fellow  employes,  of  which  he 
is  justly  deserving. 


ORACE  \YE1R.  a  conductor  on  the 
Aberdeen  division  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, is  a  native  of  Choctaw  count}-. 
Mississippi,  and  is  a  son  of  James 
Weir,  a  farmer.  The  early  training  of  our  sub- 
ject was  acquired  in  the  district  schools  of  his 
native  county,  and  he  was  for  several  years  after- 
ward employed  in  a  general  merchandise  store. 
Entering  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  in 
1895,  as  a  hrakeman  on  the  Aberdeen  division, 
he  was,  after  three  years  faithful  service  in  that 
department,  promoted  to  conductor.  He  has  had 
excellent  success  while  in  the  latter  capacity  and 
is  at  present  in  the  chain-gang  service.  A  brother 
of  our  subject  is  in  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, as  flagman,  out  of  Water  Valley.  Mr.  Weir 
belongs  to  Division  304,  O.  R.  C.,  of  Canton, 
and  Division  Xo.  331,  B.  R.  T.,  of  Water  Valley. 
He  is  a  young  man  of  pleasant  manners,  studi- 
ous habits,  progressive,  and  has  many  friends, 
among  whom  he  is  popular. 


£7|-iKUIOMAS    S.    PRIESTLEY,   the   accom- 

Uniodating    assistant    ticket    agent    and 
baggagemaster,  for  the  Illinois  Central, 
at   Canton,   Miss.,   was  born   February 
4,    1869,   at   Xew   Orleans.       His   parents   were 
Thomas   E.   and   Delia   (Shackelforcl)    Priestley. 
.Mr.  Priestley  Sr.  who  died  in  1895,  was  a  promi- 
nent planter  of  the  state,  and  was  sheriff  of  Madi- 
son county,  Mississippi  for  a  time.     The  subject 
of  this  sketch  acquired  his  education  in  the  com- 


444 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


mon  schools,  and  in  1884,  when  a  youth  of  fif- 
teen, was  appointed  agent  for  the  I.  C.  at  Cal- 
houn,  Miss.  He  held  the  position  for  one  year, 
and  then  returned  to  school.  In  1891  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  Southern  R.  R.  in  the  office  at 
Greenville,  Miss.,  and  was  afterward  successive- 
ly baggagemaster,  flagman,  and  conductor  on 
that  road.  In  1893  he  decided  to  engage  in  farm- 
ing, and  was  occupied  at  that  work  until  June 
5,  1898,  when  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C. 
at  Canton,  Miss.,  as  flagman;  he  was  promoted 
to  baggagemaster  in  September  of  that  year,  and 
on  February  i,  1900,  was  appointed  to  his  pres- 
ent position.  Mr.  Priestley  is  a  rising  young 
man,  possessing  traits  of  character  which  make 
him  a  general  favorite.. 


Mr.  Mctcalf  was  married  in  Winthrop  to 
Miss  Camilla  E.  Hilclreth,  and  they  have  become 
the  parents  of  two  children,  Wayne  O.  and  Camil- 
la. He  is  a  member  of  Sioux  Falls  lodge,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  B.  P.  O.  E.  and  A.  O.  U.  W.  of  Sioux 
Falls,  and  the  M.  W.  A.  at  Waverly.  He  was 
formerly  a  member  of  the  K.  of  P. 

Mr.  Metcalf  is  an  excellent  business  man, 
as  is  shown  by  his  various  promotions.  He  now 
has  full  charge  of  the  Illinois  Central's  exten- 
sive passenger  and  freight  business  .at  Sioux 
Falls,  the  largest  city  in  South  Dakota. 


HERMAN  A.  METCALF,  the  genial 
freight  and  passenger  agent  for  the 
I.  C.  at  Sioux  Falls,  S.  D.,  was  born 
in  Epworth,  Dubuque  county,  Iowa, 
September  17,  1859,  and  received  his  education 
at  the  Epworth  Academy  and  the  public  schools 
of  Winthrop,  Iowa.  After  finishing  his  school- 
ing he  was  engaged  in  teaching  for  two  years, 
then  commenced  studying  telegraphy  at  Win- 
throp, Iowa,  and  when  competent  was  assigned 
to  the  I.  C.  office  at  Independence,  Iowa,  remain- 
ing there  about  six  months.  He  then  accepted 
a' position  with  the  B.  C.  R.  &  N.  railroad  and 
served  at  Greene,  Vinton  and  Independence,  re- 
maining with  that  company  about  seven  months. 
He  then  resigned  and  took  charge  of  his  father's 
lumber  business  at  Winthrop,  at  which  he  was 
employed  until  re-entering  the  service  of  the  I. 
C.  as  station  agent  at  Winthrop,  in  1883,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  continuously  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  I.  C.  serving  as  station  agent  in  Iowa 
as  follows :  Winthrop,  one  year ;  Delaware,  one 
year;  Waverly,  sixteen  months;  Cherokee,  one 
year;  Sioux  City,  four  years;  Fonda,  two  years 
and  eight  months;  LeMars,  two  and  one  half 
years ,  and  at  Sioux  Falls  since  December,  1899. 


JERE  P.  MURPHY  is  the  yardmaster  of 
the  Chicago  terminals.  Mr.  Murphy  be- 
gan railroading  in  the  summer  of  1873 
as  a  switch  tender  and  was  thus  employed 
one  year.  He  then  served  as  helper  for  one  year, 
then  as  engine  foreman  until  1890,  when  he  was 
promoted  to  his  present  position  as  yardmaster 
of  the  terminals.  If  one  will  stop  for  a  moment 
and  consider  the  thousands  of  cars  that  are 
handled  in  these  yards  every  week,  they  will 
realize  something  of  the  amount  of  work  that  it 
requires  to  keep  them  moving  systematically. 
They  will  appreciate  the  fact,  too,  that  a  man 
who  can  perform  his  duties  to  the  satisfaction  of 
a  corporation  for  twenty-seven  consecutive  years 
is  worthy  of  commendation. 

Mr.  Murphy  was  born  in  November,  1853, 
near  the  city  of  Cork,  Ireland,  and  is  the  son  of 
William  Murphy.  Our  subject  was  married  in 
Chicago  to  Miss  Mary  Hurley,  and  of  the  eleven 
children  that  have  been  born  to  them,  we  have 
the  following  record :  William,  who  has  served 
his  apprenticeship  and  is  now  a  mechanic  at  the 
Burnside  shops,  John,  Jere,  James,  Helen,  Fran- 
cis, Theresa,  Margaret  and  Edward  are  still  liv- 
ing and  two  died  in  child-hood.  Mr.  Murphy 
was  formerly  a  member  of  the  Switchmen's 
I 'nic in,  but  is  not  now  connected  with  any  secret 
fraternity. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


445 


ISS  ANNIE  C.  MEAD,  ticket  agent 
and  operator  at  Dixon,  111.,  resides 
at  Amboy,  111.  She  was  born  on  a 
farm  near  Greenwich,  Conn.,  was 
educated  in  the  country  schools  of  that  place 
until  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years  she  came  to 
Amboy,  111.,  where  she  finished  her  education 
in  the  public  schools.  After  this  she  went  to 
Sublette,  111.,  and  learned  telegraphy  of  Miss 
Lena  Patton,  who  was  operator  at  that  place, 
and  which  position  was  given  to  her  when  Miss 
Patton  was  transferred  to  Mendota,  and 
occupied  the  place  for  about  three  years.  From 
there,  she  was  transferred  to  Matteson,  111.,  on  the 
Chicago  division  as  joint  ticket  agent  and  opera- 
tor for  the  Illinois  Central  and  the  Michigan  Cen- 
tral Railroad ;  this  place  she  held  for  over  five 
years,  going  to  Centralia,  111.,  for  three  months, 
and  then  was  transferred  to  Dixon,  111.,  February 
27,  1893,  as  ticket  agent  and  operator,  which 
place  she  now  holds.  Miss  Mead  is  held  in  high 
esteem  by  the  company  for  whom  she  has  worked 
so  long  and  faithfully,  and  is  much  respected 
by  all  who  know  her,  especially  by  the  trainmen 
With  whom  she  comes  in  contact. 


AM  C.  CULLEY,  one  of  the  successful 
engineers  in  the  freight  service  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  on  the  Aberdeen  divi- 
sion was  born  in  Madison  county, 
Mississippi,  and  is  the  son  of  D.  V.  Culley,  a 
substantial  farmer  of  that  vicinity.  Our  subject 
entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central,  in 
1891,  as  a  fireman,  under  engineer  William  Mc- 
Intyre,  and  served  in  that  capacity  in  the  freight 
and  passenger  service  until  1898,  when  he  received 
promotion  to  engineer.  He  has  at  present  a 
regular  run,  between  Durant  and  Aberdeen, 
Miss.,  on  engine  No.  1320.  His  record  on  the 
road  has  been  a  good  one,  being  devoid  of  ac- 
cidents of  a  serious  nature.  In  1886  Mr.  Culley 
married  a  daughter  of  J.  F,  Norman,  and  they 
have  three  children:  Norman,  aged  thirteen; 


Lena,  aged  eleven,  and  Beatrice,  aged  six.  He 
belongs  to  Division  No.  99,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of 
Water  Valley,  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  the 
World,  of  Durant,  Miss.  Mr.  Culley  is  a  man 
who  pays  strict  attention  to  his  work,  and  is 
recognized  by  the  company,  as  a  capable  and 
worthy  man. 


H 


29, 


ARRY  D.  PRIESTLEY,  a  retired  em- 
ploye of  the   Illinois   Central,  and  a 
wealthy  and  leading  citizen  of  Canton, 
Miss.,  was  born  in  that  city  on  May 
1848.       His    parents,    William    and    Eliza 


(Moosby)  Priestley,  were  among  the  early  sett- 
lers of  that  part  of  Mississippi,  and  closely  iden- 
tified with  its  history.  Mr.  Priestley  Sr.  was, 
for  a  number  of  years,  postmaster  at  Canton,  and 
was  also  agent  for  the  old  New  Orleans,  Jackson 
&  Great  Northern  R.  R.  He  was  a  man  of 
wealth  and  influence  in  the  community  during 
his  long  and  busy  life.  Both  parents  departed 
this  life  at  Canton.  Harry  D.  Priestley  began 
railroad  work  in  1867,  as  clerk  for  the  I.  C.  at 
Canton,  and  gradually  worked  his  way  to  a 
good  position.  At  that  time,  there  were  at  Can- 
ton, two  connecting  roads,  (now  owned  by  the 
I  .C.)  and  Mr.  Priestley  was  appointed  "  through 
clerk  "  for  both  roads,  at  a  salary  of  seventy-five 
dollars  per  month.  On  the  consolidation  of  the 
roads  he  was  made  freight  agent,  at  a  salary  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  per  month.  Recog- 
nizing his  ability,  the  company  offered  him  other 
important  positions,  at  various  times,  but  he  re- 
fused them,  preferring  to  remain  at  his  old  home. 
He  acted  as  freight  agent  for  the  I.  C.  until  1889, 
when  he  retired  from  railroad  work,  and  has  since 
been  engaged  in  business  as  a  broker.  A  brother 
of  our  subject,  William  Montgomery  Priestley, 
who  died  in  1899,  was  for  several  years  cashier 
for  the  I.  C.  at  Canton.  Mr.  Priestley  married 
Miss  Rachael  Breeding,  of  Columbia,  Ky.,  a 
daughter  of  George  Breeding,  deceased,  a  far- 
mer and  extensive  land  owner  of  Kentucky. 
Two  children  have  been  born  to  them,  William 


446 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


'I'.,  who  married  Miss  Xola  lieaman,  and  is  a 
leading  cotton  buyer  of  Yazoo  City,  Miss. :  and 
Marry  I).,  engaged  in  the  same  business  in  the 
same  city.  Socially,  -Mr.  Priestley  is  connected 
with  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  the  Knights  of 
Honor,  of  his  home  city.  Mrs.  Priestley  is  a 
devoted  adherent  of  the  Episcopal  church.  They 
reside  in  a  beautiful  home  on  Liberty  street,  in 
Canton,  and  are  highly  respected  by  the  entire1 
community,  in  which  they  have  so  long  lived. 


among  the  first  to  settle  at  Water  Valley,  Miss. 
He  died  in  1882.  Our  subject  was  married  at 
Uessemer,  Ala.,  to  Miss  Alice  M.  Berglund. 
Socially  he  affiliates  with  Division  Xo.  99,  15. 
of  L.  E.,  of  Water  Valley,  and  has  served  that 
body  in  the  capacity  of  second  assistant,  or 
treasurer,  for  two  years.  He  also  holds  member- 
ship in  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
of  Water  Valley.  Mr.  Ohlson  built  his  present 
home  on  Wagner  street  in  1891. 


(HILSOX,  engineer  at  Water  Valley, 
began  work  for  the  Illinois  Central 
Q  company  May  2,  1881,  in  the  shops  at 
Water  Valley,  and  worked  one  year 
under  Master  Mechanic  J.  F.  White.  In  1882 
he  secured  a  position  as  fireman,  running  as  an 
extra  for  a  short  time,  and  then  got  regular  work 
under  Engineer  J.  J.  O'Rorke,  worked  with  him 
eighteen  months  in  the  freight  service,  then  with 
Henry  White  about  five  months,  and  later  under 
different  ones.  August  20,  1883.  our  subject 
was  set  up  to  engineer,  and  served  the  first  year 
in  that  capacity  as  an  extra.  He  then  worked 
in  a  chain  gang  on  a  freight  until  1886,  when 
he  was  promoted  to  the  passenger  service  and 
began  working  on  Nos.  i,  2,  3  and  4.  In  1892 
and  '93  Mr.  Ohlson  worked  on  a  through  freight 
train,  and  from  the  spring  of  1895  to  the  fall  of 
1896  he  was  in  Memphis,  as  an  engineer  on  the 
local  passenger  from  that  city  to  Canton,  Miss. 
Subsequently  he  returned  to  Water  Valley,  and 
his  present  runs  are  on  Xos.  23  and  24,  between 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  Canton,  Miss.  Mr.  Ohlson 
has  never  been  hurt  in  any  way  since  he  has  been 
on  the  road,  and  his  record  on  the  company's 
hooks  is  a  remarkably  good  one.  Mr.  Ohlson 
was  born  in  the  southern  part  of  Sweden,  but 
moved  from  thence  to  America  in  1880,  located 
in  Little  Rock.  Ark.,  and  worked  in  the  shops 
of  the  Memphis  &  Little  Rock  Railroad  at  that 
place  for  a  time  before  he  came  to  Water  Valley. 
His  father  was  August  Ohlson.  Mr.  Ohlson's 
maternal  grandfather,  Gustav  Berglund,  was 


H.  PRICE,  foreman  of  the  black- 
smith shops  at  Water  Valley, 
Q  Miss.,  began  his  railroad  career  in 
1885,  as  an  apprentice  in  the 
Illinois  Central  shops  at  Champaign,  111.,  under 
his  father,  who  was  foreman  of  the  shops  at  that 
time.  The  father  located  in  Champaign  when 
that  place  consisted  of  only  a  few  houses,  and 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road about  the  year  1867.  He  moved  to  Water 
Valley,  Miss.,  in  1886,  as  a  master  mechanic, 
taking  the  place  of  Mr.  White,  and  held  that 
position  until  his  death,  which  occurred  about 
1892.  Prior  to  entering  the  service,  however, 
he  served  in  the  United  States  Arsenal  at 
Harper's  Ferry,  W.  Va.,  and  also  worked  for  a 
short  time  for  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad. 
Our  subject  worked  in  the  shops  at  Champaign 
from  1885  until  he  moved  with  his  father  to 
Water  Valley,  Miss.,  where  he  has  since  been 
employed.  He  was  round  house  foreman  and 
gang  boss  for  a  time,  then  fired  for  a  time,  both 
north  and  south,  from  Water  Valley,  then  served 
as  gang  boss  in  the  shops,  and  on  March  i,  1897, 
he  was  appointed  foreman  of  the  machinery  of 
the  blacksmith  shops,  in  which  capacity  he  has 
charge  of  a  force  of  about  thirty-five  expert 
workmen  and  helpers.  Mr.  Price  was  born  in 
Champaign,  111.  He  was  married  in  \Vater 
Valley,  Miss.,  to  Miss  Rosa  Black  of  that  city. 
Socially  he  affiliates  with  the  following  frater- 
naties :  Blue  Lodge,  Valley  City,  Xo.  402, 
McConnico  Chapter;  St.  Cyr  Commandery 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


447 


Xo.  6 ;  Hammask  Medina  Temple  and  Nobles  of 
the  Mystic  Shrine.  Mr.  Price  is  very  popular 
in  Water  Valley,  has  an  unblemished  reputation, 
and  has  a  good  record  with  the  Illinois  Central 
Company. 


ready  to  advance  the  religious  interests  of  the 
church.  A  life  long  residence  in  Canton,  to- 
gether with  these  qualities  which  go  with  a  kind 
hearted  man,  and  a  reliable  physician,  Dr.  Priest- 
ley may  truly  be  classed  as  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent citizens  of  the  place. 


D 


R.  CHARLES  S.  PRIESTLEY,  district 
surgeon  for  the  Illinois  Central,  resid- 
ing at  Canton,  Miss.,  is  the  oldest  prac- 
ticing physician  of  that  place.  Dr. 
Priestley  \vas  born  at  Canton,  his  present  home, 
on  September  30,  1847,  ancl  nas  spent  his  entire 
life  in  that  place.  His  father,  Dr.  James  Priest- 
ley, who  died  of  yellow  fever,  in  1855,  was  a 
physician  of  great  prominence  in  the  early  his- 
tory of  Canton.  Before  taking  up  the  study  of 
medicine,  Dr.  Priestley  was,  from  1863  to  1866, 
in  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central,  as  baggage- 
master  on  the  Louisiana  division  of  the  road.  De- 
ciding on  the  medical  profession  as  his  life  work, 
he  entered  the  University  of  Mississippi,  and  be- 
gan his  studies,  but  after  a  time  returned  to 
Canton,  and  worked  as  a  druggist  for  ten  years. 
In  1876,  he  went  to  New  Orleans,  completed  his 
medical  course  there  in  March  1878,  and  returned 
to  his  native  city,  participating  with  great  credit 
in  the  yellow  fever  epidemic  of  1878,  where  he 
has  since  practiced  his  profession.  He  now  has 
a  partner,  Dr.  J.  R.  Jiggitts,  and  the  firm  enjoys 
the  largest  and  most  lucrative  practice  in  Canton. 
Dr.  Priestley  was  the  first  district  surgeon  to 
be  appointed  on  the  Louisiana  division.  He  also 
holds  the  responsible  position  of  health  officer 
for  Madison  county,  Mississippi,  of  which  Can- 
ton is  the  metropolis.  He  was  united  to  Miss 
Rosa  Knight,  of  Canton,  who  is  a  leader  in  socie- 
ty there,  and  a  woman  much  admired  for  her 
many  beautiful  traits  of  character.  They  are 
the  parents  of  three  children:  Nannie;  Leila  M. ; 
and  James  D. :  all  residing  at  home.  Socially, 
the  Doctor  is  connected  with  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  Knights  of  Honor,  and  Modern  Wood- 
men of  the  World.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Priestley  are 
members  of  the  Episcopal  .faith,  and  are  ever 


H 


L.  MILLER,  a  popular  young  engi- 
neer in  the  freight  service  of  the  Illi- 
n°is  Central,  on  the  Mississippi  divi- 
sion, was  born  at  Water  Valley,  Miss., 
July  9,  1873,  and  is  a  son  of  Milton  C.  and  Frances 
(Harlan)  Miller.  Mr.  Miller  Sr.,  an  old  and 
valued  employe  of  the  I.  C.,  was  for  years  an 
engineer  on  the  Mississippi  division  of  the  road. 
He  is  now  dead,  survived  by  his  estimable  wife, 
who  resides  with  her  sons  at  Water  Valley.  In 
1884  H.  L.  Miller  entered  the  shops  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  at  Water  Valley,  as  an  apprentice 
boiler-maker,  and  served  three  years.  His  next 
occupation  was  as  fireman  on  the  B.  S.  &  P. 
Railroad,  with  headquarters  at  Monroe,  La. 
He  then  went  to  Monterey,  Mexico,  working  in  a 
furnace  shop  for  a  few  months,  and  from  there 
to  Chili,  South  America,  where  he  was  for  two 
years  in  the  employ  of  an  English  firm.  Return- 
ing to  the  United  States,  he  went  to  Springfield, 
Mo.,  and  was  there  for  a  short  time,  when  he 
came  to  his  home  at  Water  Valley,  Miss.,  and 
re-entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  as  fireman,  on 
the  Mississippi  division.  A  faithful  service  of 
three  years  in  that  capacity  was  rewarded  after 
an  examination,  to  promotion  as  engineer,  where 
he  has  since  remained,  a  capable  and  trustworthy 
employe.  While  working  as  a  fireman  on  the 
Mississippi  division  he  was  in  an  accident  at 
Winona,  but  escaped  injury.  A  brother  of  our 
subject,  Thomas  Miller,  is  a  fireman  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  company,  on  the  Mississippi  division, 
and  resides  at  their  home,  in  Water  Valley. 

Mr.  Miller  was  united  to  Miss  Maude  Scott, 
of  Jackson,  Tenn.,  two  children  being  born  to 
them ;  Scott  and  Paul,  two  fine  bovs. 


448 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


lie  is  identified  socially,  with  Division  No. 
402,  B.  of  L.  F.,  and  will  soon  become  a  member 
of  the  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Water  Valley.  With  his 
family,  Mr.  Miller  resides  with  his  mother  in  a 
pleasant  home  on  North  Court  street,  in  Water 
Valley,  where  he  enjoys  the  confidence  and  good 
will  of  a  large  circle  of  friends. 


THOMAS  TATE,  retired  engineer  at 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  began  work  for  the 
Southern  Railroad  Association,  now  a 
part  of  the  Illinois  Central  system,  un- 
der H.  S.  McComb,  president,  as  an  engineer 
running  between  Water  Valley  and  Canton.  His 
first  railroad  work  was  in  the  shops  of  the  North 
Carolina  Railroad,  now  a  part  of  the  Southern 
Railroad,  at  Company  Shops,  now  known  as 
Burlington,  where  he  began  work  in  1859 
and  remained  until  he  became  an  engineer 
in  1865  and  for  about  two  years  worked 
between  Charlotte  and  Goldsboro.  His  engine 
also  pulled  the  pay  car,  official  trains,  and 
incidentally  our  subject  was  called  into  the  shop 
for  a  short  time.  In  1865  he  took  Gen.  John- 
ston on  an  engine  from  Company  Shops  to  near 
Hillsboro  Station  to  meet  Gen.  Sherman.  After 
the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Tate  continued  to  work 
on  the  road  and  in  the  shops  until  1868,  when  he 
went  to  the  Northern  Central  Railroad,  now  a 
part  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  for  a  short 
time.  Subsequently  he  secured  a  position  at 
the  head  of  a  passenger  train,  between  Raleigh 
and  Wehlon  on  the  Raleigh  &  Gaston  Railroad, 
and  still  later  entered  the  employ  of  the  Northern 
Missouri  Railroad,  and  was  given  a  run  between 
Moberly  and  Kansas  City.  About  a  year  later, 
our  subject  moved  to  Water  Valley,  Miss.,  and 
in  1872,  operated  a  freight  engine  for  one  year 
between  that  city  and  Canton,  and  between  Water 
Valley  and  Fillmore,  on  a  passenger  engine. 
Mr.  Tate  then  moved  to  Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  for 
twenty-five  consecutive  years  he  stood  at  the  head 
of  a  passenger  train,  retiring  in  1897  the  oldest 
engineer  on  the  Mississippi  division  by  twelve 


years.  He  is  now  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Cur- 
tis, doing  a  plumbing  and  gas  fitting  business 
in  Jackson.  Mr.  Tate  has  an  excellent  record  as 
a  railroad  man.  For  nearly  forty  years  he  drew 
wages  from  a  transportation  company  every 
month,  and  in  that  length  of  time  never  met  with 
serious  accident,  was  never  injured  in  any  way 
and  was  never  suspended.  Mr.  Tate  was  born 
near  Hillsboro,  Orange  county,  N.  C.  He  was 
married  at  Water  Valley,  Miss.,  to  Miss  Alice 
Cook,  of  that  place,  and  two  sons  have  been  born 
to  them.  W.  H.  is  superintendent  of  the  Union 
Depot  at  Pueblo,  Colo.,  and  W.  Tate  is  employed 
in  the  passenger  department  of  the  Denver  & 
Rio  Grande  Railroad  at  Pueblo,  Colo.  Our  sub- 
ject joined  Division  No.  26,  B.  of  L.  E.,  in  1868, 
at  Company  Shops,  but  was  later  transferred  to 
Jackson  Division  No.  93.  He  has  served  the 
latter  body  in  the  capacity  of  chief  engineer,  and 
at  another  time  he  was  first  assistant  for  about 
fifteen  years.  He  is  also  a  Mason,  holding  mem- 
berships as  follows :  St.  John's  Lodge,  Blue 
Lodge,  No.  33,  Clinton  Chapter,  and  Jackson 
Commandery.  Mr.  Tate  is  also  a  member  of 
the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen.  He 
takes  a  wholesome  interest  in  all  matters  pertain- 
ing to  the  welfare  of  the  community  in  which 
he  lives,  and  is  at  present  serving  as  a  member 
of  the  City  Council. 


E.  DUNN,  engineer  at  Water  Valley, 
began  his  railroad  career  at  the  above 
'Q  named  city,  October  14,  1881,  as  a 
brakeman  and  worked  in  that  capa- 
city for  eleven  months,  both  in  the  freight  and 
passenger  service.  He  then  secured  a  position 
as  fireman  on  the  Mississippi  division,  in  the 
freight  service,  and  served  under  Engineer 
Thomas  Kennedy,  Jucl  Smith,  Engineer  Law  and 
others,  then  worked  one  summer  in  the  shops, 
and  in  December  1884,  he  was  set  up  to  switch 
engineer.  Three  months  later,  Mr.  Dunn  left 
the  yards  and  worked  for  some  time  in  a  chain 
gang.  His  first  regular  run  in  the  capacity  of 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


451 


engineer  was  on  engine  No.  301,  and  since  has 
used  all  classes  of  engines  at  different  times.  He 
spent  fiye  years  as  a  passenger  engineer,  but  for 
the  past  five  years  he  has  been  in  the  preferred 
freight  service,  and  is  now  using  engine  No. 
856.  Mr.  Dunn  was  born  in  Wake  county,  seven 
miles  from  the  city  of  Durham,  N.  C.,  and  made 
his  home  there  with  his  parents  until  he  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  at  the 
age  of  twenty  years.  He  was  married  in  1885, 
at  Water  Valley,  Miss.,  to  Miss  Ella  Henry  of 
that. city,  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  a 
family  of  three  children :  Lucius  Claude  is  an 
able  artist,  and  has  produced  some  fine  water 
colors  that  have  won  him  quite  a  reputation  in 
Water  Valley  and  vicinity.  The  other  two  chil- 
dren are  Eva  May  and  Ella  Clyde.  Socially 
our  subject  affiliates  with  the  Division  No.  99,  P>. 
of  L.  E.,  of  Water  Valley,  and  has  been  the 
second  engineer  of  that  body  for  two  years.  Be- 
sides a  good  position  on  the  railroad,  Mr.  Dunn 
owns  a  pleasant  home  at  243  Main  street,  Water 
Valley,  which  he  built  in  1890,  a  valuable  Ham- 
bletonian  stallion  five  years  old  and  five  Jersey 
cattle.  His  record  as  a  railroad  man  is  a  remark- 
ably good  one.  He  has  never  met  with  serious 
accident,  and  has  never  been  hurt  in  any  way 
while  on  the  road. 


ORACE  L.  SEAVER,  residing  at  No. 
67,  23rd  street,  Chicago,  111.,  is  the 
second  in  the  order  of  seniority  of 
the  Illinois  Central  Company's  en- 
gineers of  that  city.  He  began  his  railroad  career 
as  a  brakeman  August  24,  1865,  and  served  in 
<hat  capacity  for  eight  montlxs  running  from 
Chicago  to  Champaign,  with  an  occasional  run 
as  far  south  as  Cairo.  He  began  firing  in  July, 
1866,  under  the  instruction  of  Jack  Wade  on 
the  old  engine  No.  4,  at  a  time  when  there  were 
not  over  150  engines  on  the  entire  system.  This 
position  Mr.  Seaver  retained  until  July  24,  1872, 
when  the  company  considered  him  proficient  and 
set  him  up  to  engineer  of  a  freight  run  from 

25 


Chicago  to  Champaign,  on  which  he  served  for 
eighteen  years.  In  1890  there  was  an  opening 
on  a  passenger  run  and  our  subject  was  given 
a  seat  at  the  head  of  a  passenger  train  running 
south  from  Chicago.  Mr.  Seaver  was  born  at 
Waukegan,  111.,  De'cember  24,  1846.  His  father, 
N.  Leonard  Seaver,  was  for  many  years  prom- 
inently connected  with  the  Illinois  Central  R.  R., 
and  served  as  the  company's  first  land  agent. 
Our  subject  was  married  in  Centralia,  111.,  to 
Miss  Lulu  Robertson,  whose  grandfather  was  a 
first  cousin  to  Jefferson  Davis,  the  President  of 
the  Confederacy.  To  this  congenial  union  one 
son,  Charles  L.,  has  been  born.  Fraternally  Mr. 
Seaver  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  10,  B.  of 
L.  E.,  of  Burnside.  Much  credit  is  due  Mr. 
Seaver  for  the  skill  and  careful  attention  to 
business  that  he  has  exhibited  as  an  engineer. 
The  fact  that  he  has  never  been  in  any  wreck  is 
not  due  to  any  lack  of  difficult  and  hazardous 
runs,  for  he  has  several  times  escaped  by  a 
premonition  of  danger  ahead,  and  at  times  has 
stopped  within  a  few  feet  of  destruction. 


ICHOLAS  STUBER,  whose  home  is 
at  2843  Emerald  Avenue,  Chicago, 
111.,  is  fifth  in  the  order  of  seniority 
of  the  engineers  in  that  city  in  the 
employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  Company.  He 
is  a  native  of  Schabach,  Canton  Solothurn, 
Switzerland,  where  he  first  saw  the  light  of  day 
June  13,  1841.  The  family  came  to  America  in 
1852  and  settled  near  the  city  of  Chicago. 

Mr.  Stuber  began  firing  on  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  July  25,  1862,  with  engine  No. 
21,  on  a  work  train,  but  later  went  onto  the  road 
with  engine  No.  109.  In  1869  ne  was  made 
engineer  of  a  switch  engine  for  a  short  time  and 
then  went  onto  the  road  again  until  1884,  when 
he  was  given  a  place  at  the  head  of  a  passenger 
train  running  from  Chicago  to  Champaign.  Mr. 
Stuber  ran  the  first  passenger  train  from  Chicago 
to  Freeport.  From  1893  to  '99  his  run  was  to 


452 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Kankakee,    111.,    but    since    that    date    has    had 
charge  of  a  suburban  engine. 

December  30,  1872,  the  subject  of  our  sketch 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  E. 
Deitmeyer,  and  their  wedded  life  has  been 
blessed  by  the  presence  of  a  family  ef  seven 
children,  of  whom  we  have  the  following  record : 
Phillip,  a  mechanic  on  the  Erie  Railroad ; 
Nicholas  Jr.,  a  mechanic  at  the  Burnside  shops; 
Lizzie,  Eva,  Anna,  Benedict  and  Clara.  Frater- 
nally Mr.  Stuber  is  identified  with  Division  No. 
10,  B.  of  L.  E.,  at  Burnside.  Mr.  Stuber  was 
once  scalded  by  steam  in  an-  accident  at  Weldon 
shops,  and  from  the  effects  of  it  was  unable  to 
take  his  place  on  the  road  for  about  three  months, 
but  aside  from  this  he  has  not  received  an  injury 
throughout  his  entire  career  as  a  railroad 
employe. 


JOHN  McDERMOTT,  foreman  of  the 
boiler  shops  at  Water  Valley,  Miss.,  be- 
gan working  for  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road company  in  the  spring  of  1873,  and 
learned  the  boiler  making  trade  under  Master 
Mechanic  T.  W.  Place,  and  Foreman  W.  M. 
McMullen.  He  was  there  until  the  fall  of  1877, 
and  then  went  to  Memphis,  Tenn.,  and  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  Rail- 
road, and  worked  one  year  in  the  shops  at  that 
place.  Later  he  spent  two  years  with  the  Missis- 
sippi &  Tennessee  Railroad,  then  about  six 
months  with  the  International  &  Great  Northern 
Railroad  at  Palestine,  Texas,  and  in  July  1882, 
came  to  Water  Valley  and  entered  the  Illinois 
Central  shops,  as  a  boiler-maker.  He  also  had 
charge  of  the  round  house  at  this  place  for  about 
ten  years,  and  November  24,  1899,  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  his  present  position.  He  has  charge 
of  a  force  of  thirty-five  men,  consisting  of  boiler- 
makers,  copper  and  tin  smiths  and  helpers.  Mr. 
McDermott  was  born  in  Scranton,  Pa.,  but  moved 
with  his  parents  to  Waterloo,  Iowa,  when  he 
was  but  two  years  of  age.  The  father,  Patrick 
McDermott,  was  a  blacksmith's  helper  for  the 
Illinois  Central  company  at  Waterloo  from  1866 


until  1893,  and  one  of  his  sons  is  now  a  black- 
smith in  the  shops  at  that  place.  Our  subject 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Murdock 
of  New  Orleans,  and  four  children  have  been 
born  to  them  as  follows :  May,  John,  Helen  and 
Hazel.  Mr.  McDermott  affiliates  with  the 
Knights  and  Ladies  of  Honor,  No.  466,  and  has 
been  honored  with  the  office  of  trustee  of  the 
grand  lodge  of  the  state  of  that  fraternity.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  No. 
1062,  of  Water  Valley,  and  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  No.  55,  Lochinvar  Lodge.  He  has  also 
served  the  citizens  of  the  Fourth  Ward,  Water 
Valley,  in  the  capacity  of  Alderman,  and  three 
terms  as  member  of  the  board  of  school  trus- 
tees. 


R.  STALEY,  engineer  at  Jackson, 
Tenn.,  began  his  railroad  career  at 
the  above  named  city  as  a  fireman 
for  the  Mississippi  Central  Rail- 
road, with  a  run  between  Jackson,  Tenn.,  and 
Cairo,  (with  the  exception  of  a  few  months, 
which  he  served  as  a  hostler  at  Grand  Junction 
in  1876)  he  retained  this  position  until  September 
27,  1878,  when  he  crossed  the  cab,  had  charge  of 
the  lever  and  throttle  for  a  short  time,  and  Octo- 
ber 2nd  of  the  same'  year  was  taken  with  the 
yellow  fever,  and  was  off  the  road  for  forty  days. 
When  he  was  again  able  to  take  charge  of  an 
engine,  he  was  given  a  freight  run  between  Jack- 
son and  Cairo,  but  since  1883  he  has  stood  at 
the  head  of  a  passenger  train.  Mr.  Staley  has 
but  once  met  with  serious  accident  in  his  railroad 
career.  November  II,  1891,  in  a  collision  of 
train  No.  21  and  a  freight,  his  fireman,  Tom 
McGuire  (colored),  was  killed,  the  engineer 
Hillman  and  the  fireman,  Walter  Spencer,  of  the 
freight  train  were  both  killed.  Our  subject  was 
also  so  severely  injured  that  six  weeks  were  re- 
quired for  him  to  recover  sufficiently  to  resume 
his  work.  With  this  exception,  Mr.  Staley  has 
been  very  successful,  has  lost  but  little  time  as 
will  be  evidenced  by  the  fact,  that  from  July  4, 
1874,  until  the  year  1899,  he  has  drawn  some, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


453 


money  as  wages  from  the  Illinois  Central  com- 
pany every  month.  Mr.  Staley  was  born  in 
Randolph  county,  North  Carolina.  From  1870 
to  1872,  prior  to  entering  the  service  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  company,  he  was  brakeman  and 
conductor  at  different  times,  on  the  Mobile  & 
Ohio  Railroad  out  of  Jackson.  Our  subject 
was  first  married  to  Miss  Maude  Hammond, 
of  Jackson,  Tenn.,  who  died  in  1895,  and  he  sub- 
sequently was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lulu 
F.  Pearsy,  also  of  Jackson.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Staley  have  one  child,  Idol  Francis.  In  the  social 
circles  of  Jackson,  our  subject  has  been  a  member 
of  the  B.  of  L.  E.  since  January  1879,  and  has 
held  many  offices  in  that  lodge.  He  is  also  con- 
nected with  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Knights 
of  Honor,  and  St.  John's  Lodge  No.  332,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M. 


AVID  LONGINOTTI,  one  of  the 
promising  young  engineers  in  the 
freight  service,  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
on  the  Aberdeen  division,  was  born 
in  1869,  at  Genoa,  Italy,  where  his  father  still 
lives,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years.  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  our  subject  emigrated  to  this  coun- 
try, landing  New  York  City,  and  later  going  to 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  was  employed  in  a 
store  for  about  two  years.  He  then  went  to 
Aberdeen,  Miss.,  and 'worked  in  a  machine  and 
blacksmith  shop  where  he  remained  two  years. 
In  1891  he  began  work  as  a  fireman  in  the  freight 
service,  on  the  Aberdeen  division,  with  Engineer 
Stanley,  and  later  was  with  Engineer  Blanken- 
ship.  He  was  in  the  passenger  service  under 
Engineer  Thomas  who  predicts  for  him  a  bright 
future.  On  April  3,  1899,  Mr.  Longinotti  was 
promoted  to  engineer  on  a  work  train,  with  con- 
ductor Butler,  and  has  since  served  in  that  capa- 
city, witli  unvarying  success.  Mr.  Longinotti 
was  married  to  Miss  Wadlington,  of  Durant, 
Miss.,  and  has  two  sons,  Louis,  aged  four  years, 
and  Robert  D.,  aged  two.  He  is  identified  with 
Division  No.  99,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Water  Valley, 
and  is  connected  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 


the  World.  Mr.  Longinotti  on  coming  to  this 
country  knew  nothing  of  the  English  language, 
which  he  since  mastered  being  a  close  student. 
He  is  a  man  who  gives  the  closest  attention  to 
his  work,  ever  on  the  alert  to  grasp  ideas  and  im- 
prove his  knowledge  of  mechanics.  His  erst- 
while success  is  in  itself  a  proof,  that  the  future 
has  much  in  store  for  him. 


AMUEL  HORTON,  a  well  known  engi- 
neer in  the  freight  service  on  the  Aber- 
deen division  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
was  born  in  Madison  county,  Missis- 
sippi, on  the  spot  where  the  station  at  Madison 
now  stands.  His  father,  Alex  Horton,  was  a  far- 
mer, and  until  arriving  at  his  majority  our  sub- 
ject was  employed  on  his  father's  farm.  In  1893 
he  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central,  at 
Durant,  Miss.,  as  engine  wiper.  He  was  em- 
ployed around  the  shops  for  about  two  years, 
when  he  began  serving  on  the  road,  as  fireman. 
Working  in  the  latter  capacity  in  the  freight  and 
passenger  service,  he  was  on  September  23,  1898, 
promoted  to  engineer,  and  has  since  successfully 
held  that  position.  Mr.  Horton  had  a  remark- 
able and  unavoidable  accident  happen  to  his  train, 
nine  miles  north-east  of  Durant.  Going  at  a  rate 
of  twenty-five  miles  an  hour,  on  a  dark  night, 
his  engine  struck  a  cow,  was  derailed,  and  con- 
tinued on  the  ties  for  half  a  mile,  reaching  a 
trestle  and  toppling  "over  "into  the  river.  Mr. 
Horton  stuck  to  his  engine,  and  narrowly  escaped 
drowning.  It  was  considered  by  every  one  a 
very  close  call.  On  getting  out,  he  and  his  crew 
were  obliged  to  walk  four  miles  to  send  a  mes- 
sage for  help.  Mr.  Horton  married  a  daughter 
of  George  Gunter,  a  planter  of  Durant.  Their 
union  has  been  blessed  by  a  pretty  little  daugh- 
ter Gladys.  The  Modern  Woodmen  of  the  World, 
and  Division  No.  99,  B.  of  L.  E.,  each  find  in 
Mr.  Horton  a  valued  member.  He  is  a  great 
sportsman,  owning  a  very  fine  dog,  and  is  con- 
sidered a  crack  shot  in  this  vicinitv. 


454 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


JHVARD  DANKS,  foreman  for  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  at  Carbondale,  111.,  com- 
menced life  for  himself  by  going  to 
work  in  the  mines,  later  working  in  a 
boiler  shop  for  four  years.  He  then  went  to 
work  at  the  Coltness  Iron  Works,  at  Newmains, 
and  from  there  to  the  Moss  End  Iron  Works 
as  general  workman.  In  the  spring  of  1880  he 
came  to  America  and  for  three  months  worked 
in  a  machine  shop  in  Philadelphia.  He  then 
came  to  Illinois  and  for  a  few  months  was  em- 
ployed in  the  mines  at  Murphysboro,  afterwards 
working  in  the  machine  shop.  In  December 
1880  he  went  to  work  for  the  Coal  Road,  having 
charge  of  the  machine  shop  at  Harrison,  but  at 
the  end  of  three  years  went  into  the  machine 
shops  at  Mt.  Carbon,  as  a  general  workman, 
remaining  there  until  May  i,  1895,  when  he  took 
charge  of  the  machinery  department,  holding 
that  position  when  the  road  was  purchased  by 
the  Illinois  Central  in  1897;  he  was  retained  in 
that  capacity  and  was  given  charge  of  the  car 
department.  For  the  past  five  years  Mr.  Danks 
•has  held  the  position  of  foreman  of  machinery, 
with  the  exception  of  a  short  time,  when  he  went 
to  Kenneth,  Mo.,  as  master  mechanic  of  the  St. 
Louis,  Kenneth  &  Southern  Railroad.  He  now 
has  charge  of  the  men  at  Carbondale,  Texas  Junc- 
tion, Grand  Tower,  East  Cape,  Creal  Springs 
and  Carterville. 

Mr.  Danks  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Allen,  of 
Murphysboro,  and  they  have  three  children, 
William,  Harry  and  Janet. 


EORGE  ALLEN,  an  engineer  on  the 
Aberdeen  division  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, was  born  in  1871,  near  Durant, 
Miss.  His  father,  R.  H.  Allen,  died 
in  1885, -leaving  a  family  of  small  children,  the 
care  of  whom  devolved  to  a  great  extent  on  the 
mother  and  our  subject.  His  education  was 
obtained  by  studying  at  night,  and  reciting  to 
Mrs.  Hamlin,  of  Durant,  who  greatly  assisted 
him.  He  began  life  on  his  own  account  when 


only  ten  years  of  age,  as  water-boy, .  and  after- 
ward went  with  Mr.  J.  Moring,  on  a  construc- 
tion train,  on  the  Aberdeen  division,  remaining 
with  that  gentleman,  who  was  greatly  interested 
in  him,  five  or  six  years.  He  next  worked  as  a 
section  hand,  where  he  served  two  years,  and  then 
secured  a  position  as  fireman.  He  was  for  seven 
years  in  this  capacity,  in  the  freight  and  passen- 
ger service  on  the  main  line  out  of  Water  Valley, 
and  on  October  3,  1896,  his  faithful  services  were 
rewarded  by  promotion  to  engineer.  He  is  now 
in  charge  of  engine  No.  253,  on  a  local  run,  on 
the  Aberdeen  division.  His  career  has  been  a 
very  successful  one,  free  from  wrecks  of  any 
kind. 

Mr.  Allen  married  a  daughter  of  J.  A.  Har- 
rison, a  wagon  manufacturer  of  Canton,  Miss. 
Mrs.  Allen  is  a  sister  of  O.  R.  Harrison,  Chief 
of  the  O.  R.  C.  of  Canton,  Miss.,  and  of  J.  R. 
Harrison,  a  popular  conductor  in  the  I.  C.  ser- 
vice. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen  have  two  promising 
sons :  James  Henry,  aged  eleven  years,  and 
George  Gordon,  aged  four.  He  is  a  member  of 
Division  No.  99,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Water  Valley, 
Miss.  Mr.  Allen  resides  in  Durant,  where  he 
has  a  good  home,  besides  other  property.  He 
enjoys  recreation,  and  has  a  fine  horse,  and 
several  pedigreed  dogs.  Being  unqualifiedly  a 
self-made  man,  Mr.  Allen  deserves  great  credit 
for  the  success  he  has  made  in  life. 


A.  BOYDSTON,  engineer  at  Water 
Valley,  began  his  railroad  career  at 
Q  the  above  named  city  in  the  fall  of 
1879,  and  spent  his  first  three 
months  in  the  capacity  of  brakeman.  Subse- 
quently he  spent  fourteen  months  in  the  shops 
at  that  place,  and  in  1883  secured  a  position  as 
fireman  on  a  switch  engine.  Nine  months  later 
he  was  transferred  to  the  main  line,  and  worked 
for  a  time  under  Ed.  Stanley  and  different  ones. 
Still  later,  Mr.  Boydston  went  into  the  round 
house  as  hostler  for  six  months,  then  returned 
to  the  road  for  a  time,  and  from  December  1885, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


until  February  1886,  he  had  charge  of  a  switch 
engine  in  the  Water  Valley  yards  before  his  pro- 
motion. February  6,  1886,  our  subject  was  pro- 
moted to  engineer,  worked  for  a  short  time  as 
extra,  then  about  three  and  a  half  years  in  a 
chain  gang,  after  which  he  operated  a  passenger 
engine  about  fourteen  months  between  Jackson, 
Tenn.,  and  Canton,  Miss.,  on  runs  Nos.  45,  46, 
i,  2,  3  and  4,  until  1891,  when  he  was  transferred 
to  his  present  run  on  a  preferred  freight.  His 
first  engine  was  No.  347,  the  next  295,  346,  714 
707,  and  the  one  he  is  now  using  is  No.  633.  Mr. 
Boydston  has  never  been  injured  in  the  service 
of  the  railroad.  Mr.  Boydston  was  born  six 
miles  south-west  of  Water  Valley.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  that  city  November  20,  1887,  to  Miss  Sal- 
lie  Bartlett,  daughter  of  Joshua  and  Eliza  Sep- 
tama  (Sitton)  Bartlett.  The  home  of  our  sub- 
ject and  wife  has  been  blessed  by  the  advent  of  a 
family  of  five  children,  four  of  whom  are  now 
living,  as  follows :  Bartlett  Nealey,  Cordelia  Sep- 
tama,  Carl  Davis,  who  died  May  8,  1896,  Mar- 
tin Oakley  and  Elsie  Sitton.  Socially  he  affili- 
ates with  Division  No.  99,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Water 
Valley.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boydston  are  members 
of  Missionary  Baptist  church  of  Water  Valley. 


ICHAEL  S.  CURLEY,  master  me- 
chanic of  the  Illinois  Central's  shops 
at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  began  his  re- 
markably successful  railroad  career 
in  the  machine  shop  of  the  L.  &  N.  Railroad, 
May  i,  1869,  as  an  apprentice  under  James  Mont- 
gomery, master  mechanic,  and  W.  A.  Adair, 
general  foreman,  working  until  1873  when  he 
went  to  the  St.  Louis  &  South  Eastern  at  Nash- 
ville, Tenn.,  as  a  machinist  under  E.  M.  Hine- 
stone,  master  mechanic.  In  September  1877  he 
went  to  Water  Valley  to  build  an 'engine,  worked 
here  up  to  1882,  when  he  was  made  foreman  of 
the  shop,  he  then  went  to  Jackson,  Tenn.,  where 
he  was  made  general  foreman,  remaining  in  that 
position  ten  years,  until  promoted  to  the  shops 
at  Centralia,  111.,  remaining  three  years.  In  June 


1898  he   was   promoted   to   position   of  master 
mechanic  at  Water  Valley  shop,  where  he  had 
previously   served   as   machinist.        In   February 

1899  he  was  promoted  to  master  mechanic  at 
the  Illinois  Central  shops  at  Paducah,  Ky.,  second 
largest  shop  in  the  entire  system,  and  remained 
here  until  given  his  present  position  as  'master 
mechanic  at  Memphis. 

Mr.  Curley  has  had  a  remarkable  career. 
He  was  born  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  June  17,  1853. 
His  father,  James  Curley,  was  a  poor  mechanic 
who  came  from  Ireland  locating  in  Nashville, 
Tenn.  He  died  when  our  subject  was  but  ten 
years  old,  leaving  a  wife  and  three  small  chil- 
dren. His  death  caused  our  subject  to  be  thrown 
upon  his  own  resources.  His  first  start  in  life 
was  selling  papers  as  news  boy  on  the  streets  at 
Xashville.  Mr.  Curley  says  this  experience  was 
what  made  him  a  financier,  and  where  he  learned 
to  win  the  battle  of  life.  He  was  commonly 
known  as  "  Curley  Mike  "  among  the  other  news- 
boys. He  sold  papers  with  success  up  to  the 
age  of  fifteen  years,  when  he  began  his  railroad 
career.  He  boarded  and  clothed  himself  on 
sixty-five  cents  per  day,  the  first  year's  salary, 
seventy-five  cents  per  day  the  second  year,  eighty- 
five  cents  the  third  year  and  one  dollar  a  day 
the  fourth  year,  saving  one  hundred  dollars  in 
the  last  year  of  his  apprenticeship.  Mr.  Curley 
educated  himself  studying  whenever  possible, 
and  the  most  eventful  period  of  his  life  was  when 
he  was  a  poor  apprentice  boy. 

Mr.  Curley  married  Miss  Boyd,  of  Water 
Valley,  and  they  have  three  children :  Annie, 
Charley  and  Lillie,  all  attending  school.  Our 
subject  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor 
and  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  both  of  Paducah. 
Mr.  Curley  has  enjoyed  a  remarkable  long  tenure 
of  service  with  the  T.  C.,  covering  a  period  of 
twenty-three  years.  He  is  justly  proud  of  his 
record,  few  having  started  in  so  humble  a  way 
and  risen  as  he  has  done.  What  he  is  and  what 
he  has  is  due  entirely  to  his  own  efforts  and  char- 
acter. He  enjoys  the  confidence  of  his  superiors, 
and  the  respect  and  esteem  of  those  under  his 
charge.  In  1884,  when  Mr.  Curley  was  general 
foreman  of  the  I.  C.  shops  at  Jackson,  Tenn., 


456 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


occurred  a  thrilling  incident  that  put  his  loyalty 
to  the  company  to  a  crucial  test :  An  engineer, 
who  had  suddenly  become  insane,  stole  an  engine 
out  of  the  yards,  pulled  onto  the  main  line  and 
started  on  a  wild  man's  run.  As  soon  as  the 
fact  became  known,  Capt.  J.  G.  Mann,  deceased, 
then  division  superintendent,  with  headquarters 
at -Jackson,  ordered  an  engine  out  to  overtake 
the  crazy  engineer.  Mr.  Curley  volunteered  to 
go  on  the  hazardous  mission,  but  it  was  with 
difficulty  that  he  secured  a  companion,  a  number 
of  employes  declining  to  incur  risk.  The  crazy 
engineer  was  captured  on  his  stolen  locomotive 
at  Oakfield,  seven  miles  north  of  Jackson,  while 
backing  in  on  a  siding.  The  extreme  peril  of  the 
icscue  made  Mr.  Curley's  volunteer  service  an 
act  of  rare  bravery  and  a  supreme  test  of  loyal- 
ty to  the  company. 


JULIAN  T.  EVANS,  a  conductor,  now  in 
through   freight   service,   but   who   was 
in     construction     service     for     fourteen 
months,  on  the  Aberdeen  division  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  is  a  native  of  Monroe  county,. 
Miss.     His    father,    who   departed   this   life   on 
November  the  19,  1899,  was  Captain  J.  J.  Evans, 
state  treasurer   from   1890  until    1896,  and  was 
railroad  commissioner  from  1897  until  1899.     He 
served  with  distinction  in  the  Confederate  Army 
in  which  he  was  brigadier  general  during  the 
entire  Civil  war,  and  was  a  man  of  much  promi- 
nence  throughout   the   Southern   states.     He   is 
survived   by   his   wife   who   resides   at   Jackson, 
Miss. 

Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  schools 
of  Jackson,  Miss.,  and  also  at  Jackson  Millsaps 
College.  Desiring  a  railroad  career,  at  the  age 
of  eighteen,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  as  a  brakeman  on  the  Natchez  district, 
and  was  afterwards  sent  to  the  Louisiana  divi- 
sion. He  came  to  the  Aberdeen  division  in  May 
1897,  and  was  soon  placed  in  charge  of  a  train* 
as  conductor.  He  has  had  experience  in  all  sorts 
of  train  work,  and  is  at  present  in  charge  of  a 


coal  run  between  Aberdeen  and  Brilliant,  Ala., 
with  a.  crew  consisting  of  Joseph  Campbell,  flag- 
man ;  Wallace  Yasser,  brakeman ;  on  caboose  No. 
98,497.  Mr.  Evans  affiliates  with  division  No. 
304,  O.  R.  C.,  of  Canton,  Miss.,  Modern  Wood- 
men of  the  World,  of  Durant,  Knights  of  the 
Ancient  Essensic  Order,  Jackson,  Miss.  He 
resides  at  Aberdeen,  Miss. 


LEX.  KENNEDY,  engineer  at  Water 
Valley,  Miss.,  began  work  for  the  Illi- 
nois Central  railroad  at  the  above 
1  named  place  December  6,  1884.  His 
first  railroad  work,  however,  was  in  1864,  in  the 
employ  of  the  Central  Ohio  Railroad,  where  he 
was  employed  until  1868.  He  was  then  brake- 
man for  some  time,  and  still  later  was  off  the  road 
for  about  a  year.  Mr.  Kennedy  was  then  pro- 
moted at  Zanesville,  Ohio,  and  given  a  run  be- 
tween that  place,  Bellaire  and  Columbus,  and 
spent  three  years  in  the  freight  and  passenger 
service.  Later  he  left  that  road  and  went  to 
Columbus,  Ohio,  and  entered  the  employ  of  the 
C.,  H.  V.  &  T.  Railroad,  where  he  spent  about 
fourteen  months,  and  then  spent  about  eleven 
months  in  the  employ  of  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio 
Railroad,  doing  construction  work  between 
Auburn  and  Hicksville.  Mr.  Kennedy's  next 
work  was  at  the  head  of  a  passenger  train  be- 
tween Garrett,  Ind.,  and  Chicago,  but  after  spend- 
ing about  a  year  there  he  returned  to  the  C.,  H. 
V.  &  T.  Railroad,  at  Columbus,  and  served  as 
freight  engineer  between  that  city,  Straitsville 
and  Nelsonville.  He  was  then  off  the  road  for 
ten  months,  and  when  he  returned  he  was  given 
the  same  run,  but  later  was  transferred  to  the 
division  between  Columbus  and  Toledo.  Decem- 
ber 6,  1884,  our  subject  moved  to  Water  Valley, 
Miss.,  and  began  work  for  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,  as  a  freight  engineer  between  that  city 
and  Jackson,  Tenn.  In  1890  he  was  promoted 
to  the  passenger  service  between  Jackson,  Tenn., 
and  Canton,  Mississippi,  but  his  runs  now 
are  on  Nos.  21  and  22,  and  for  the  past 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


457 


three  years  he  has  used  engine  No.  952.  Mr. 
Kennedy  has  made  a  record  entirely  free  from 
serious  accidents,  and  has  never  been  injured 
in  any  since  lie  lias  been  on  the  railroad.  Our 
subject  was  born  in  Bellaire,  Belmont  county, 
Ohio.  He  was  first  married  in  that  city  to  Miss 
Jane  Robinson.  She  died  in  1874,  and  our  sub- 
ject was  subsequently  married  in  Columbus,  O., 
to  Miss  Mary  E.  Hennessy  of  that  city.  By 
his  first  marriage  Mr.  Kennedy  has  a  family  of 
three  children,  as  follows :  Lizzie,  widow  of  Wil- 
liam Roy,  a  fireman  on  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road who  was  killed  at  Malon  Tank,  Miss. ;  Ir- 
vin  1'.,  an  engineer  on  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road at  Water  Valley ;  Edgar  W.,  a  fire- 
man on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  at  Water 
Valley.  Socially  Mr.  Kennedy  affiliates  with 
Division  No.  99.,  B.  of  L.  E.,  has  been 
chief  of  that  lodge  for  four  years,  also  chair- 
man of  the  local  grievance  committee  six  years 
and  in  1895  attended  the  Ottawa  convention. 
He  is  also  a  Mason,  holding  membership  in  the 
Valley  City  Lodge  No.  402,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
McConnico  R.  A.  Chapter  and  the  St.  Cyr 
C'ommandery,  Knights  Templar,  No.  6. 


B.  HIGHT,  the  oldest  locomotive  en- 
gineer at  Jackson,  Tenn.,  began  his 
LQ  railroad  career  at  the  above  named 
city,  in  the  employ  of  the  Mississippi 
Central  Railroad  in  1870.  He  fired  a  switch 
engine  in  the  Jackson  yards  until  1874,  when 
he  crossed  the  cab  and  has  since  had  a  hand  on 
the  lever  and  throttle.  He  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  when  that  com- 
pany leased  the  Missisippi  Central  lines,  and 
from  the  year  1870  he  has  worked  continuously 
in  the  Jackson  yards.  Prior  to  1870,  however, 
our  subject  worked  about  two  years  in  the  shops 
of  the  Mobile  &  Ohio  Railroad,  at  Jackson.  Mr. 
Hight  was  born  in  Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  has  spent 
his  entire  life  in  that  city.  He  was  there  married 
in  1876,  to  Miss  Cordelia  Sarah  White,  also  of 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  their  home  has  been  made 


happy  by  the  presence  of  a  family  of  six  chil- 
dren, whose  names  in  the  order  of  their  birth  are 
as  follows :  Maggie,  Katie,  Johnie,  Willie,  Robert 
and  Samuel.  Johnie  is  now  in  the  employ  of 
the  M.  Kidd  grocery  company.  Our  subject 
is  well  known  among  the  railroad  men,  and  en- 
joys the  respect  and  esteem  of  all.  His  record 
is  an  enviable  one,  being  free  from  serious  ac- 
cidents and  one  that  cannot  fail  to  win  the  good 
graces  of  the  company. 


J.  RYAN,  engineer  at  Jackson, 
Tenn.,  began  his  railroad  career 
July  28,  1884,  as  an  apprentice  in 
the  Illinois  Central  shops  under 
M.  M.  Curley,  and  served  until  1888,  when  he 
began  as  a  fireman  on  a  switch  engine  in  the 
Jackson  yards,  and  served  in  that  capacity  for 
six  months,  after  which  he  went  onto  the  road, 
his  first  regular  engineer  being  W.  H.  Long. 
This  position  he  retained  for  about  a  year  when 
he  was  given  charge  of  a  switch  engine  in  the 
Jackson  yards  and  had  a  hand  on  her  throttle 
about  five  months  before  his  promotion.  In 
September  1890  Mr.  Ryan  was  advanced  to 
engineer,  ran  extra  out  of  Jackson  for  a  time, 
and  in  January  1897  got  No.  610  for  a  regular* 
engine  and  has  since  had  a  seat  on  the  right  side 
of  her  cab.  His  first  engine,  No.  737,  was  a 
mogul,  and  his  second,  No.  473,  was  also  a 
mogul,  but  later  he  had  charge  of  different  en- 
gines. Mr.  Ryan  was  born  in  Whistler,  Ala., 
but  has  spent  the  most  of  his  life  in  Jackson.  He 
was  married  in  1898  to  Miss  Martha  Brady,  also 
of  Jackson,  Tenn.  Socially  Mr.  Ryan  affiliates 
with  Division  No.  93,  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  also  the 
Elks,  both  of  Jackson.  He  began  work  on  the 
road  when  a  mere  boy,  and  has  since  continu- 
ously followed  that  occupation,  meeting  with 
marked  success,  having  never  met  with  an  acci- 
dent. Mr.  Ryan  built  the  house  in  which  he 
now  makes  his  home,  at  425  East  Chester  street, 
'in  1891. 


458 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


H.  LOMAX,  a  popular  conductor  on 
the  Louisiana  division  of  the  I. 
C.,  entered  the  service  of  the  com- 
pany in  1887  as  brakeman  with  train- 
master W.  H  .Fitzpatrick.  He  was  promoted 
to  conductor  in  1890,  and  is  at  present  in  charge 
of  a  through  freight,  on  the  south  end  of  the 
Louisiana  division.  Mr.  Lomax  was  in  one  very 
serious  accident.  His  train  struck  an  open  switch, 
and  he  was  so  severely  injured,  as  to  incapacitate 
him  for  duty,  for  six  weeks.  Mr.  Lomax  has 
had  more  unavoidable  wrecks  on  the  Louisiana 
division  than  any  man  in  the  service ;  none  of 
which  were  his  fault. 

Mr.  Lomax  is  a  native  of  Holmes  county, 
Mississippi,  and  is  a  son  of  Tillman  Lomax,  who 
was  from  South  Carolina.  Miss  W.  E.  Easley, 
of  McComb  City,  became  the  wife  of  our  subject, 
and  they  have  five  children,  viz :  Warren,  Thomas, 
Oliver,  Kennard,  and  Oakley.  Socially  he  is  con- 
nected with  the  New  Orleans  Division,  O.  R.  C., 
and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  of 
McComb  City.  He  has  a  beautiful  home  on  Broad- 
way, in  that  city,  and  ranks  high  in  the  estima- 
tion of  its  citizens. 


B.  F.  GOOD,  engineer  at  Jackson,  Tenn., 
did  his  first  railroad  work  at  Aurora, 
HI-,  in  the  employ  of  the  C.  B.  &  Q. 
Railroad  in  1879.  After  serving  as 
fireman  for  about  six  years,  he  was  promoted 
to  engineer  in  1885,  and  sent  to  Chicago  to  take 
charge  of  a  switch  engine,  and  later  took  a  run 
from  that  city  to  Aurora.  In  the  fall  of  1888 
he  severed  his  connection  with  the  C.  B.  &  Q. 
Railroad  and  came  to  Jackson,  Tenn.,  to  accept 
a  position  as  engineer  for  the  Illinois  Central 
company,  in  the  freight  service,  between  that 
city  and  Cairo.  Subsequently  he  stood  at  the 
head  of  the  local  between  Jackson  and  Martin 
for  two  years,  and  his  present  run  is  on  Nos. 
51  and  52,  preferred  freight,  and  on  No.  81  south 
from  Jackson.  Mr.  Good  was  born  in  Ohio,  near 
the  citv  of  Delaware.  He  was  married  in  Colum- 


bus Grove,  Ohio,  to  Miss  Olivia  Rake,  of  Aurora, 
111.,  and  two  children  have  been  born  to  them, 
as  follows:  Guy,  a  machinist  in  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral shops  at  Jackson,  and  Anita  Blanche,  who 
is  still  making  her  home  with  her  parents.  Mr. 
Good  now  holds  a  membership  in  Jackson  Lodge 
No.  93,  B.  of  L.  E.,  having  been  transferred  to 
that  society  from  the  Garden  City  Lodge  No. 
253  of  Chicago.  He  is  also  connected  with  the 
Masonic  Order  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  Mr. 
Good  has  always  been  very  successful  as  a  rail- 
road man,  and  throughout  his  career,  has  never 
met  with  serious  accident  and  has  never  been  in- 
jured in  any  way.  He  has  also  prospered  finan- 
cially, incidentally  laying  up  something  for  a 
rainy  day,  and  in  1892  purchased  a  home  at  274 
Deadrick  avenue. 


,ICHARD  C.  PENDERGRAST,  better 
known  as  the  "  Irish  Lord,"  is  a  jolly 
whole-souled  engineer,  on  the  Louisiana 
division  of  the  Illinois  Central.  He  is 
a  son  of  M.  J.  Pendergrast,  at  one  time  a  well 
known  manufacturer  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  who 
died  in  1867.  At  the  age  of  ten  years  our  sub- 
ject was  sent  to  Notre  Dame  College,  at  South 
Bend,  Ind.,  but  ran  away  and  returned  home. 
He  was  sent  back  to  school,  only  to  leave  again. 
At  the  age  of  twelve  he  left  home,  and  remained 
away  for  seven  years,  never  writing  home  or 
disclosing  his  whereabouts.  During  that  time 
he  traveled  all  over  the  country,  following  various 
pursuits  and  accumulating  five  thousand  dollars. 
In  1868,  he  began  railroad  life  in  the  shops  at 
Memphis,  and  after  a  service  of  eight  months, 
worked  on  the  road  for  a  time  as  fireman.  He 
then  went  to  Central  and  South  America,  and  re- 
turning to  Texas,  worked  as  engineer  on  the  Gal- 
veston,  Houston  &  Henderson  R.  R.  He  was 
next  employed  on  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  R. 
R.  as  engineer,  and  later  on  the  N.  O.  J. 
&  G.  N.  R.  R.  as  conductor.  He  afterward 
took  an  engine  on  the  latter  road,  and  in  1875 
went  to  the  Mississippi  Central ;  leaving  that  road 


ED.  FULLER. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


461 


lie  returned  to  Galveston,  and  was  given  the  im- 
portant position  of  superintendent  of  transfers. 
He  then  went  to  Memphis,  and  took  charge  of  a 
compress  machine,  and  when  the  season  was  over, 
secured  a  position  as  engineer  on  the  Louisville 
&  Xashvillc  R.  R.  In  September  1877  he  reen- 
tered  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central,  at  Mc- 
Comh  City,  and  continued  there  until  1889,  when 
he  was  made  general  foreman  for  the  road  at 
New  Orleans,  which  position  he  held  for  a  time 
and  then  returned  to  McComb,  and  now  has 
one  of  the  best  runs  on  the  McComb  district,  be- 
tween that  city  and  New  Orleans. 

Mr.  Pendergrast  was,  in  March  1883,  united 
in  mariage  to  Miss '  Eliza,  a  daughter  of  Judge 
Gernon,  a  prominent  citizen  of  New  Orleans. 
Their  union  has  been  blessed  by  three  children : 
Eliza  M.  at  school,  Julian  Gray  and  Philip  S. 

Socially,  Mr.  Pendergrast  is  prominent  in 
Masonic  circles,  being  a  Knight  Templar,  Com- 
mandery  No.  i,  of  Jackson,  Chapter  No.  90,  and 
Blue  Lodge  No.  123.  He  was  a  charter  member 
of  Division  No.  173,  B.  of  L.  E.,  but  transferred 
to  No.  196,  of  McComb  City.  He  is  a  remark- 
able self-made  man,  possessing  traits  of  charac- 
ter which  enable  him  to  make  friends  wherever 
he  goes. 


D.  FULLER,  a  freight  engineer  on  the 
Louisville  division,  is  a  native  of  Muh- 
lenburg  county,  Ky.  His  father,  W. 
R.  Fuller,  a  mechanic,  died  April  12, 
1879,  leaving  our  subject  on  his  own  resources 
to  support  his  mother.  He  first  worked  at  the 
blacksmith  trade  on  the  Ohio  Valley  road,  after- 
ward worked  in  a  saw  mill.  He  then  commenced 
his  railroad  service  July  8,  1891,  as  fireman,  con- 
tinued at  this  up  to  December  1896,  when  he 
was  promoted  to  engineer,  and  has  since  run 
nearly  every  class  of  engine  on  the  system.  He 
has  never  suffered  an  injury  or  had  any  acci- 
dent, is  trusty  and  well  liked  by  all.  He  has 
worked  for  many  master  mechanics,  and  has 
given  such  good  satisfaction  that  he  has  never 
been  laid  off.  His  present  run  is  between  Pa- 


ducah  and  Henderson.  Mr.  Fuller  married  Miss 
Mary  Abraham,  of  Gallatin  county,  111.,  and  they 
have  four  children :  Corclie,  a  gifted  pianist, 
George  Fuller,  Michael  and  James  C.  Mr.  Fuller 
belongs  to  Division  No.  238,  B.  of  L.  F.,  also 
Division  No.  225,  B.  of  L.  E.,  the  Maccabees 
and  Blue  Lodge  No.  127,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  all  of 
Paducah.  While  providing  for  his  family  he 
has,  like  a  dutiful  son,  made  provision  for  his 
old  mother,  who  finds  a  home  beneath  his  roof. 


EORGE  McIN-TYRE,  a  popular  young 
engineer  in  the  freight  service  on  the 
Louisiana  division  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, is  a  native  of  Kenner,  La.,  and  is 
a  son  of  George  Mclntyre  Sr.,  a  former  well 
known  employe  of  the  I.  C.,  having  been  with  the 
company  for  about  fifteen  years.  On  November 

20,  1883,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  our  subject  entered 
the  service  of  the  L.  N.  O.  &  T.  Ry.  (now  the  Y. 
&  M.  V.  Ry.)  as  a  fireman.     He  resigned  from 
the  service  in  1885,  and  in  1886  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Texas  Pacific  Railroad,  as  a-  fireman, 
where  he  remained  until  his  return  to  the  I.  C. 
and  November  22,  1889,  was  promoted  to  engi- 
neer in  the  yards  at  Jackson,  Miss.     The  follow- 
ing year  he  went  into  the  regular  service  out  of 
McComb  City,  and  remained  there  until  October 

21,  1898,  when  he  was  dismissed  on  account  of  a 
misunderstanding  with  caller.     March  15,   1899, 
he  went  to  Lumberton,  where  he  ran  an  engine 
for  a  time  and  later  a  train,  but  resigned  to  ac- 
cept  a   position   as   engineer   on   the   Cincinnati 
Southern    Railroad,    but    after    remaining    there 
a  few  months,  returned  to  the  Illinois  Central, 
at  their  request.     He  at  present  has  a  manifest 
run   on   engine   No.   715,    with    Thomas    Brook, 
as  fireman. 

Mr.  Mclntyre  married  Miss  Rosa  Ricks, 
of  McComb  City,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
one  daughter.  Socially,  our  subject  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Division  No.  ^96,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  McComb 
City,  where  he  resides  and  has  a  large  circle  of 
friends, 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


T.  FRANKLIN,  general  foreman  of 
the  shops  at  Jackson,  Tenn.,  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central 
company  in  the  spring  of  1881.  His 
first  railroad  work,  however,  was  in  the  employ 
of  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Southwestern  Railroad 
at  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  as  an  apprentice  under 
George  Baldwin,  and  after  working  there  from 
1864  until  1867,  he  went  to  Texas  and  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Houston  &  Texas  Central  Rail- 
road, worked  for  a  time  as  machinist  in  that  com- 
pany's shops  at  Corsicana,  and  was  then  pro- 
moted to  the  position  of  foreman  of  the  round 
house  and  served  in  that  capacity  until  1881.  At 
the  last  named  date  Mr.  Franklin  moved  to 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  served  as  a  machinist  under  J. 
M.  Keefer,  master  mechanic,  until  May,  1890, 
when  he  was  appointed  to  his  present  position. 
Mr.  Franklin  has  charge  of  a  force  of  eight  ma- 
chinists and  two  helpers,  two  boiler  makers  and 
three  helpers,  two  blacksmiths  and  four  helpers, 
two  carpenters  and  one  helper,  fourteen  car  re- 
pairers, six  coal  heavers  and  fifty-five  other 
laborers.  In  1881  the  coal  used  at  the  Jackson 
shops  in  twenty-four  hours  amounted  to  from 
eighteen  to  thirty  tons,  and  now  it  is  from 
one  hundred  and  sixty  to  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  tons  every  twenty-four  hours. 
In  1880  there  were  twelve  freight  engines 
and  four  passenger  engines  on  this  division, 
and  now  there  are  about  twenty-four  freight 
and  four  passenger  engines  used.  Our  subject 
was  born  in  Germany,  but  came  to  America  with 
his  parents  when  he  was  quite  small  and  settled 
hi  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  in  1848,  and  was  reared 
in  that  city.  One  of  his  brothers,  F.  E.  Frank- 
lin, is  now  a  coppersmith  for  the  H.  &  T.  C.  Rail- 
road ;  and  one  brother,  Philip,  is  a  coppersmith 
for  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Southwestern  Railroad 
at  Chillicothe,  Ohio.  One  half  brother,  J.  G. 
Neudorfer,  is  master  mechanic  of  the  Illinois 
Ceritral  Railroad,  at  Water  Valley,  Miss. 

Mr.  Franklin  was  married  at  Jackson,  Tenn., 
to  Mrs.  Powers,  widow  of  Mr.  Powers.  She  had 
one  son,  C.  E.  Powers,  an  engineer  for  the  Illi- 
nois Central  company  at  Jackson.  Our  subject 
has  one  daughter,  Mary,  wife  of  A.  Norwood, 


also  of  Jackson.  Mr.  Franklin  is  a  good  ma- 
chinist, an  able  foreman  and  a  thorough  and 
systematic  workman.  His  shop  and  round  house 
are  among  the  very  neatest  and  cleanest  on  the 
entire  Illinois  Central  system,  and  many  of  the 
improvements  are  the  fruits  of  his  progressive 
and  wide  awake  nature. 


JE.  YOUNGBLOOD,  conductor  at  East 
St.  Louis,  began  his  railroad  career 
Q  at  the  above  named  city  in  the  employ 
of  the  Cairo  Short  Line  December  2, 
1888,  and  served  as  a  brakeman  under  conductor 
A.  M.  Dowell,  on  a  passenger  train,  between 
Pinckneyville  and  Paducah.  He  served  in  that 
capacity  until  April  1889,  and  was  then  trans- 
ferred to  the  freight  service  and  served  under 
Conductor  A.  L.  Copple  until  1890.  Our  sub- 
ject was  promoted  to  the  position  of  conductor 
in  the  freight  service,  and  given  a  run  from  Pinck- 
neyville to  Paducah  which  he  retained  until  1896, 
and  was  then  off  the  road  for  five  months.  When 
he  returned  to  work  he  was  placed  in  charge  of 
a  freight  train,  from  East  St.  Louis  to  Du  Quoin 
and  to  Mounds,  and  later  served  on  the  local 
between  East  St.  Louis  and  Carbondale.  His 
present  run  is  from  East  St.  Louis  to  Paducah 
on  a  mixed  train. 

Mr.  Youngblood  was  born  at  Benton,  111., 
a  son  of  F.  M.  Youngblood,  of  Carbondale,  111., 
who  was  attorney  for  the  Cairo  Short  Line  from 
the  time  it  was  established,  and  is  now  attorney 
for  the  St.  Louis  division  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad.  Our  subject  was  married  in  Benton, 
111.,  to  Miss  Nancie  Gooch,  of  that  city,  and  their 
home  has  been  blessed  by  the  presence  of  a  fami- 
ly of  three  children,  Josephine,  Eveline  and  Fran- 
cis M.  Socially  Mr.  Youngblood  affiliates  with 
St.  Louis  Division  No.  3,  O.  R.  C.,  and  is  now 
serving  that  fraternity  in  the  capacity  of  a  mem- 
ber of  the  general  grievance  committee.  He  has 
been  a  successful  conductor  and  has  a  good  record 
on  the  company's  books.  His  caboose  is  No. 
98,467. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


463 


JF.  DUNN,  engineer  at  East  St.  Louis, 
began  his  railroad  career  as  a  fireman 
Q  for  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  at  Mc- 
Comb  City,  Miss.,  in  1884,  but  after  a 
service  of  eight  months  entered  the  employ  of  the 
firm  of  Hoskins  &  Hamilton,  Brookhaven,  Miss., 
and  for  fourteen  months  he  operated  a  stationary 
engine  in  the  saw  mill.  In  1886  he  moved  to* 
East  St.  Louis,  111.,  and  secured  a  position  as 
fireman  for  the  Cairo  Short  Line  Railroad.  In 
September  1887,  our  subject  crossed  the  cab  and 
took  charge  of  the  lever  and  throttle.  For  eight 
years  his  work  was  between  East  St.  Louis  and 
Du  Quoin,  but  later  his  run  was  extended  toi 
.Mounds.  His  present  position  is  at  the  head  of 
a  preferred  train  between  East  St.  Louis  and 
Brooklyn,  but  is  occasionally  called  out  for  extra 
work  in  the  passenger  service.  He  is  a  very  skill- 
ful engineer  and  has  made  a  record  entirely  free 
from  wrecks  and  has  never  received  the  slightest 
injury  while  on  the  road.  Socially  he  affiliates 
with  Egyptian  Lodge  No.  512  B.  of  L.  E.,  of 
East  St.  Louis,  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  Eureka 
Lodge  No.  81,  and  the  Knigths  of  Honor.  Mr. 
Dunn  was  born  in  Brookhaven,  Miss.,  Septem- 
ber 23,  1867.  Three  of  his  brothers  have  also 
been  in  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road, as  follows :  James,  a  fireman  at  East  St. 
Louis,  died  in  October  1897;  Sam,  a  machinist 
in  the  Illinois  Central  round  house  at  E.  St.  Louis ; 
and  Albert,  wiper  at  the  round  house  at  East  St. 
Louis.  Our  subject  is  married  to  Miss  Josie 
Wright,  of  St.  Louis,  and  one  son,  Frederick  W., 
has  been  born  to  them. 


,  OBERT  C.  JENKINS,  a  conductor,  well 
known  and  very  popular  with  the 
traveling  public,  on  the  Aberdeen  divi- 
sion of  the  Illinois  Central,  was  born 
at  Emery,  near  Durant,  Miss.  Being  thrown  on 
his  own  resources  when  a  youth  of  sixteen,  he 
sought  for,  and  obtained  employment  in  the 
freight  office  of  the  Illinois  Central,  at  Durant, 
serving  under  H.  F.  Lawrence,  then  agent,  and 


who  resigned  his  position  in  1888,  to  accept  the 
position  of  cashier  of  the  bank  of  Durant.  Our 
subject  was  soon  found  trustworthy  and  capable, 
and  was  promoted  to  bill  clerk,  afterward  to  check 
clerk  and  also  served  as  night  agent  for  a  time. 
In  1890  he  began  regular  road  work  as  brakeman, 
and  was  then  placed  in  charge  of  extras,  until  as- 
signed to  his  present  run,  in  the  passenger  service 
between  Durant  and  Tchula,  Miss.  His  trains 
are  Nos.  402,  403,  404  and  401.  Mr  Jenkins 
has  worked  with  his  present  engineer,  Mr.  Mc- 
Intyre,  for  ten  years,  with  the  best  of  good  feel- 
ing and  without  mishaps  or  injuries.  He  is  con- 
nected with  Division  No.  304,  O.  R.  C.,  of  Can- 
ton, and  with  the  Masonic  fraternity  of  Durant. 
In  1891  Mr.  Jenkins  and  Miss  Carson,  of  Yazoo 
City,  were  united  in  marriage,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  three  children  :  Myrtle  Laurine,  Robert 
Carson  and  Emerson  Mangrum.  He  has  a  fine 
home  of  his  own  in  Durant,  presided  over  with 
grace  and  dignity  by  his  estimable  wife.  Mr. 
Jenkin-s  is  a  self-made  man;  active,  energetic  and 
studious.  He  is  a  general  favorite,  among  the 
employes  of  the  I.  C.  and  with  the  traveling  pub- 
lic there  are  none  who  stand  higher. 


ANIEL  WEBSTER,  engineer  at  East 
St.  Louis,  began  his  railroad  career  in 
this  city,  as  a  fireman  on  the  Cairo 
Short  Line.  His  first  run  was  from 
East  St.  Louis  to  Du  Quoin  and  later  his  run  was 
extended  to  Brooklyn  and  Paducah,  serving  in  all 
three  years  as  a  freight  fireman.  He  was  then 
promoted  to  the  passenger  service  and  served 
one  year  under  Michael  Mulconery  and  Don 
Hendrixson.  In  1883  Mr.  Webster  was  pro- 
moted to  engineer,  worked  for  a  short  time  in  the 
East  St.  Louis  yards,  then  his  engine  did  con- 
struction work  between  East  St.  Louis  and  Du 
Quoin  and  later  he  served  on  a  freight  engine 
until  he  was  promoted  to  the  passenger 
service  in  November  1899,  and  has  since 
stood  at  the  head  of  the  Fast  Mail  between  St. 
Louis  and  Cairo,  the  Dixie  Flyer,  Nos,  202  and 


464 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


203,  and  also  the  local  passenger  between  East 
St.  Louis  and  Brooklyn.  Mr.  Webster  has  had 
charge,  at  different  times,  of  all  of  the  engines 
that  run  out  of  East  St.  Louis,  but  the  first  one 
he  used  in  the  passenger  service  was  No.  1181. 
He  has  never  been  injured  in  any  way  and  never 
met  with  accident  since  he  entered  the  service  of 
the  railroad. 

Socially  Mr.  Webster  is  identified  with 
Egyptian  Lodge  No.  512  B.  of  L.  E.  of  East  St. 
Louis  and  has  served  on  the  general  board  of  ad- 
justing committees  and  has  always  taken  a  whole- 
some interest  in  the  welfare  of  that  fraternity. 
He  is  looked  upon  by  his  fellow  workmen  as 
a  social  leader,  enjoys  the  confidence  of  his  em- 
ployers and  the  respect  of  all  who  know  him. 
Mr.  Webster  was  married  in  June  1883,  to  Miss 
Anna  Meyers  and  four  children  were  born  to 
them,  Edgar,  George,  Earl  and  Daniel,  deceased. 
On  March  25,  1897,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Augusta  Wehring,  of  Belleville,  111.,  and  they 
have  one  son,  Clarence  Dewey. 


£"T[<1HOMAS  M.  LEONARD,  a  locomotive 

U  engineer  on  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road, began  his  railroad  career  in  June 
1886,  at  East  St.  Louis,  as  a  wiper  in 
the  shops  of  the  St.  Louis,  Alton  &  Terre  Haute 
Railroad.  One  year  later  he  secured  a  position 
a,s  fireman  and  for  the  following  nine  months 
he  stood  at  the  left  side  of  a  switch  engine.  Next, 
Mr.  Leonard  was  transferred  to  a  regular  run 
under  Engineer  Ira  Bookstaver,  between  East  St. 
Louis  and  Du  Quoin,  which  position  he  retained 
until  he  was  set  up  to  engineer  four  years  later, 
or  in  the  year  1890.  Mr.  Leonard's  first  work 
in  the  capacity  of  engineer  was  on  a  switch  en- 
gine in  the  yards  at  East  St.  Louis,  where  he! 
spent  three  years,  the  most  of  the  time  with  the 
night  crew.  He  was  next  employed  for  a  time 
on  extra  trains,  but  since  1896  he  has  had  a, 
regular  run,  but  has  been  transferred  several 
times.  His  present  trip  is  from  East  St.  Louis 
to  Brooklyn.  Mr.  Leonard  has  been  a  very  suc- 


cessful railroad  man,  has  made  a  record  free  from 
wrecks  and  has  never  been  injured  on  the  road. 
Mr.  Leonard  was  born  in  Ireland.  He  was 
married  in  East  St.  Louis  to  Miss  Mary  Hodder 
of  that  city,  and  two  children,  George  and 
Marion,  have  been  born  to  them.  Socially  our 
subject  affiliates  with  Egyptian  Lodge  No.  5I2» 
B.  of  L.  E.,  and  also  Division  No.  44,  B.  of  L.  F., 
both  of  East  St.  Louis,  and  at  different  times 
has  been  honored  by  both  of  these  fraternities 
with  offices.  He  built  his  present  comfortable 
residence  at  608  Bond  avenue,  E.  St.  Louis,  in 
1898. 


L.  CHANDLER,  locomotive  engineer 
at  Jackson,  Tenn.;  began  work  for 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  in  1880, 
as  a  call  boy  at  East  Cairo,  Ky.,  un- 
der Foreman  I.  J.  Randall.  Two  years  later  he 
left  this  position  for  that  of  switchman  in  the 
yards  at  East  Cairo,  and  later  secured  the  posi- 
tion of  fireman  on  the  incline,  which  he  retained 
for  about  a  year.  During  the  following  two 
years  and  seven  months  he  performed  the  duties 
of  fireman  on  the  main  line,  between  Jackson 
and  Cairo.  In  January  1887  our  subject  was 
set  up  to  engineer,  and  worked  in  that  capacity 
in  the  Jackson  yards  for  about  six  months,  then 
ran  extra  about  a  year  and  was  then  given  a 
regular  run  on  engine  No.  293,  a  Jack  White 
make.  Eight  months  later  he  was  transferred 
to  engine  No.  351,  later  to  751,  a  Wei  don  mogul, 
then  No.  761,  after  which  he  was  placed  in  charge 
of  No.  611,  a  new  engine,  and  she  is  still  in  his 
hands.  Mr.  Chandler  had  charge  of  the  first 
freight  engine,  No.  351,  that  crossed  the  Cairo 
bridge,  drawing  for  its  load  a  special  Knigths  of 
Pythias  train.  Since  1897  our  subject  has  been 
in  the  preferred  freight  service,  between  Jackson 
and  Mounds,  but  also  does  a  great  deal  of  pas- 
senger work.  Mr.  Chandler  was  born  in  Ripley, 
Tenn.,  a  son  of  Carroll  A.  Chandler  of  Jackson, 
Tenn.  The  father  was  also  an  employe  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad,  beginning  his  career 
with  a  job  of  construction  work  in  1874,  and  re- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


465 


mained  in  the  employ  of  the  company  about  thir- 
teen years.  He  also  worked  for  the  Mobile  & 
Ohio  Railroad  at  Cairo  and  East  Cairo,  running 
the  transfer  boat  between  those  points  for 
several  years,  but  retired  from  service  in  1892. 
He  has  held  many  public  offices  in  Jackson,  is 
now  constable,  and  a  candidate  for  the  office  of 
sheriff  of  the  county.  The  father  married  Miss 
Mary  E.  Griggs,  of  Ripley,  Tenn.,  and  of  their 
family  we  have  the  following  record :  Edgar, 
an  engineer  on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  from 
1875  until  1897,  died  July  28th,  of  the  last  named 
year ;  Millie  J.,  wife  of  Thomas  J.  Hunt,  of  Jack- 
son, whose  biography  appears  on  another  page  of 
this  volume;  R.  L.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
married  Miss  Maggie  McColpin,  of  Jackson, 
and  one  daughter,  Ruth  Lee,  was  born  to  them 
March  22,  1897;  Lillie  Belle,  at  home;  Callie,  an 
engineer  on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  married 
Claude  Pitts,  of  Jackson,  and  one  son,  Eddie, 
has  been  born  to  them;  C.  P.,  an  engineer  on  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad,  is  still  single  and  mak- 
ing his  home  with  his  parents.  Socially  Mr. 
Chandler  affiliates  with  Division  No.  93,  B.  of 
L.  E.,  the  Elks,  No.  192,  and  Madison  Lodge 
No.  16,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Jackson. 


D.  McCONACHIE,  a  prominent  loco- 
motive engineer  at  East  St.  Louis, 
O  began  his  railroad  career  at  the 
above  named  city  March  17,  1882, 
in  the  employ  of  the  Cairo  Short  Line.  He 
worked  for  a  time  in  the  shops,  then  fired  in  the 
yards  six  months  with  different  engineers,  then 
fired  between  East  St.  Louis  and  Du  Quoin  with 
different  ones  for  a  short  time,  and  later  served 
as  a  fireman  on  a  coal  train. 

In  December  1886  our  subject  was  set  up 
to  engineer  and  for  the  following  six  months  he 
had  charge  of  a  switch  engine  in  the  East 
St.  Louis  yards,  and  then  accepted  a  run  from 
Pinckneyville  to  Brooklyn,  which  he  retained  for 
seven  years,  then  between  Du  Quoin  and  Eldo- 
rado, and  later  between  Pinckneyville  and  Brook- 


lyn. In  August  1898  our  subject  accepted  a 
position  at  the  head  of  the  Creal  Springs  Local, 
and  in  December  of  the  same  year,  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  runs  on  engines  Nos.  203,  201,  202, 
and  204,  and  later  was  given  the  Dixie  Flyer 
and  the  Fast  Mail.  Mr.  McConachie  was  born 
in  Perry  county,  111.,  near  Coulterville.  He  was 
married  at  Belleville,  Illinois,  to  Miss  Mary 
Schwender,  who  was  born  in  Uniontown,  Ky. 
One  daughter,  Freddie  May,  has  blessed  their 
home.  Socially  our  subject  affiliates  with 
Egyptian  Lodge  No.  512  B.  of  L.  E.  of  East  St. 
Louis.  He  is  a  fine  engineer,  very  popular  among 
his  fellow,  workmen  and  with  one  exception 
never  met  with  accident  of  any  kind.  This  one 
occurred  July  18,  1899,  in  which  our  subject  re- 
ceived serious  injuries  from  scalding  and  a  cut 
on  his  head,  but  was  at  his  post  of  duty  again 
after  about  three  months.  Mr.  McConachie  still 
owns  his  home  in  Pinckneyville,  which  he  built  in 
1890. 


ILLIAM  McINTYRE  is  a  highly 
popular  engineer  on  the  Aberdeen 
division  of  the  Illinois  Central.  He 
was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
but  went  to  Mississippi  with  his  parents  when 
young.  His  father  was  well  known  on  the 
Louisiana  division  of  the  I.  C.,  having  served  in 
various  capacities  on  that  division,  and  was  at 
the  time  of  his  death  a  bridge  foreman.  Our 
subject  began  railroad  life  in  the  blacksmith 
shops  of  the  I.  C.  in  McComb  City,  where  he 
was  employed  about  one  year  and  a  half.  In 
1886  he  took  a  position  as  fireman,  and  was  four 
years  in  that  branch  of  the  service,  when  he  was 
promoted  to  engineer,  his  first  engine  being  No. 
50,  I.  C.  build.  He  was  sent  from  McComb 
City  to  Durant,  in  1890,  as  substitute  for  an 
engineer  who  was  sick,  and  has  since  remained 
there,  on  his  present  run,  in  the  passenger  service 
between  Durant  and  Tchula,  Mississippi.  He 
has  now  served  ten  years  with  conductor  Jenkins, 
in  the  most  complete  harmony  and  best  of  good 
feeling.  The  career  of  Mr.  Mclntyre  has  been 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


most  successful,  not  so  much  as  five  cents  worth 
of  the  company's  property  being  damaged 
through  any  fault  of  his.  His  closest  call  was 
three  miles  west  of  Durant,  where  three  cars  were 
thrown  over  a  trestle  and  three  persons  were 
injured,  caused  by  the  spreading  of  a  rail.  He 
had  just  crossed  the  trestle  when  the  accident 
happened,  and  escaped  without  injury.  Mr. 
Mclntyre  married  Miss  Langan,  of  Canton, 
Miss.,  the  result  of  their  union  being  three  child- 
ren, viz :  Annie  W.,  Winifred  and  Georgie.  He 
is  one  of  those  whole-hearted  men  of  sunny 
disposition,  whom  one  takes  pleasure  in  knowing 
and  cultivating.  As  an  employe  of  the  I.  C. 
there  is  probably  not  a  more  popular  man  on  the 
Aberdeen  division,  and  as  a  citizen  of  Durant, 
where  he  resides  in  a  fine  home  of  his  own,  he 
has  the  confidence  of  the  entire  community. 


severely  scalded  and  was  obliged  to  discontinue 
his  work  for  some  time  on  account  of  his  wounds. 
The  wreck  occurred  in  Freeburg.  Aside 
from  this  he  has  a  good  record  and  has  quite  a 
successful  career. 

Mr.  Krewson  was  born  in  Newtown,  Pa. 
In  1850  he  came  west  and  located  at  Cherry  Vale, 
Kans.,  and  engaged  in  the  stock  business  at  that 
place  for  three  years,  before  he  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  the  railroad  company.  In  1893  ne  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Kate  Elithorp,  of 
Paducah,  Ky.  Socially  he  affiliates  with  Egyp- 
tian Lodge  No.  512,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  East  St. 
Louis,  and  also  the  Masonic  fraternity,  Blue 
Lodge  and  Chapter  No.  183.  The  last  named 
lodge  he  joined  in  Pinckneyville. 


KREWSON,  engineer  at  East  St. 
Louis,  began  his  railroad  career 
as  a  fireman  on  the  Cairo  Short 
Line,  with  engineer  Henderson, 
between  East  St.  Louis  and  Du  Quoin,  spent  two 
years  with  him  and  then  fired  a  year  and  a  half 
for  Engineer  Joseph  Jackson.  In  1880  Mr. 
Krewson  was  advanced  to  engineer  and  worked 
for  a  short  time  in  the  yards.  Later  he  was 
given  a  run  between  Belleville  and  Pinckneyville, 
after  which  he  was  at  the  head  of  a  coal  train 
for  a  year,  then  ran  a  through  freight  for  a  time, 
was  on  the  paper  train  four  months,  and  in  1887 
was  given  a  passenger  run  between  Pinckney- 
ville and  Paducah.  This  run,  however,  was  soon 
changed  for  one  between  East  St.  Louis  and 
Paducah,  and  the  latter  for  one  between  Creal 
Springs  and  Murphysboro,  and  his  present  run 
is  East  St.  Louis  to  Creal  Springs.  Mr.  Krew- 
son's  first  engine  after  his  promotion  was  No.  3, 
and  since  that  time,  he  has- occupied  a  seat,  at 
different  times,  on  the  right  side  of  nearly  every 
engine  running  out  of  East  St.  Louis  on  the  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad.  Mr.  Krewson  has  been 
caught  in  one  wreck,  in  which  he  was  quite 


EORGE  SIMPSON,  engineer  at  East 
St.  Louis,  111.,  began  his  railroad  career 
with  a  labor  gang,  spending,  three 
months  in  that  capacity,  and  later 
worked  three  months  in  the  shops  as  a  helper, 
and  then  worked  in  the  store  room  four  months. 
He  began  as  a  fireman  on  the  "  Short  Line  " 
in  April  1887,  with  a  run  from  East  St.  Louis 
to  Du  Quoin  and  Brooklyn  and  an  occassional 
run  over  the  other  Illinois  Central  lines  in 
southern  Illinois.  The  first  engineer  under 
whom  he  worked  was  Mark  Mollenaux  and  sub- 
sequently, at  different  times,  served  under  Wil- 
liam Biffett  and  John  Ash,  in  the  passenger  ser- 
vice under  Ira  Sweet,  on  freight,  William  Mc- 
Creary  and  others.  In  1891  Mr.  Simpson  was 
placed  in  charge  of  the  levers  of  a  switch  engine, 
in  the  East  St.  Louis  yards  for  about  six  months, 
and  was  then  set  back  to  firing  for  a  time  on  ac- 
count of  slack  business,  and  subsequently 
served  on  extra  trains  until  1895.  During  that 
year  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  engine  No.  345, 
and  later  No.  879  and  his  work  was  extended 
over  the  entire  Illinois  division.  Mr.  Simpson 
was  born  in  Coleville,  Pa.  One  of  his  brothers, 
William  Simpson,  is  also  an  Illinois  Central  en- 
gineer at  East  St.  Louis.  Our  subject  affiliates, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


467 


socially,  with  Division  No.  512,  B.  of  L.  E.,  and 
also  Division  No.  44,  B.  of  L.  F.,  both  of  East 
St.  Louis.  He  has  been  a  very  successful  rail- 
road man  as  may  be  deduced  from  the  above 
record  and  from  the  fact  that  he  has  never  been 
injured  on  the  road,  nor  participated  in  any 
serious  accidents.  Mr.  Simpson  was  married  to 
Miss  Lottie  Hardgrove,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and 
their  home  has  been  blessed  by  the  presence  of  a 
son,  Clarence. 


ETER  CONATY,  engineer  at  East  St. 
Louis,  began  his  railroad  career  at  the 
above  named  eity  in  the  employ  of  the 
St.  Louis,  Alton  &  Terre  Haute  Rail- 
road as  a  fireman,  under  engineer  Charles 
Walker.  He  was  employed  as  an  extra  until 
May  15,  1884,  when  he  was  transferred  to  Belle- 
ville as  a  hostler,  and  later  had  charge  of  the 
round  house  at  that  place  for  twenty-two  months. 
Later  he  was  given  a  regular  run  with  Engineer 
J.  C.  Ash,  on  engine  No.  4,  on  the  Belleville 
Branch,  and  after  retaining  that  position  twenty 
months,  he  was  given  a  place  between  East  St. 
Louis  and  Du  Quoin  under  Engineer  Peter  Tobin, 
engine  No.  14,  and  was  thus  employed  fourteen 
months.  In  September  1888  our  subject  was  set 
up  to  engineer,  worked  one  month  in  the  East 
St.  Louis  yards,  then  for  a  time  ran  extra  on  the 
road  and  in  the  yards,  was  on  the  road  during  the 
years  1896  and  '97,  and  since  that  date  has  had 
charge  of  engine  No.  152  in  the  East  St.  Louis 
yards.  In  October  1896  Mr.  Conaty  had  the  mis- 
fortune to  sprain  his  ankle  while  at  work,  but 
with  the  exception  of  this  slight  injury  he  has 
met  with  no  misfortune  since  he  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  railroad  company.  He  is  well  known 
along  the  line,  is  pleasant  to  meet,  jovial  and  has 
a  good  word  anil  a  story  for  all.  To  retain  a 
fit  of  the  "  Blues  "  in  the  presence  of  Mr.  Conaty 
is  next  to  impossible.  Socially  he  is  identified 
with  Egyptian  Lodge  No.  512,  B.  of  L.  E. 

Mr.  Conaty  was  born  in  the  eastern  part  of 
Ireland,  a  son  of  Thomas  Conatv.     The  father 


was  a  section  boss  for  the  Illinois  Central  com- 
pany for  several  years,  and  laid  the  first  steel 
bolted  switch  and  frog  for  the  company.  He 
was  on  the  road  from  1865  to  1886,  but  is  now 
living  at  Du  Quoin.  Our  subject  was  married 
at.  East  St.  Louis  to  Miss  Kate  Driscoll,  of  that 
city  and  their  wedded  life  has  been  blessed  by 
the  presence  of  a  son  named  John. 


Murphy. 


H.  POPE,  engineer  at  East  St.  Louis, 
began  his  railroad  career  in  the  shops 
at  this  city  September  8,  1886,  and 
worked  there  under  Master  Mechanic 
He  then  secured  a  position  as  fireman 
on  a  switch  engine  and  was  then  transferred  to 
the  road  service  between  East  St.  Louis  and  Du 
Quoin,  where  he  fired  for  Engineer  West  E. 
Salisbury,  and  later  with  Jake  Miller.  After 
serving  for  some  time  as  a  passenger  fireman, 
Mr.  Pope  crossed  the  cab  and  took  charge  of 
the  lever  and  throttle.  In  this  capacity  he  worked 
on  a  switch  engine  for  five  months,  then  six 
months  on  an  engine  doing  construction  work  be- 
tween Murphysboro  and  Metropolis,  after  which 
he  ran  extra  between  Belleville  and  Pinckney- 
ville  for  a  time,  then  served  on  engine  No.  15  be- 
tween East  St.  Louis  and  Paducah  for  eighteen 
months,  and  on  No.  31,  on  the  same  run,  then 
on  No.  25,  a  Baldwin,  for  five  years  between 
East  St.  Louis  and  Paducah,  after  that  No.  336 
for  about  six  months  on  short  local  between 
Pinckneyville  and  Carbondale.  Later  was  as- 
signed to  Nos.  274  and  275  between  East  St. 
Louis  and  Paducah  for  seven  months,  then  Nos. 
253  and  53  on  the  I.  C.  system  and  then  No.  505, 
a  Rogers,  between  East  St.  Louis  and  Mounds. 

Mr.  Pope  was  born  in  Du  Quoin,  111.,  De- 
cember 2,  1867.  He  was  married  at  Pinckney- 
ville to  Miss  Ethel  Trafftz  of  that  city,  and  four 
children  have  been  born  to  them  ;  Mable  E.,  Helen 
L.,  died  January  6,  1895,  Brownie  and  Harry. 
Socially  our  subject  is  connected  with  the  fol- 
lowing fraternities:  Egyptian  Lodge  No.  512, 
B.  of  L.  E.,  of  East  St.  Louis;  the  Masonic 


4(iH 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


fraternity  in  which  he  has  attained  the  Royal 
Arch  Degree  No.  244,  at  Du  Quoin;  Eastern 
Star  No.  242 ;  Home  Forum  No.  1059,  at  Pinck- 
nevville;  and  the  Sons  of  Veterans.  The  first 
named  lodge  Mr.  Pope  has  served  in  the  capa- 
city of  Chief  one  term  and  is  also  now  holding 
an  office  in  the  lodge.  As  a  railroad  man  he  has 
been  very  successful,  has  skillfully  avoided  ac- 
cidents and  made  friends  among  his  fellow  work- 
men and  employers. 


RTHUR  H.  MILLS,  one  of  the  many 
engineers  that  make  Water  Valley  their 
home,  began  the  life  of  railroad  man  in 
1881  as  fireman  at  Du  Quoin,  111.,  in 
the  yards  and  on  a  freight  run  between  Centralia 
and  Cairo.  About  j888  he  was  transferred  to 
Water  Valley,  and  a  year  after  examined  and  pro- 
moted to  engineer  and  given  a  freight  run. 
From  1896  he  was  employed  in  the  yards  in  the 
switching  service.  January  20,  1900,  he  was  ac- 
cidently  shot,  the  ball  entering  his  left  side  and 
left  lung,  and  confined  him  to  his  room  for  four 
months.  On  his  recovery  he  was  re-instated 
on  the  road,  where  he  has  a  regular  run.  Mr. 
Mills  was  born  at  Grantham,  Lincolnshire,  Eng- 
land, May  25,  1862,  coming  to  America  when 
eight  years  of  age.  His  schooling  was  secured 
in  his  native  place  and  at  Du  Quoin  where  he 
was  reared  after  coming  to  the  new  world.  He 
was  married  at  Water  Valley  to  Miss  E.  V. 
Freshwater,  whose  father  was  a  cabinet  maker 
in  the  employ  of  the  I.  C.  shops  at  Water  Valley, 
until  he  was  transferred  to  McCoinb  City  as  fore- 
man. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mills  have  two  children  liv- 
ing, Charles  and  an  infant  son.  Mr.  Mills  is  a 
member  of  the  I.  O.  O'.  F.,  and  the  Water  Valley 
Division,  No.  99,  B.  of  L.  E.  Prior  to  the  ac- 
cident above  narrated  Mr.  Mills  had  been  through 
several  wrecks  and  twice  went  down  with  his 
engine  in  a  wash-out,  where  the  road  had  been 
undermined,  but  escaped  injury.  He  is  con- 
sidered a  careful  engineer  by  his  colleagues  and 
a  good  neighbor  by  his  fellow  townsmen. 


AROLD  U.  WALLACE,  superintendent 
of  the  Freeport  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  with  headquarters  at 
Freeport,  111.,  was  born  at  Rock  Island, 
Hi.  Mr.  Wallace  was  educated  at  the  Chicago 
Manual  Training  School  and  Purdue  Universi- 
ty, at  LaFayette,  Ind.  He  began  work  for  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad,  June  i,  1894,  as  as- 
sistant engineer ;  worked  in  this  capacity  until 
September  30,  1896;  road  master  of  the  First 
division  until  February  20,  1898;  road  master 
of  the  Tenth  Louisville  division  until  March  i, 
1900;  assistant  superintendent  of  the  Evansville 
district  of  the  Louisville  division  until  April  i, 
1900,  when  he  was  promoted  to  his  present  posi- 
tion. 


R.  JAMES  H.  SHOFFNER,  the  offi- 
cial surgeon  of  the  Illinois  Central  at 
Water  Valley,  Miss.,  is  a  native  of  Car- 
roll county,  Tennessee,  his  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  May  27,  1841.  His  parents  short- 
ly after  moved  to  Mt.  Pleasant,  where  he  was 
reared  and  received  his  education.  He  read 
medicine  with  the  physicians  of  Marshall  county 
and  attended  the  New  Orleans  School  of  Medi- 
cine, and  later  the  medical  department  of  the 
University  of  Nashville  from  which  he  graduated. 
The  war  breaking  out,  he  enlisted  in  the  surgical 
department  and  served  the  Confederacy  during 
the  entire  war  from  Virginia  to  Louisiana. 
After  peace,  he  located  for  practice  at  Mt.  Pleas- 
ant, Marshall  county,  Mississippi,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1875,  he  then  removed  to  Coldwater 
in  Tate  county,  practicing  there  some  four  years. 
From  1879  to  1882  he  engaged  in  practice  at 
Moscow,  Term.,  and  during  the  latter  year  re- 
moved to  Water  Valley,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided and  built  up  the  largest  practice  in  the  city. 
In  1886  his  skill  in  his  profession  was  recognixed 
by  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  and  was  re- 
quested to  accept  the  position  of  official  surgeon 
for  the  district  extending  from  Grand  Junction. 
Tenn.,  to  Winona,  Miss.  Dr.  Shoffner  was  mar- 
ried in  1862  in  Marshall  countv,  to  Miss  Sue 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


471 


Ilinton  to  whom  six  chidren  have  been  born. 
The  eldest  child,  Dixie,  died  in  infancy ; William 
F.  is  station  agent  for  the  Central  at  Water  Val- 
ley ;  Lulu,  married  O.  C.  Savage;  Emmett  is 
assistant  station  master  under  his  brother ;  Zola 
and  Janie  are  still  within  the  parental  household. 
The  doctor  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity at  Water  Valley,  and  is  also  a  Knight  of 
Honor.  He  is  official  examiner  for  the  New 
York  Life  and  the  Equitable  insurance  com- 
panies of  New  York.  He  is  a  typical  old  school 
doctor  taking  an  interest  in  the  personal  welfare 
of  his  clientele  as  if  they  were  members  of  his 
own  household  and  is  in  turn  loved  by  them  as 
if  he  were  their  kin.  As  a  professional  man  his 
ability  is  recognized  as  the  highest,  and  it  is  well 
known  that  he  keeps  abreast  of  the  times. 

jtjtjtjtjtjt 


JAMES  FITZPATRICK.  No  engineer  in 
in  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  is 
better  or  more  favorably  known,  both 
among  the  officials  and  the  employes 
than  our  subject.  It  has  been  said  that  he  is 
one  of  the  most  proficient  men  in  the  service, 
and  the  fact  that  he  has  often  been  detailed  to 
pull  Presidential  and  other  official  trains,  vouches 
for  the  above.  He  is  not  a  man  who  has  reached 
the  top  round  of  the  ladder  without  beginning 
at  the  bottom.  He  began  as  brakeman  in  1876 
with  John  Humphrey,  but  most  of  his  braking 
service,  which  continued  for  two  years,  was  done 
for  Bill  Stempson.  At  the  end  of  this  time  he 
went  in  the  yards  for  one  day  and  then  began 
tiring  on  the  road  for  Chas.  Draper  in  the  through 
passenger  service  and  continued  with  him  for 
three  years,  or  until  December  21,  1884,  when 
he  was  set  up  to  engineer,  and  his  first  running 
was  done  in  North  Cairo  yards  on  No.  22.  He 
remained  there  three  months,  then  returned  to 
Chicago  and  was  in  the  switch  and  road  service 
until  February  18,  1886,  when  he  was  given 
suburban  'engine  No.  226  and  continued  there 
two  years,  then  pulled  freight  until  1893,  when 
he  was  put  in  the  World's  Fair  service.  At  the 


close  of  the  Fair  he  continued  in  the  suburban 
express  service  until  Nov.  1896,  when  he  went 
on  the  road  pulling  a  through  passenger  train, 
where  he  has  remained  up  to  the  present  time. 
He  runs  No.  969,  one  of  the  most  modern  and 
fastest  engines  owned  by  the  I.  C.  Co.  In  Oct. 
1898  he  was  sent  to  Springfield,  111.,  with  this 
engine  to  bring  the  Presidential  train  to  Chicago 
as  the  President  and  party  were  en  route  at  that 
time  to  attend  the  Peace  Jubilee.  During  that 
trip,  Traveling  Engineer  Davis,  and  Mechanical 
Engineer  Rosing  rode  in  the  cab.  The  Spring- 
field papers  contained  very  fine  notices  of  the 
engine, which  was  handsomely  decorated. 

Mr.  Fitzpatrick  was  born  in  Chicago  in 
1857.  His  father,  Peter  Fitzpatrick,  was  at  one 
time  in  the  employ  of  the  I.  C.  as  a  watchman  in 
the  car  works  at  27th  street. 

Mr.  Fitzpatrick  married  Katie  O'Connor,  of 
Valparaiso,  Ind.,  and  has  one  child,  Sarah  Lillie, 
aged  sixteen  years.  He  is  a  member  of  Division 
No.  10,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Burnside. 


ENRY  FOGERTY,  a  locomotive  engi- 
neer in  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, was  born  in  Chicago,  September 
5,    1864,   a   son   of   John   and   Maria 
(McAvoy)  Fogerty,  natives  of  Ireland  and  New 
Jersey   respectively.     The    father   died   in    1892, 
while  the  mother  passed  away  in  1895. 

Mr.  Fogerty  entered  the  employ  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  October  7,  1885,  as  a  fireman  on 
switch  engine  No.  136,  with  Thomas  Spales,  and 
was  with  him  three  days,  after  which  he  went 
on  through  freight  and  passenger  service,  fir- 
ing on  the  former  for  T.  F.  Murphy,  for  two 
years  and  eight  months,  and  in  the  passenger 
service  for  Frank  Rugg.  October  30,  1889,  he 
was  promoted  to  the  right  side  of  the  cab  and 
went  into  the  construction  service  on  engine  No. 
239,  remaining  there  three  months,  when  he  was 
put  on  a  through  freight  and  served  until  April 
9.  1893,  when  he  went  into  the  passenger  ser- 
vice on  the  Chicago  division,  and  for  six  years 


472 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


had  charge  of  engine  No.  209.  He  now  runs 
engine  No.  1409  in  the  passenger  service.  He 
has  never  had  any  serious  accidents  and  has 
never  been  injured.  Our  subject  has  two  brothers 
in  the  service,  as  engineers,  on  the  Illinois 
Central :  Steve  C.  has  been  an  engineer  for  four 
years  and  John  for  one  year.  Mr.  Fogerty 
married  Miss  Annie  Mathews,  of  Chicago,  Feb. 
6th,  1894.  He  is  a  member  of  division  No.  10. 
B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Burnside. 


in  charge  of  the  shops  at  Twenty-seventh  street 
as  general  foreman,  but  in  the  fall  of  the  same 
year  he  was  transferred  to  East  St. Louis,  where 
he  has  since  performed  the  duties  of  master 
mechanic. 

Mr.  Hatz,  was  born  at  Hennepin,  111.,  June 
I,  1867,  the  son  of  George  Hatz,  a  blacksmith, 
and  inherited  from  his  father  a  taste  for  iron 
work.  He  was  married  at  Danville,  111.,  in  1891, 
to  Miss  Josephine  Miller,  and  one  son,  Herbert, 
has  been  entrusted  to  their  care.  Mr.  Hatz  is 
identified  with  Custer  Lodge  No.  131,  K.  of  P., 
at  Grand  Crossing,  Chicago. 


EORGE  J.  HATZ,  master  mechanic  at 
the  shops  at  East  St.  Louis,  is  a  man 
of  wide  experience  in  mechanical 
arts,  having  been  employed  in  several 
different  localities.  He  began  his  trade  in  1879, 
at  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  in  Terre  Haute, 
Ind.,  serving  an  apprenticeship  in  the  shops  of 
the  Vandalia  Railroad  company.  After  com- 
pleting his  apprenticeship,  Mr.  Hatz  worked  one 
year  for  the  Wabash  Railroad  at  Moberly,  Mo., 
and  then  returned  to  the  Vandalia  company  at 
Terre  Haute  for  about  six  months.  His  next 
experience  was  at  Marshall,  Texas,  where  he 
spent  a  year  with  the  Texas  Pacific  Railroad, 
after  which  he  spent  a  few  years  with  various 
railroad  and  manufacturing  companies,  as  fol- 
lows :  a  short  time  with  the  Kansas  City  Frog 
and  Switch  Co.,  of  Kansas  City,  four  years  with 
the  Chicago  &  Eastern  Illinois  Railroad  at  Dan- 
ville, 111. ;  one  year  with  the  Toledo,  St.  Louis  & 
Kansas  City  Railroad  at  Delphos,  Ohio;  with 
the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railroad  at 
Raton,  N.  Mex.,  a  short  time  as  machinist.  Mr. 
Hatz  next  went  to  Chicago  to  accept  a  position 
as  general  foreman  for  the  Chicago,  Lake  Shore 
&  Eastern  Railroad  company,  but  a  few  months 
later  he  left  to  take  the  position  of  journeyman 
for  the  Illinois  Central  company  at  Burnside, 
Chicago.  After  spending  a  year  in  this  capaci- 
ty, and  also  a  year  in  charge  of  the  machinery, 
Mr.  Butterworth  left  and  Mr.  Hatz  succeeded 
to  the  foremanship,  and  retained  that  position 
for  three  years.  January  23,  1899,  he  was  placed 


&TT&  M.  YOUNG,  foreman  of  machinery 
for  the  Illinois  Central,  at  Jackson, 
O  Miss.,  entered  the  service  of  the  com- 
pany in  1892,  as  a  machinist  in  the 
shops  at  McComb  City,  where  he  remained  until 
November  1898,  when  appointed  to  his  present 
position  at  Jackson.  Mr.  Young's  career  in 
railroad  work  began  on  the  St.  Louis  &  South 
Western  R.  R.  at  Tyler,  Texas,  where  he  was 
for  nine  months  in  the  shops  of  that  road  as  a 
machinist.  From  Texas  he  went  to  Mexico, 
where  he  worked  for  a  short  time  for  the  Mexi- 
can International  R.  R.,  and  from  there  to  the 
California  Southern  R.  R.  at  San  Bernardino, 
Cal.  From  the  latter  place  he  took  a  position 
with  the  Union  Iron  Works,  of  San  Francisco, 
when,  after  a  short  service,  he  went  to  LaGrande, 
Oregon,  working  there  three  months  for  the 
Union  Pacific  R.  R.  He  next  went  to  Honolulu, 
in  the  Sandwich  Islands,  but  returned  to  the 
United  States  and  located  for  a  short  period  at 
Wadsworth,  Nev.,  working  there  for  the  Central 
Pacific  R.  R.  From  the  latter  place  he  came 
to  McComb  City,  entering  the  service  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  and  has  since  remained  with 
that  company.  Mr.  Young  was  born  in  Pitts- 
ton,  Penn.,  in  November  1867.  His  father  was 
John  Young,  a  native  of  Scotland,  a  moulder  by 
trade,  who  came  to  America  and  worked  in  Scran- 
ton,  Penn.,  for  a  long  time  at  his  trade.  Mr. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


473 


Young  Sr.  returned  to  Scotland  in  1874,  where 
he  is  now  residing,  and  pursuing  his  trade  of 
moulder.  Our  subject  went  to  Scotland  with  his 
father,  and  there  learned  his  trade,  afterward 
returning  to  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Young  was  united  to  Miss  Belle  Pat- 
terson, of  New  Orleans,  and  they  had  two  chil- 
dren, of  whom  Louise  Signe,  is  living,  and  Jack, 
is  dead.  The  family  reside  in  a  comfortable, 
well  furnished  home  on  Minerva  avenue,  in  the 
city  of  Jackson,  Miss.,  and  are  highly  respected 
residents  of  that  place.  Mr.  Young's  career 
with  the  Illinois  Central  has  been  a  successful 
tine,  officials  and  employes  alike  holding  him  in 
high  regard. 


JAMES  H.  DOUGLASS,  report  clerk  in 
the  freight  department  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  has  been  with 
the  company  ten  years.  He  entered  the 
service  of  the  road  at  Water  Valley,  Miss.,  as 
night  yard-clerk,  and  was  afterward  promoted 
to  day-clerk,  serving  there  about  four  years  in 
that  capacity,  and  as  assistant  to  the  agent.  He 
then  went  to  Winona,  Miss.,  as  cashier  in  the 
freight  department,  serving  three  months.  His 
next  work  was  as  assistant  agent  for  the  Southern 
R.  R.,  at  West  Point,  Miss.,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed six  months.  He  then  returned  to  the  Illi- 
nois Central  at  Water  Valley,  as  day-clerk,  and 
on  January  i,  1897,  was  transferred  to  Jackson 
as  report  clerk,  where  he  is  now  creditably  serv- 
ing. Mr.  Douglass  is  a  native  of  Water  Valley, 
where  his  father  was  the  proprietor  of  a  saw- 
mill and  an  extensive  lumber  yard.  Two 
brothers-in-law  of  our  subject  are  connected 
with  the  I.  C.  They  are,  W.  F.  Shoffner,  agent 
at  Water  Valley,  and  E.  Mcllwain,  a  conductor 
in  the  passenger  service,  residing  at  Jackson, 
Tenn.  Mr.  Douglass  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Adine,  a  daughter  of  George  R.  Gordin, 
freight  agent  for  the  I.  C.  at  Jackson.  They 
have  a  pleasant  home  at  number  316  Clifton 
street  in  that  city. 


ILLIAM  T.  HENRY,  chief  clerk  in 
the  freight  department  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  company  in 
1874  as  clerk  in  the  freight  office  at  Jackson,  and 
was  also  in  the  same  capacity  at  New  Orleans. 
He  remained  in  the  employ  of  the  I.  C.  from 
1874  until  1880.  In  the  latter  year,  he  went  to 
the  Alabama  &  Vicksburg  R.  R.  as  chief  clerk  in 
the  freight  office,  at  Meridian,  Miss.,  occupying 
that  position  three  years.  He  then  retired  from 
railroad  service,  and  entered  mercantile  life,  at 
Bolton,  Miss.,  where  he  worked  as  book-keeper 
for  one  firm,  for  fourteen  years.  Returning  to 
Jackson  he  accepted  his  present  position,  under 
George  R.  Gordin,  where  he  has  since  remained 
and  is  rendering  efficient  service. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Mississippi,  born 
in  January  1855.  His  father,  during  his  lifetime, 
followed  the  occupation  of  a  book-keeper  and  ac- 
countant. Mr.  Henry  was  united  to  Miss  Anna 
B.  Bush,  and  two  children  are  the  result  of  their 
union,  they  are,  Allie  Philips  and  Myra  Belle. 
Mr.  Henry,  with  his  estimable  wife  and  children, 
occupies  a  good  home  on  North  President  street, 
in  Jackson,  of  which  place  he  is  a  highly  respected 
citizen. 


RANK  G.  MARGADANT,  the  capable 
foreman  of  the  tin  shops  of  the  Illinois 
J_[  Central,  at  Waterloo,  Iowa,  was  born 

in  that  city  on  April  13,  1872.  His 
early  life  was  spent  in  acquiring  a  practical  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  his  native  town,  and 
after  finishing  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C. 
Ry.,  serving  for  three  months  in  the  machine 
shops  of  Waterloo.  He  then  entered  the  tin 
shops  as  an  apprentice,  and  served  a  full  appren- 
ticeship, finishing  on  April  13,  1894.  Continu- 
ing in  the  employ  of  the  company  in  the  shops, 
he  was  on  June  i,  1894,  promoted  to  foreman  of 
the  shops,  which  position  he  has  held  ever  since 
and  is  acceptably  filling. 

Mr.  Margadant  is  one  of  the  third  genera- 
tion of  his  family  to  see  service  with  the  I.  C. 


474 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


His  grandfather,  Florian  Margadant,  who  was 
born  in  1818,  at  Tani,  Switzerland,  was  in  the 
employ  of  the  company  from  1861  until  1883 
at  Dubtique,  Iowa.  He  retired  in  that  year,  and 
died  in  1899.  Christian  Margadant,  the  father 
of  our  subject,  was  born  at  Davos,  Switzerland, 
in  1847,  and  was  married  to  Miss  Frederica  Loat, 
a  native  of  Germany.  He  emigrated  to  America 
in  1858,  and  in  1863  entered  the  service  of  the  I. 
C.  at  Dubuque. 

The  marriage  of  Frank  G.  Margadant  and 
Miss  Mae  R.  Jackson  of  Waterloo,  Iowa,  oc- 
curred on  May  20,  1896.  One  daughter,  Irene 
Mae,  now  deceased,  was  born  to  them.  Mr.  Mar- 
gadant is  a  member  of  Helmet  Lodge  No.  89, 
Knights  of  Pythias  of  Waterloo,  Iowa.  Being 
a  skilled  workman,  and  a  man  of  genial  manners, 
he  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  his  superiors  and  fel- 
low employes. 


'ICHOLAS  SCHILLING  began  with 
the  Illinois  Central  in  1879.  He  then 
worked  in  the  shops  with  Mr.  Renshaw 
for  six  weeks,  when  he  began  firing 
on  freight,  he  worked  as  fireman  nineteen  months 
and  then  went  to  the  Rock  Island  Railroad  as 
fireman,  remaining  for  two  years.  He  worked 
in  Marshall  Field's  dry  goods  store  in  Chicago 
in  the  carpet  department  two  years,  in  the  retail 
department,  and  then  for  Libby,  McNeil  &  Libby, 
of  Chicago,  until  1890.  He  then  returned  to  the 
Central  railroad  and  began  firing  on  road  engine 
No.  35,  between  Chicago  and  Champaign  with 
Dennis  Kenny,  engineer.  He  then  fired  for  John 
Powers,  engineer,  for  one  year,  and  then  fired 
for  "  Hank  "  Smith  on  engine  No.  925  on  passen- 
ger train  on  the  Chicago  division.  He  fired  there 
until  1892  and  then  he  took  charge  of  a  switch 
engine  No.  1344  and  ran  same  until  May  i, 
1893.  and  then  went  on  the  road  with  engine 
•\n-  3'5-  where  he  has  since  been  on  a  regular 
run. 

Our  subject  married  Miss  Sarah  Ranee,  who 
was  born  in  1865,  in  Bloomington,  111.,  and  they 


have  two  children,  Clarence,  ten  years  old,  and 
Frank,  eight  years  old.  The  father  of  our  subject, 
John  Schilling,  died  when  Nicholas  was  three 
years  old.  Our  subject  was  born  in  Chicago,  Aug. 
5,  1863.  He  was  never  injured  or  in  any  but 
small  wrecks.  He  owns  a  pleasant  home  at 
2607,  99th  Place.  Mr.  Schilling  belongs  to  Divi- 
sion No.  10,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Burnside,  and  is 
a  very  prominent  engineer. 


TEW  ART  GILKINSON,  who  was  born 
in  Scotland  and  saw  his  first  service 
in  his  native  country,  is  today  one  of 
the  most  trusted  engineers  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  He  was 
born  in  Glasgow  June  23,  1856,  and  first  worked 
in  the  Dubbs  Boiler  Works.  His  first  railroad- 
ing was  done  in  1869,  on  the  Caledonian  R.  R. 
of  Scotland,  as  a  freight  brakeman.  He  con- 
tinued as  such  three  years  and  was  then  put  in 
charge  of  a  freight  train.  In  that  country  at 
that  time,  the  order  of  promotion  was  from  brake- 
man to  fireman,  then  to  what  was  called  first 
brake,  same  as  conductor  in  this  country,  and  then 
to  engineer.  He  continued  as  first  brake  two 
years  and  was  then  set  up  to  extra  engineer  be- 
tween Glasgow  and  Carlisle,  south;  north  to 
Perth,  and  west  to  Greenock.  He  continued  as 
extra  until  1881,  when  he  resigned,  and  sailed 
for  America,  and  on  the  3Oth  of  April  began  fir- 
ing on  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern,  where  he 
worked  one  month,  then  left  the  road  and  took 
charge  of  the  engines  in  the  N.  W.  Taylor  build- 
ing, Chicago  and  remained  there  two  years.  At 
this  time  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central  as  fireman  on  the  Chicago  division,  on 
engine  No.  16,  J.  C.  Wauser,  engineer,  with 
whom  he  served  one  year  and  ten  months,  being 
in  the  road  service  one  year  and  six  months  of 
that  time.  In  Sept.  1886  he  was  promoted  to 
engineer  and  was  put  in  charge  of  engine  No. 
12  in  the  yards  on  night  work  for  two  years  and 
four  months,  then  went  on  road  service  with  en- 
gine No.  316  which  he  ran  eight  years.  He  now 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


475 


has  a  regular  run,  pulling  freight  on  the  Chicago 
division.  Mr.  Gilkinson  has  never  been  injured 
and  his  worst  accident  was  the  breaking  of  the 
fender  off  his  engine  in  July  1899. 

Mr.  Gilkinson  married  Miss  Sara  Neilson, 
of  (ilasgow,  and  has  two  children,  Janette  and 
Margaret  Isabelle.  He  belongs  to  Division  No. 
10,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Burnside,  and  Division  No. 
47,  B.  of  L.  F.,  of  Chicago.  Mr.  Gilkinson  has 
traveled  a  great  deal  and  has  crossed  the  ocean 
thirteen  times. 


kHOMAS  WILSON,  locomotive  engi- 
neer in  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
yards  at  Burnside,  began  service  in 
1888  as  fireman  on  switch  engine  No. 
20,  John  Sparr  engineer,  -in  the  Randolph  street 
yards,  where  he  remained  for  six  months,  then 
went  on  a  freight  engine  with  William  Rosen  - 
baum.  He  worked  in  this  capacity  for  six  years, 
and  in  1896  was  promoted  to  the  position-  of 
engineer.  His  first  engine  was  No.  130,  but  his 
only  trip  in  her  was  from  Burnside  to  Chicago. 
He  ran  an  engine  in  the  yards  for  six  months, 
when  he  was  sent  to  Memphis,  Tenn.,  and  there 
took  a  switch  run  in  the  yards  on  the  Y.  &  M. 
V.  division  for  three  months  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  Burnside  and  has  worked  in  the  yards 
and  as  extra  road  man  up  to  the  present  time. 
Mr.  Wilson  was  born  in  Chicago  in  1857. 


JJ.  RIGGIN,  a  prominent  and  popular 
conductor  in  the  passenger  service  of 
O    the    Illinois    Central,   on   the    Natchez 
division,  who  has  been  with  the  com- 
pany since  1880,  began  railroad  life  on  a  section 
on  the  Raleigh  &  Gaston  R.  R.  in  North  Caro- 
lina.    After  a  service  of  three  years  on  that  road, 
he  went  to  the  Wilmington  &  Weklon  R.  R.  for 
one  year,  returning  to  the  R.  &  G.  as  extra  fore- 
man   for   one    vear.     He   next    worked    for   the 


Norfolk  &  Petersburg  R.  R.  as  section  foreman 
for  two  years,  after  which  he  was  for  four  years 
on  the  South  and  North  divisions  of  the  L.  & 
X.  as  conductor  'on  a  work  train.  He  next 
worked  successively  with  the  Mobile  &  Ohio  R. 
R.  seven  years,  the  North  Eastern  R.  R.  two 
months,  the  Alabama  &  Vicksburg  two  years, 
and  the  Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Texas,  where 
he  was  for  a  time  foreman  on  a  work  train,  then 
foreman  of  a  section,  ami  finally  brakeman  in 
the  freight  service.  An  accident  caused  him  to 
lose  his  position  with  the  last  named  road,  and 
he  then,  in  1886,  entered  the  service  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  on  the  Natchez  division,  and 
has  since  remained  there.  He  now  has  a  regular 
run,  covering  two  hundred  miles  daily.  Two 
brothers  of  our  subject  are  rail-road  men.  One, 
an  engineer  on  the  Mobile  &  Ohio  R.  R.,  the  other 
a  foreman  on  the  Alabama  &  Vicksburg  R.  R. 
Mr.  Riggin  is  a  native  of  Warren  county,  N. 
C.,  where  his  father  was  a  prominent  farmer. 
The  latter  died,  a  prisoner  in  Elmira,  N.  Y. 
during  the  Civil  war.  Mr.  Riggin's  estimable 
wife  was,  before  her  marriage,  a  Miss  Ewing. 
They  have  one  child,  Gertrude.  A  career  of 
fourteen  years  in  the  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  has  gained  for  our  subject  many  friends, 
and  his  popularity  increases  every  day. 


•ILLIAM  D.  WEBB,  an  old  and 
trusted  employe  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, holds  the  responsible  position 
of  cashier  in  the  freight  department, 
of  the  road,  at  Jackson,  Miss.  Mr.  Webb's 
career  on  the  I.  C.  began  in  December  1876,  as, 
check  clerk,  at  Jackson,  where  after  three  months 
service,  he  was  transferred  to  the  ticket  office, 
serving  six  years  as  clerk'  and  cashier  there.  In 
1885  he  went  to  the  employ  of  the  Queen  & 
Crescent  Route,  and  was  two  years  with-  that 
company,  when  he  returned  to  Jackson,  to  accept 
his  present  position  with  the  Illinois  Central. 
The  native  place  of  Mr.  Webb  is  Lexington,  Va., 
and  the  date  of  his  birth,  June  1838.  He  is  a 


476 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


son  of  M.  D.  Webb,  who  died  when  our  subject 
was  young. 

John  Webb,  a  brother,  is  an  ex-employe  of 
the  I.  C.,  now  secretary  of  the  Mississippi 
Railroad  Commission,  another  brother,  James  H. 
Webb,  is  a  prosperous  farmer  in  Virginia.  Miss 
Mary  E.,  daughter  of  E.  B.  Gordin,  of  Jackson, 
Miss.,  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Webb,  and  they 
reside  in  a  well-appointed  home  on  West  Capitol 
street,  in  that  city.  Mr.  Webb  is  one  of  the 
oldest  employes  of  the  Illinois  Central  in  the 
south,  both  in  years  and  in  point  of  service.  He 
has  the  confidence  of  the  officials  of  the  road, 
and  the  respect  and  regard  of  all  who  know  him. 


EORGE  R.  GORDIN,  depot  master 
and  station  agent  for  the  Yazoo  & 
Mississippi  Valley  Railroad,  at  Jack- 
son, Mississippi,  an  old  and  promi- 
nent employe  of  the  road,  entered  the  service  in 
1872,  at  Canton,  Miss.,  as  cashier  and  chief  clerk, 
holding  that  position  two  years.  He  then  went 
to  McComb  City,  as  agent  and  yardmaster,  and 
at  the  expiration  of  six  months,  returned  to  Can- 
ton, as  assistant  agent,  until  being  transferred  to 
Jackson,  Miss.,  where  he  served  as  chief  clerk  in 
the  office  of  the  I.  C.  for  nine  years.  His  next  ser- 
vice was  with  the  Alabama  &  Vicksburg  R.  R.,  at 
Jackson,  Miss.,  as  chief  clerk,  working  for  that 
road  nine  months.  He  then  went  to  the  Natchez, 
Jackson  &  Columbus  R.  R.,  at  Jackson,  and  was 
agent  for  that  company  nine  years,  or  until  the 
purchase  of  the  latter  road  by  the  Illinois  Central, 
when  he  was  appointed  station  freight  agent,  at 
Jackson,  Miss.,  and  is  the  present  incumbent  of 
that  office.  Mr.  Gordin  is  a  native  of  Carroll 
county,  Miss.,  and  was  born  September  7th,  1850. 
His  father,  Edward  B.  Gordin,  now  deceased, 
was  a  merchant  of  that  place.  Two  brothers  of 
our  subject  are  in  the  service  of  the  railroad 
company,  Walter  E.  being  yard  master  at  Gulf- 
port,  Miss.,  and  James  A.  Gordin,  a  passenger 
conductor  on  the  Natchez  division.  The  wife 
of  Mr.  Gordin  was  formerlv  Miss  Susan  O. 


Brock,  of  Holmes  county,  Miss.  To  their  union 
six  children  have  been  born,  viz ;  Cora  May, 
Adine  Virginia,  Myra,  Sallie  Webb,  Georgie 
Clingan  and  Gussie  Folkes.  Mr.  Gordin's  duties 
are  many  and  arduous.  He  has  a  large  force  of 
clerks  to  supervise,  and  a  large  amount  of  work 
to  accomplish.  The  fidelity  with  which  he  is 
performing  these  duties  are  appreciated  to  the 
fullest  extent  by  the  company,  who  value  him 
as  one  of  their  most  trusted  employes. 


ENRY  S.  WYMAN,  locomotive  engi- 
neer on  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  Amboy,  111., 
was  born  in  New  Haven,  Conn.-,  June 
12,  1853,  a  son  of  Gen.  John  B.  Wry- 
man,  who  was  born  in  Shrewsbury,  Mass.,  in 
1817,  and  began  his  early  life  by  being  employed 
in  a  general  store  in  his  native  town,  but  after 
staying  a  short  time  went  to  Worcester,  Mass., 
to  engage  in  the  wool  business  where  he  remained 
for  four  or  five  years.  He  then  went  to  Spring- 
field, Mass.,  and  entered  the  employ  of  Connecti- 
cut River  R.  R.  Co.  as  division  superintendent, 
where  he  remained  for  three  years.  During  this 
time  took  an  interest  in  military  affairs  to  such 
an  extent  that  he  organized  a  company,  of  which 
he  was  captain.  He  resigned  his  position  to  go 
to  Chicago,  111.,  to  enter  the  employ  of  the  I.  C. 
R.  R.  Co.,  under  the  management  of  R.  B.  Mason. 
During  his  stay  in  Chicago  he  organized  a  mili- 
tary company,  the  Chicago  Light  Guards,  which 
was  prominently  known  for  many  years.  He 
was  transferred  to  LaSalle,  111.,  as  division  super- 
intendent of  the  division,  extending  at  that  time, 
from  LaSalle  to  Bloomington,  being  extended 
north  to  Amboy  as  soon  as  track  was  laid  and 
the  bridge  completed  over  the  Illinois  river,  the 
construction  of  which  he  had  charge ;  he  also  had 
general  charge  of  the  construction  of  shops  and 
buildings  at  Amboy,  the  work  being  under  the 
supervision  of  Alichael  Egan,  and  completed  in 
1855.  Mr.  Wyman  continued  with  the  Company 
until  he  resigned  to  engage  in  private  business, 
building  a  flouring  mill  and  distillery  at  Sheldon, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


477 


111.,  (now  better  known  as  "Rockyford"),  which 
he  operated  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil 
war,  at  which  time  he  engaged  in  the  mustering 
in  of  the  troops  of  northern  Illinois,  being  as- 
sociated with  such  men  as  Gov.  Richard  Yates ; 
Jessie  R.  Du  Bois,  Secretary  of  State;  Adj.  Gen. 
Mather  and  others,  at  the  completion  of  which 
he  was  appointed  colonel  of  the  thirteenth  Illinois 
Volunteers  by  Governor  Richard  Yates,  all  of 
which  regiment  was  raised  or  enlisted  in  northern 
Illinois  and  going  into  camp  at  Dixon,  111.,  from 
which  place  they  were  mustered  into  service,  go- 
ing to  Rollo,  Mo.,  to  which  point  a  railroad  was 
just  completed ,  and  being  a  railroad  man  of  long 
experience  Col.  Wyman  was  given  charge  of  the 
road  and  was  also  made  commandant  of  the  post, 
it  being  the  distributing  point  of  supplies  for  the 
South-west,  and  where  he  remained  for  one  year ; 
being  then  ordered  to  the  front  via  Helena,  Arkan- 
sas, taking  part  in  the  first  engagement  at  Vicks- 
burg,  Miss.,  where  he  was  killed  on  December  28, 
1862. 

Maria  S.  (Bradley)  Wyman,  wife  of  John 
B.  Wyman,  and  mother  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  Worcester,  Mass.,  in  1828.  Miss  Bradley 
was  the  second  daughter  of  Hon.  O.  Bradley, 
noted  as  being  the  first  promoter  and  builder  of 
railroad  cars  in  the  United  States,  both  passenger 
and  freight. 

To  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wyman 
were  born  four  sons  and  one  daughter.  Three 
sons  are  living,  two  of  whom  are  in  the  employ 
of  the  Chicago  &  North-western  R.  R.  Co.,  the 
other  being  H.  S.  Wyman,  the  subject  of  our 
sketch . 

H.  S.  Wyman,  our  subject  was  educated  in 
Aniboy,  Illinois,  where  his  parents  located  in 
1854,  and  in  Shrewsbury,  Mass.,  where  he  went 
to  live  with  his  grandfather  when  he  was  nine 
years  old  and  where  he  remained  until  1870, 
when  he  returned  to  Bloomington,  111.,  being 
employed  by  the  Holden  Milling  Company  and 
with  whom  he  remained  until  December  1871, 
when  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral R.  R.  Co.  as  freight  brakeman  on  the 
Northern  division  under  Trainmaster  Capt.  Wells, 
being  transferred  the  following  June  to  passen- 


ger service  on  the  Southern  division,  remaining 
until  November  i,  1872,  when  he  accepted  a  posi- 
tion of  locomotive  fireman,  which  he  retained  un- 
til January  19,  1878,  when  he  was  promoted  to 
the  right  side,  which  position  he  still  retains,  be- 
ing in  passenger  service  at  the  present  time.  He 
is  justly  proud  of  his  record,  no  serious  accidents 
having  occurred  to  him  during  his  long  service, 
nor  are  his  thoughts  disturbed  by  the  memory 
of  any  misfortune  befalling  those  entrusted  to 
his  care. 

Mr.  Wyman  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Lillian  W.  Daniels,  at  Amboy,  111.,  on  Febru- 
ary 23,  1876,  who  was  born  at  Shippings  Port, 
111.  (near  LaSalle)  in  1854.  One  son,  Harry 
W.  born  October  6r  1877,  is  now  in  the  employ 
of  the  machinery  department  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R. 
Co. 

Mr.  Wyman  is  a  member  of  the  B.  of  L.  E., 
being  for  a  number  of  years  a  member  of  Amboy 
Division  No.  72;  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  A. 
O.  U.  W.,  being  a  charter  member  of  Palestine 
Lodge  No.  122  of  Amboy,  111.  In  religious  faith 
Mr.  Wyman  is  an  Episcopalian. 


JOSEPH  KELLY,  who  has  been  identified 
with  the  Illinois  Central  since  1886,  began 
railroad  life  as  a  fireman  at  Dundee,  Scot- 
land, and  served  in  that  capacity  four 
years  and  was  then  promoted  to  engineer  and 
remained  there  until  1881,  when  he  came  to  the 
United  States  and  settled  in  Chicago.     For  four 
years  he  was  employed  as  stationary  engineer  in 
the  Taylor  building,  142  Monroe  street,  then  in 
the  above  mentioned  year  went  to  the  I.  C.,  as 
a  fireman  on  the  Chicago  division  and  was  pro- 
moted to  engineer  in  1888,  in  the  freight  service, 
but  is  now  located  at  the  Burnside  shops.     During 
his  service  with  the  company  he  has  never  been 
injured. 

Mr.  Kelly  was  born  in  North  Scotland, 
March  26,  1857,  a  son  of  John  Kelly,  who  died 
in  Scotland  when  our  subject  was  but  one  year 
old.  Joseph  Kelly  was  married  in  Scotland,  in 


478 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


1880,  to  Miss  Anna  Gilkinson  and  they  have 
one  child,  Belle.  The  family  now  reside  in  a 
pleasant  home  at  9321  Greenwood  avenue,  Chi- 
cago. Socially,  Mr.  Kelly  is  a  member  of  the 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Scotland  and  is  also  a  member 
of  Division  No.  10,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Burnside. 


A.  COLLINS,  a  representative  con- 
ductor on  the  Illinois  Central,  is  a 
'  Q  native  of  Northfield,  Vermont.  Per- 
haps there  is  no  employe  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  company  who  has  worked  harder  to 
make  a  success  of  his  chosen  profession  than 
our  subject.  He  began  work  for  the  I.  C.  in 
July  1867  as  a  bridge  watchman  at  LaSalle,  on 
the  Illinois  river,  it  being  the  first  bridge  on  the 
system  changed  from  wood  to  iron.  He  con- 
tinued there  one  year  and  a  half,  when  he  ac- 
cepted a  position  in  the  yards  at  the  same  place 
as  a  switchman  and  served  in  that  capacity  two 
years  when  he  was  promoted  to  yardmaster  and 
served  as  such  for  six  months.  At  this  time  he 
determined  to  become  a  passenger  conductor  and 
to  attain  that  position  he  resigned  and  went  to 
braking  on  a  freight,  on  the  Amboy.  division  for 
Ed.  Williams.  After  only  ten  months  in  that 
service  he  was  promoted  to  conductor  at  the  age 
of  twenty-one  years.  The  following  seven  years 
he  ran  freight  and  was  then  transferred  to  the 
Chicago  division.  Prior  to  this,  however,  he 
was  on  the  Dubuque  and  Iowa  divisions.  At 
that  time  thirteen  ten  ton  cars  was  a  big  load  to 
pull  out  of  Dubuque.  After  coming  to  the  Chi- 
cago division  he  ran  freight  ten  months  and  was 
then  promoted  to  passenger  conductor  and  in 
October  1881  went  in  the  suburban  service.  The 
following  spring  the  town  of  Pullman  was  com- 
menced and  he  used  to  turn  in  as  high  as  two 
thousand  tickets  a  day.  At  this  time  the  Com- 
pany experienced  considerable  difficulty,  with  the 
laborers  as  the  conductor  was  unable  to  get  the 
tickets,  but  when  they  put  Collins  on  that  train 
the  trouble  came  to  an  end.  In  1888  he  was  pro-* 
moted  to  through  passenger  service  and  has  con- 


tinued there  to  the  present  time  witli  the  best 
of  success.  In  June  1889  he  had  charge  of  a 
special  train,  filled  with  officials,  which  made  a 
twenty-three  hundred  mile  trip  on  all  divisions 
north  of  the  Ohio  river.  As  a  token  of  the  esteem 
that  the  party  had  for  him,  President  Fish,  who 
was  a  member  of  the  party,  presented  Collins 
with  a  handsome  gold  headed  umbrella.  In 
1894,  during  the  strike,  our  subject  was  the  only 
man  who  ran  a  train  out  of  Chicago  that  was 
stopped  by  a  mob  and  after  threats  on  the  part 
of  the  mob  to  take  his  life  he  finally  got  his  train 
going  again  and  pulled  into  Centralia  with  the 
same  number  of  coaches  he  had  when  he  left 
the  Twelfth  street  station.  At  the  time  the  town 
of  Pullman  was  opened  he  ran  the  special  from 
Twelfth  street,  carrying  the  officials  and  promi- 
nent guests.  It  was  said  to  be  the  finest  train  that 
ever  left  Chicago.  Since  his  first  day  with  the 
Company  there  has  only  been  one  month  that  he 
has  not  drawn  pay  and  then  he  was  on  a  trip 
through  the  East.  He  has  run  a  train  twenty- 
seven  years  and  has  never  had  an  accident  as  the 
fault  of  anyone  on  his  train,  and  only  once  in 
seventeen  years  has  he  had  a  car  off  the  track. 
When  our  subject  was  with  Engineer  Humphrey 
Roberts,  with  engine  No.  966,  pulling  the  New 
Orleans  limited,  he  made  one  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-five miles  in  one  hundred  and  fifty  minutes 
with  ten  stops. 

Mr.  Collins  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  i, 
O.  R.  C.,  and  was  also  a  member  of  the  Conduc- 
tor's Brotherhood,  the  first  organization  of  Rail- 
wa conductors. 


JOHN    HOLLY,   locomotive   engineer   on 
the  I.  C.  Railroad  was  born  in  Chicago. 
Mr.    Holly    began    railroading    May    i, 
1 88 1,  as  a  fireman  in  the  yards  on  the 
Chicago  division,  at  Chicago,  for  Frank  Sweeney 
and  continued  in  that  service  about  one  year  and 
then  fired  on  a  construction  train  for  a  time  at 
El  Paso,  then  in  suburban  service  for  William 
Leach  about  six  months,  when  he  quit  the  road 


CHARLES   K.   DIXON. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


481 


for  six  months.  When  he  returned  he  went  in 
road  service  and  fired  for  James  Sweeney,  on 
engine  No.  176,  remained  with  him  about  a  year 
and  then  went  on  through  passenger  with  Horace 
L.  Seaver  and  Ed.  Barker.  After  this  he  was 
buck  on  the  freight  with  Richard  Ormsby  where 
ho  remained  until  1885,  when  he  was  promoted 
and  began  running  in  the  yards  on  engine  No. 
13,  in  which  service  he  continued  one  year  and 
then  took  suburban  engine  No.  221  now  No.  201, 
then  No.  62  now  No.  216  and  continued  in  subur- 
ban service  until  1889,  when  he  was  given  engine 
Xo.  186  in  the  freight  service,  later  ran  No.  388, 
then  Xo.  446  and  then  No.  320  which  was  new 
from  the  Cook  works.  He  was  finally  given  the 
fruit  express  with  engine  No.  305.  In  1893  he 
was  promoted  to  through  passenger  service  and 
ran  to  Champaign  during  the  World's  Fair,  on. 
engines  No.  928  and  No.  301.  In  the  fall  of  that 
\ear  he  was  put  in  the  Grand  Crossing  Express 
service  and  from  that  to  the  Kloomington  freight 
run  which  he  held  for  two  years.  He  then  went 
back  to  suburban  service  for  over  a  year  and  then 
to  through  passenger  service  in  which  he  has  con- 
tinued up  to  the  present  time  and  has  never  in  all 
his  work  been  injured.  He  is  a  member  of  Divi- 
sion Xo.  10,  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  is  also  a  thirty 
second  degree  Mason,  belonging  to  the  Oriental 
Consistory  of  Chicago. 

Mr.  Holly  married  Miss  Theresa  M.  Sulli- 
van and  they  have  four  children,  Elroy,  Ethel, 
Grace  and  Viola.  His  father,  Michael,  was  an 
old  employe  of  the  Illinois  Central  and  worked 
on  the  Chicago  division  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  began  as  brakeman  and  his  last  service  was 
gate  tender  at  the  Indiana  avenue  crossing. 


HARLES  K.  DIXON,  superintendent 
of  the  Cherokee  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central  R.  R.  is  one  of  the  veterans  of 
the  system,  having  begun  his  railroad 
career  in  1864,  shortly  after  his  return  from  ser- 
vice in  the  Union  army  in  the  civil  war.  Born 
at  the  village  of  Granby,  Province  of  Quebec. 


July  10,  1847,  'le  attended  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  place  and  the  academy  of  Frost  Vil- 
lage in  the  same  province. 

Shortly  after  reaching  Illinois  he  enlisted 
May  24,  1861,  in  Company  H,  15th  I.  V.  L, 
the  first  regiment  from  the  state  to  enlist  for 
three  years  or  during  the  war.  Participat- 
ing in  the  battle  of  Shiloh  where  he  received  a 
shot  through  the  body,  the  battle  of  Hatchie  and 
the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  he  was  on  Sherman's 
world  famous  march  to  the  sea. 

At  the  close  of  the  service  he  returned  to 
Illinois  and  soon  after  secured  a  place  as  assistant 
in  the  office  of  the  Central  at  Forreston,  Illinois, 
where  he  learned  telegraphy  and  served  as 
operator  for  a  short  time  when  he  was  assigned 
to  a  key  in  the  dispatchers  office  at  Amboy,  was 
promoted  and  served  six  years  as  chief  dispatcher. 
In  1 88 1  he  accepted  the  -position  of  trainmaster 
at  Fort  Dodge  and  in  1887  his  executive  ability 
was  recognized  in  his  appointment  to  the  position 
of  division  superintendent,  since  which  time  he 
has  had  charge  of  the  Cherokee  division.  As  a 
railroad  man  few  have  a  more  thorough  ground- 
ing in  the  principles  of  railway  construction  and 
operation  than  Mr.  Dixon.  Having  begun  at  the 
bottom  he  has  learned  all  the  details  of  his  work 
from  many  years  experience,  and  has  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  all  that  pertains  to  railway  opera- 
tion and  an  executive  ability  to  carry  it  vigorously 
into  the  management  of  the  division  of  which  he 
is  the  head. 

On  November  2nd,  1881,  Mr.  Dixon  was 
married,  at  Amboy,  to  Miss  Katie  A.  Beals, 
daughter  of  Henry  H.  Beals  one  of  the  old  time 
conductors  of  the  Illinois  Central  system,  a 
sketch  of  whom  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

On  the  beginning  of  the  track  laying  on  the 
Omaha  branch,  Mrs.  Dixon  drove  the  golden 
spike  at  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  May  25th,  1899, 
at  which  time  she  made  a  very  appropriate 
address,  recounting  the  fact  that  her  entire  life 
had  been  connected  with  the  railroad  from  girl- 
hood to  maturity. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dixon  are  the  parents  of  five 
children:  Bruce  and  Charles  Jr.,  deceased;  John 
Beals,  Ruth  Kittie  and  Faith  C-  K.  Mr.  Dixon 


482 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


is  far  advanced  in  the  Masonic  order  holding 
membership  in  the  Illinois  Central  Lodge  at 
Amboy,  Nathan  Whitney  Chapter  at  Franklin 
Grove,  Dixon  Commandery  in  the  jurisdiction  of 
Illinois  and  the  Kaaba  Temple  of  the  Mystic 
Shrine  at  Davenport.  With  Mrs.  Dixon  he  is  a 
member  of  the  order  of  Eastern  Star. 

Mr.  Dixon  is  one  of  the  old  timers  and  has 
witnessed  wonderful  changes  in  railway  operation 
and  management  during  the  third  of  a  century 
and  more  that  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  work. 
Many  of  the  younger  generation  of  railway  men 
have  received  their  first  instruction  under  his 
supervision,  some  of  them  rising  to  the  heads  of 
divisions.  Superiors,  subordinates  and  patrons 
of  the  line  all  testify  to  his  uniform  courtesy  and 
consideration. 


FT'" 
O  w 


GUITEAU,  a  prominent  conductor 
in  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
was  born  at  Du  Quoin,  111.,  a  son 
of  Benjamin  Guiteau,  a  carpenter  by 
trade,  who  erected  the  I.  C.  station  at  Du  Quoin 
and  also  built  the  Big  Muddy  bridge,  near  De- 
Soto.  Our  subject  began  railroading  Aug. 
28,  1868,  at  Champaign,  on  the  Chicago  division, 
as  brakeman  under  John  Gibson,  now  deceased. 
He  continued  in  this  capacity  for  about  one  year 
and  a  half  and  then  went  into  the  through  pas- 
senger service  as  brakeman  under  Charles  Gil- 
more,  remaining  about  one  year ;  following  which 
he  ran  baggage  for  John  Owen  for  five  years. 
At  the  end  of  this  time  he  went  into  the  sleeping 
car  service,  running  between  Chicago  and  New 
Orleans,  making  one  trip  a  week.  At  the  end 
of  three  years  he  entered  the  Illinois  Central 
suburban  service  as  collector  and  January  6,  1885, 
he  was  promoted  to  conductor  by  Trainmaster 
Jones  and  has  since  served  in  that  capacity,  now 
standing  at  the  head  of  the  list,  followed  by  John 
Dolan .  Our  subject  has  been  in  one  serious  ac- 
cident; while  in  the  extra  baggage  service  he 
was  called,  as  brakeman,  to  St.  Louis,  and  while 
on  the  return  trip  the  train  was  derailed  and  our 


subject  was  caught  between  the  cars  and  so  badly 
injured,  that  he  was  laid  up  in  St.  Luke's  hospi- 
tal for  three  months.  Socially  our  subject  is 
identified  with  Division  No.  I,  O.  R.  C.,  of  Chi- 
cago. 

Mr.  Guiteau  married  Miss  Emma  Ludington 
and  they  have  one  daughter,  Olive  May.  They 
reside  in  a  comfortable  home  at  No.  257,  79th 
street,  Chicago. 


H.  KEMPTON  is  a  native  of 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was 
LQ  born  in  1854.  He  commenced  rail- 
roading December  1871,  serving  as 
an  apprentice  in  the  shops  at  Weldon  for  four 
years,  after  which  he  worked  as  journeymali, 
one  year,  when  he  began  firing  in  the  freight 
service  remaining  there  three  years  and  a  half. 
Among  the  well-known  engineers  for  whom  he 
fired  was  J.  J.  DeLacy,  now  one  of  the  city 
smoke  inspectors  of  Chicago,  and  Antone  Fortin, 
better  known  as  the  "wild  Frenchman"  now 
deceased.  In  the  fall  of  1879  he  began  running 
in  the  suburban  service  when  there  were  only 
two  engines.  After  being  in  that  service  a  short 
time,  owing  to  his  knowledge  of  engines,  about 
eighteen  months  were  spent  on  different  divisions 
of  the  system.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  was 
given  a  regular  engine  in  the  freight  service  and 
since  then  there  has  never  been  a  time  but  what 
he  has  had  an  engine  including  all  kinds,  con- 
ditions and  classes.  He  continued  to  pull  freight 
until  1891,  when  he  was  promoted  to  passenger 
engineer  and  he  it  was  who  brought  the  first 
Diamond  Special  from  Clinton  to  Chicago,  which 
he  continued  to  pull  for  about  eight  months,  when 
he  got  a  through  passenger  run  to  Champaign, 
with  engine  No.  968. 

At  the  time  of  the  Atlanta  exposition 
President  Fish  had  a  special  train  which  was 
devoted  to  invited  guests  and  our  subject  was 
chosen  to  pull  it  to  Champaign.  In  1896  our 
subject  was  running  No.  962,  on  which  there 
was,  for  a  week,  nine  students  and  one  professor 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


483 


from  the  state  University  of  Illinois.  This  class 
of  young  mechanical  engineers  was  an  experiment 
to  determine  just  what  that  class  of  engine  could 
do,  and  as  a  token  of  esteem  the  class  presented 
our  subject  with  a  fine  framed  photo  of  his  pet 
engine.  During  the  eighteen  months  already 
mentioned  he  was  south  to  Cairo  and  west  to 
Fort  Dodge.  He  was  never  seriously  injured. 
He  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  10,  B.  of  L.  E., 
having  held  the  office  of  assistant  engineer  for 
several  years.  Mr.  Kempton  came  west  with  his 
parents  when  he  was  a  youth,  lived  in  Michigan 
until  1869  and  then  came  to  Chicago.  In  1877 
he  married  Miss  Sarah  E.  Connor  and  they  have 
five  children,  Charlotte  Marie,  Edna  Maude, 
Ollie  Ogrita,  Mortimer  LeRoy  and  Herbert 
Eugene. 


EORGE  L.  HODGE,  conductor  on  the 
Illinois  Central  railroad,  residing  at 
Amboy,  111.,  was  born  at  Magnolia, 
Illinois,  March  14,  1853.  His  father, 
a  carpenter,  was  born  at  Wheeling,  W.  Va.  His 
mother,  Margaret  A.  Wilson,  was  born  in  Nova 
Scotia,  April  21,  1819,  and  is  now  living  at 
Wenona,  Illinois.  The  parents  were  married, 
and  came  west  in  1851,  locating  in  Magnolia,  111., 
from  which  place  they  removed  to  Wenona,  111., 
at  the  time  the  Illinois  Central  was  being  con- 
structed. They  had  four  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  two  sons  and  three  daughters  are 
living. 

Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Wenona,  111.,  left  school  at  the  age  of 
sixteen  and  accepted  a  position  as  brakeman  on 
the  Illinois  Central  railroad  where  he  remained 
for  a  few  months,  after  which  he  went  to  work 
for  his  father  in  Wenona,  learning  the  carpenter 
trade  which  he  followed  until  March  1884  when 
ho  again  entered  the  employ  of  the  Illinois 
Central  as  brakeman,  being  promoted  to  yard- 
master  after  two  years  service,  working  at  various 
points  on  the  Amboy  division  until  he  was  pro- 
moted, in  1890,  to  the  position  of  conductor  and 


has  since  served  in  that  capacity. 

He  was  married  July  23rd,  1880,  to  Miss 
Rosa  E.  Morris,  of  Rutland  Illinois ;  a  sister 
of  Mrs.  J.  C.  Dailey,  whose  husband  is  the 
present  superintendent  of  the  St.  Louis  division. 
To  this  marriage  two  sons  have  been  born, 
William,  born  April  13,  1881,  and  employed  in 
trainmaster's  office  at  Clinton,  111.,  and  Edward, 
born  June  14,  1883,  still  attending  school. 


ILLIAM  B.  DAVIS  began  work  for 
the  111.  Central  in  March  1872,  as 
a  machinist's  apprentice  at  Weldon, 
under  James  Heap  who  was  foreman 
at  that  time.  He  served  four  years  and  then 
worked  as  a  journeyman  until  the  fall  of  1879, 
during  which  time  he  assisted  in  the  rebuilding 
of  transfer  boats  on  the  Ohio,  at  Cairo.  He  was 
there  during  the  year  of  1878,  which  was  the  time 
of  the  yellow  fever  scare.  In  November  1879  ne 
accepted  a  position  as  foreman  in  the  shops  at 
Centralia  and  remained  there  until  September 
1885.  As  a  token  of  esteem  the  employes  of  the 
shops  at  that  place  presented  him  with  a  very  fine 
gold  watch. 

He  then  accepted  a  position  as  general  fore- 
man of  the  shops  at  Champaign  and  remained 
there  until  the  fall  of  1887,  when  he  returned  to 
Weldon  as  foreman  of  engine  house,  remaining 
in  that  capacity  until  August  igth,  1889,  when 
he  began  running  suburban  engine  No.  202,  which 
he  ran  for  a  short  time  and  then  returned  to 
Champaign  and  acted  as  foreman  of  shops.  He 
was  there  three  months,  then  returned  to  Chicago 
and  began  running  engine  No.  227,  and  after 
three  years  he  was  given  engine  No.  212,  then 
No.  214  for  one  year  and  in  the  fall  of  1894  he 
took  engine  No.  248,  which  he  ran  until  Sept. 
30,  1899.  With  this  engine  he  made  a  record 
of  seventy-two  miles  an  hour,  which  is  the  best 
time  ever  made  by  a  suburban  engine.  On  the 
last  named  date  Mr.  Davis  was  promoted  to  the 
position  of  general  foreman  of  the  27th  street 


484 


1  ILLINOIS'  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


round  house,  where  he  is  employed  at  present. 

The  subject  belongs  to  Division  No.  10,  B. 
of  L.  E.  December  29,  1880,  Mr.  Davis  married 
Miss  Lizzie  Thillman,  the  eldest  daughter  of 
N.  W.  Thillman,  who  is  a  well  known  Illinois 
Central  employe.  They  had  four  children,  three 
of  whom  are  living,  Allie,  Katie  and  Lizzie. 

Mr.  Davis  was  one  of  the  first  to  take  ex- 
amination in  air  brake  service  and  holds  certificate 
number  one  dated  January  14,  1895.  It  is  worthy 
of  mention  that  Mrs.  Davis  is  an  artist  of  no 
mean  ability  and  also  a  fine  musician.  Allie, 
their  eldest  daughter,  is  a  graduate  of  music 
under  Professor  Mathews.  Mr.  Davis  owns 
fine  property  at  11714  State  st,  Chicago,  111. 


JAMES  J.  ORCHARD,  locomotive  engi- 
neer on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
resides  at  Freeport,  111.,  and  was  born  in 
London,  England,  March  5,  1856.  His 
father,  James  Henry  Orchard,  was  born  in  Lon- 
don, England,  November  21,  1831,  and  was  a 
ship  carpenter  by  trade.  He  emigrated  to  Ameri- 
ca in  May  1871,  located  in  Amboy,  111.,  worked 
at  carpenter  work  for  about  a  year  when  he  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
in  the  car  building  department,  where  he  remained 
until  the  time  of  his  death  August  4,  1892.  His 
mother,  Prudence  Hall  was  born  in  Limehouse, 
London,  England,  February  18,  1832,  emigrated 
to  America  in  July  1872,  and  is  now  living  at 
Amboy,  111.,  enjoying  the  best  of  health.  They 
had  two  children,  our  subject  and  Rebecca  Eliza- 
beth, born  in  London,  England.  She  came  to 
this  country  with  her  mother  and  was  married 
October  1896,  in  Amboy,  111.,  to  William  Parks, 
of  Utica,  New  York. 

Our  subject  was  educated  in  his  native  coun- 
try, but  did  not  have  many  advantages,  going 
to  work  when  but  a  boy.  He  came  to  this  country 
with  his  father  in  1871  and  went  to  work  in  the 
construction  department  of  the  Chicago  and  Rock- 
River  Railroad,  now  a  part  of  the  C.  B.  &  Q. 


system,  where  he  remained  for  one  year  and  then 
apprenticed  himself  to  a  blacksmith  for  three 
years. .  He  continued  to  work  at  his  trade  for 
fourteen  months  and  then  accepted  a  position  as 
locomotive  fireman  in  the  employ  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  September  26,  1876,  holding 
this  place  until  he  was  promoted  to  the  right  side 
on  August  19,  1885,  which  position  he  now  holds. 
Mr.  Orchard  was  married  in  Clinton,  111., 
on  September  8,  1896,  to  Mrs.  Linna  Joyce,  of 
Peru,  111. 


S.  FARRINGTON  who  was  born  in 
Donaldson,  Ind.,  began  railroading 
,  Q  as  a  water  boy  on  the  Nickel  Plate 
when  that  road  was  being  built ; 
from  that  he  rose  to  time  keeper,  driver  and  tie 
nipper,  his  father  having  charge  of  the  tie  layers 
at  the  time.  Our  subject  continued  on  that  road 
until  it  was  completed  and  was  a  brakeman  be- 
hind the  first  engine  run  on  that  road.  Then  at 
the  age  of  seventeen,  in  1881,  he  commenced  as 
freight  brakeman  on  the  Pennsylvania  road,  at 
Fort  Wayne  and  continued  there  one  year,  run- 
ning from  that  place  to  Chicago.  He  then  be- 
gan braking  on  the  Chicago  &  Alton  out  of  Braid- 
wood  to  Chicago,  remaining  there  four  months, 
and  then  went  to  the  St.  Louis  division  of  the 
Wabash,  later  coming  to  the  Chicago  division 
and  for  three  years  served  as  brakeman,  when  he 
was  promoted  to  freight  conductor.  He  continued 
as  such  six  months,  when  he  resigned  and  went 
to  the  International  &  Great  Northern  Railroad, 
of  Texas  and  ran  three  ways  out  of  Palestine 
as  freight  brakeman  and  extra  conductor  for  four 
months.  In  August  1885  he  left  there  and  went 
to  the  Grand  Rapids  &  Indiana  road  and  worked 
at  Grand  Rapids  and  Big  Rapids  as  a  switchman 
eight  months  and  then  on  July  9,  1886,  came  to 
the  Illinois  Central  and  for  one  year  and  one 
month  was  freight  brakeman  on  the  Chicago 
division.  September  19,  1887,  he  was  promoted 
to  conductor  and  began  running  freight.  For 
three  years  he  was  in  the  "  chain  gang  "  and  then 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


485 


took  the  way  freight  between  Chicago  and  Gil- 
man,  ran  that  until  April  15,  1892,  when  he  was 
promoted  to  suburban  conductor  and  continued 
in  that  service  until  July  1896,  during  which 
time  he  ran  as  extra  through  passenger  man. 
On  the  above  date  our  subject  took  the  Oilman 
accommodation  and  ran  that  until  July  i,  1897, 
when  he  was  given  a  through  passenger  run  to 
Centralia,  which  he  has  held  up  to  the  present 
time.  When  he  was  examined  he  was  the 
youngest  member  of  a  class  of  thirteen  and  is 
the  only  one  out  of  that  number  on  the  road  to- 
day. He  has  never  had  an  accident  to  his  train 
or  to  himself. 

Our  subject  is  a  member  of  the  O.  R.  C., 
Division  No.  I.  He  has  lived  in  Chicago  since 
1882,  and  owns  two  fine  pieces  of  property,  a  two 
story  flat  at  7349  Madison  avenue  and  a  hand- 
some stone  residence  at  7350  on  the  same  avenue. 

Mr.  Farrington  married  Miss  Mary  Wood- 
worth  in  July  1887  and  they  have  had  five  chil- 
dren three  of  whom  are  deceased. 


HARLES  R.  STROMGREN  who  was 
formerly  in  charge  of  the  tin  shops  of 
the  Illinois  Central,  at  Waterloo, 
Iowa,  was  born  in  Sweden,  in 
January  1837.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a  copper- 
smith in  his  native  country,  emigrated  to  the 
United  States  in  1863,  end  followed  that  occu- 
pation at  various  places  until  1869.  In  the  latter 
year  he  became  identified  with  the  I.  C.  R.  R. 
at  Dubuque,  Iowa,  where  he  was  employed  in  the 
shops  until  1870.  He  then  went  to  Waterloo, 
Iowa,  taking  entire  charge  of  the  tin  shops  of 
the  company  at  that  place,  and  continued  in  that 
capacity  until  1894.  Mr.  Stromgren  was  married 
to  Miss  Anne  L.  Anderson,  of  Falkoping, 
Sweden.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with 
six  children :  Louis,  born  in  1861 ;  Charles  O.  F., 
born  in  1863;  Anna  M.,  born  in  1867;  Clara 
H.,  born  in  1870;  Alberta,  born  in  1872;  and 
Rudolph,  born  in  1874;  of  these  the  two 
eldest  are  married.  All  have  received  the  benefits 
of  a  good  education.  A  continuous  service  "of 
twenty-six  years  with  the  company  marks  Mr. 
Stromgren  as  a  mechanic  of  ability  as  well  as 
a  valued  and  faithful  employe. 


JAMES  BURNS  has  been  with  the  Illinois 
Central  company  for  fifteen  years.     He 
began  in  the  general  offices  of  the  road, 
worked  there  about  six  years  and  then 
began  as  fireman  on  engines  in  the  yard  and  on 
the  road,  beginning  under  Joe  El  wood,  engineer, 
and  was   engaged  as  fireman  about  five  years, 
when  he  took  charge  of  engine  No.  322,  in  the 
freight  service  between  Chicago  and  Champaign. 
He  now  has  a  regular  run. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  the  southern  part 
of  Illinois,  June  25,  1869,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
Burns,  a  contractor,  who  was  very  prominent 
with  the  Illinois  Central  road  for  many  years, 
and  built  many  of  the  bridges  on  the  road. 

Mr.  Burns  married  Mabel  Blocksidge  of 
Chicago  and  they  have  two  children,  William 
and  Edward.  They  live  at  2575,  looth  Place. 
He  was  never  injured  or  in  any  wrecks  of  any 
kind.  He  belongs  to  Division  No.  10,  B.  of  L. 
E.,  of  Burnside,  Illinois. 


ILLIAM  BROWN  first  saw  the 
light  of  day  in  Covington,  Indiana. 
About  eighteen  years  ago  he  began 
on  the  Monon  Route  at  Lafayette, 
Ind.,  as  a  freight  brakeman  and  then  he  went  to 
the  Peoria  division  of  the  Big  Four,  (then  the 
I.  B.  &  W.)  He  then  went  to  the  Clover  Leaf  as 
a  freight  brakeman,  and  then  to  the  St.  Louis 
division  of  the  Big  Four  Route  in  the  same 
capacity.  When  he  came  back  to  the  Peoria 
division  he  was  promoted  to  freight  conductor, 
and  he  then  went  to  the  Cairo  division  of  the 
Big  Four  and  for  two  weeks  he  served  as 
brakeman  on  the  Cotton  Belt.  After  this  he- 
returned  to  Lafayette,  serving  in  the  capacity  of 
freight  conductor  and  brakeman  and  then  he 
went  to  Birmingham,  Alabama,  serving  as  con- 


48fi 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ductor  on  the  Louisville  &  Nashville.  His  next 
post  was  on  the  Central  division  of  the  Big  Four 
at  Indianapolis,  where  he  was  freight  brakeman. 
Our  subject  then  returned  to  Peoria  as  freight 
conductor  and  then  went  to  Monon,  Indiana,  on 
the  Monon  Route,  serving  in  the  capacity  of  yard- 
master.  On  December  26,  1890,  he  came  to  the 
Illinois  Central  and  began  braking  on  the  freight 
for  N.  S.  Farrington  and  served  here  until  the 
following  September,  when  he  was  promoted  to 
freight  conductor,  running  the  freight  until 
September  1896,  when  he  was  put  in  the  suburban 
service  and  has  remained  in  that  until  the  present 
day.  He  has  never  been  injured,  is  a  member  of 
Division  No.  i,  O.  R.  C.  and  the  K.  of  H.,  of 
Chicago. 

Mr.  Brown  was  married  to  Miss  Long  of 
Boston  in  1896.  Her  father  was  an  old  sea 
captain. 


JE.  ZIMMERMAN,  is  a  native  of  Water- 
town,  New  York.  He  began  railroad- 
Q  ing  when  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age 
on  the  Rome,  Watertown  &  Ogdens- 
burg,  of  New  York  state,  as  a  brakeman  on  the 
way  freight  between  Rome  and  Watertown,  but 
at  the  end  of  five  days  he  was  hit  on  the  head 
by  a  low  bridge,  but  through  the  influence  of 
Roscoe  Conkling  secured  damages.  After  being 
laid  up  about  eight  weeks  he  began  work  again 
and  continued  braking  on  freight  and  passenger 
for  two  years,  when  he  was  promoted  to  baggage- 
man and  served  in  that  capacity  and  as  extra 
conductor  for  eight  years.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  he  quit  the  road  and  located  in  California 
on  a  potato  ranch  remaining  there  two  years, 
when  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Chicago  and 
secured  a  position  as  street  car  conductor  and  re- 
mained in  that  position  four  years  when  he  re- 
signed and  in  1882  secured  a  position  on  the  Illi- 
nois Central  as  a  brakeman.  He  then  went  into 
the  suburban  service  under  Conductor  Mogg  and 
continued  there  one  year  and  a  half,  but  during 
that  time,  owing  to  his  former  experience,  he  ran 


as  extra  conductor  most  of  the  time.  Then  he 
was  on  a  baggage  car  a  short  time,  then  collector, 
running  as  extra  conductor  and  in  1884  was  regu- 
larly promoted  to  conductor  and  has  remained 
in  that  capacity  up  to  the  present  day.  During 
the  strike  in  1894  he  ran  the  military  train  to 
Riverdale.  In  all  these  years  our  subject  has 
never  cost  the  company  a  dollar,  never  been 
suspended  and  has  never  had  a  black  mark,  which 
is  a  record  to  be  proud  of.  While  on  the  Rome, 
Watertown  &  Ogdensburg  Railroad  our  subject 
was  mixed  up  in  several  serious  accidents.  Mr. 
Zimmerman  belongs  to  Division  No.  I,  O.  R.  C. 


LEASANT  A.  SMITH  was  born  in 
Wabash  county,  Indiana.  Before  en- 
tering the  railroad  service  he  learned 
the  cooper's  trade  and  photography. 
He  began  his  railroad  work,  in  1891,  as  a  fireman 
in  the  yards  at  Randolph  street,  with  Henry 
Fisher  on  engine  No.  9.  He  continued  in  yard 
service  for  eleven  months  and  was  with  the  same 
engineer  nearly  all  the  time.  He  then  went  as 
extra  road  fireman  and  made  his  first  trip  with 
John  L.  Gerry  on  No.  310.  He  fired  on  the  road 
until  the  spring  of  '93,  and  then  went  into  the 
W6rld's  Fair  service,  in  which  he  remained  until 
the  following  fall,  then  returned  to  the  road, 
where  he  continued  as  fireman  until  Thanksgiv- 
ing Day  '95,  when  he  was  examined  and  went 
on  as  extra  engineer,  continuing  in  this  capacity 
until  Oct.  15,  1898,  when  he  was  put  on  regular. 
He  now  has  No.  316  in  the  road  service.  On 
December  31,  1897,  Mr.  Smith  was  sent  south 
to  the  Mississippi  division  at  Water  Valley,  and 
ran  between  Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  Canton,  Miss. 
He  remained  there  until  October  12,  1898,  when 
he  returned  to  Chicago  and  has  been  in  road  ser- 
vice since.  Mr.  Smith  was  never  seriously  in- 
jured. 

He  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  Ihrk,  of 
Michigan  City,  Ind.,  April  18,  1900.  He  is  a 
member  of  Division  No.  10,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Burn- 
side,  and  K.  of  P.,  No.  382,  of  Chicago. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


487 


HOMAS  F.  MURPHY,  engineer  with 
the  I.  C.  since  June  5,  1875,  began 
in  the  Chicago  shops,  at  welding  iron 
in  the  boiler  department  one  year  and 
then  began  firing  on  engine  No.  45,  with  Jno. 
Murphy,  engineer  in  the  Kankakee  yards,  re- 
maining there  four  years  and  four  months  and 
then  took  charge  of  an  engine  and  went  on  the 
road  between  Chicago  and  Champaign,  111.  He 
spent  five  years  in  the  suburban  service,  when 
in  April  1899  he  gave  it  up  and  has  since  been  on 
road  service. 

Our  subject  has  lived  in  Dauphin  Park  for 
two  years  and  Homewood  two  years.  He  is  a 
son  of  Patrick  Murphy  of  Ireland  and  his  mother 
was  Mary  Brennen  also  of  Ireland.  His  father 
used  to  work  in  the  Illinois  Central  shops.  Both 
parents  are  now  deceased. 

Our  subject  married  Mame  Cavanaugh  of 
Iowa  and  they  have  three  children,  Frank  T., 
Robert  E.,  Lillian  R.,  all  at  home.  Our  subject 
was  never  injured  in  any  way  and  never  had  an 
accident  while  running  a  train.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Division  No.  10,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Burnside. 


A.  HUME,  an  old  and  valued  em- 
ploye of  the  Illinois  Central,  is 
Q  an  engineer  in  the  passenger  ser- 
vice on  the  Grenada  division.  He 
began  his  railroad  career  on  the  Mississippi  and 
Texas  division  of  the  I.  C.,  in  1859,  and  has  since 
been  with  the  company,  a  period  of  forty  years. 
When  the  I.  C.  bought  the  Great  Western  R.  R., 
Mr.  Hume  was  sent  to  that  division  of  the  road, 
and  was  for  eighteen  months  there,  running  be- 
tween Springfield  and  Naples,  111.  He  was  then 
transferred  to  the  Grenada  division,  and  served 
in  the  freight  department  until  1868,  when  he 
was  promoted  to  the  passenger  department  on  the 
same  division,  and  has  since  remained  there.  He 
bears  the  distinction  of  being  the  oldest  engineer 
on  the  southern  lines.  Possessed  of  a  sound  con- 
stitution, his  life  has  been  one  of  incessant  in- 


dustry and  activity.  He  is  even  now  one  of  the 
most  reliable  employes  of  the  company,  never 
absent  from  his  post,  and  his  endurance  would 
put  to  the  test  many  a  younger  man.  Mr.  Hume 
was  born  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  August  31, 
1833.  His  parents,  both  deceased,  were  highly 
respected  farmers  of  that  part  of  Illinois. 

Miss  Elizabeth  O'Neil  of  Springfield,  111., 
became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Hume,  and  six  children 
resulted  from  their  union,  viz:  William,  a  ma- 
chinist at  Memphis ;  Elizabeth,  at  home ;  Charles, 
a  clerk  in  the  freight  department  of  the  I.  C.,  at 
Memphis,  since  1879;  Lillie  E.,  wife  of  W.  E. 
Howard,  a  conductor;  Frank,  a  member  of  the 
Memphis  police  department;  and  Tabitha,  wife 
of  Walter  Moore,  of  Memphis.  Mr.  Hume,  with 
his  family,  occupies  a  beautiful  home  on  Rayburn 
avenue,  in  Memphis,  of  which  city  he  is  a  highly 
esteemed  and  valuable  citizen. 


EORGE  G.  BENNETT,  locomotive 
engineer,  has  been  in  the  employ  of 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  since 
1888.  His  first  railroad  work  was  at 
Grand  Island,  Neb.,  where  he  began  as  caller 
in  the  round  house  for  the  Union  Pacific  Rail- 
road. He  worked  at  same  six  months  and  then 
began  as  fireman  on  engine  No.  13,  on  the  St. 
Joe  &  Western  branch  of  the  Union  Pacific  Rail- 
road, held  that  position  three  months  and  then 
began  braking  on  the  same  road  between  Grand 
Island  and  North  Platte,  Neb.,  remaining  six 
months  and  then  came  to  Chicago  where  he  was 
engaged  as  fireman  on  engines  Nos.  I  and  14  on 
the  Chicago  &  Western  Indiana  Railroad,  run- 
ning four  years.  In  1888  he  began  as  fireman 
on  road  engine  No.  381  for  the  Illinois  Central 
company  and  was  soon  after  promoted  to  engi- 
neer, has  a  regular  run  on  engine  No.  311  on  the 
Chicago  division  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
company. 

Mr.  Bennett  was  born  in  Herkimer  county, 
New  York,  April  10,  1869,  and  is  a  son  of  Hiram 


4H8 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Bennett  of  the  same  county.  Our  subject  mar- 
ried Miss  Maggie  Keefe  of  Richmond,  Vermont, 
and  they  have  two  children,  Alfred  and  Mary. 
He  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  10,  B.  of  L.  E., 
of  Burnside  and  other  societies.  He  was  never 
in  any  wrecks,  or  never  injured  in  any  way.  He 
owns  a  nice  residence  at  No.  2594  Ninety-ninth 
street,  Chicago. 


THOMAS  F.  GRACE,  foreman  in  the  Illi- 
nois Central  blacksmith  shop  at  Free- 
port,  was  born  in  Little  Falls,  Herki- 
mer  county,  N.  Y.,  March  7,  1848. 
His  father,  John  Grace,  born  in  New  York  City,, 
was  a  horseman  by  occupation.  He  died  Decem- 
ber 18,  1895.  The  mother,  Mary  E.  (Splann) 
Grace  in  now  living  at  Florence,  N.  Y.  Their 
family  is  as  follows :  Pierce,  division  roadmaster 
of  the  N.  Y.  O.  &  W.  Ry.,  resides  in  Oswego, 
N.  Y. ;  Thomas  F. ;  John  E.,  carpenter  and  build- 
er, resides  in  Florence,  N.  Y. ;  M.  W.  is  em- 
ployed as  shaft  hammersman  in  the  Delamater 
Iron  Works,  N.  Y.  City,  doing  government  work. 
Thomas  F.  Grace  received  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Camden,  N.  Y.,  and  also 
took  a  special  course  in  drafting.  When  a  boy 
ht  carried  water  on  the  Utica  &  Black  River  R. 
R.  At  nineteen  he  was  promoted  to  brake- 
man  on  the  same  road,  first  working  on  a  freight 
train  and  afterward  was  promoted  to  a  passenger 
train.  In  1868  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Dela- 
ware &  Hudson  River  R.  R.  Co.,  and  learned  the 
blacksmith  trade  in  their  shops  at  Oneonta,  N.  Y., 
where  he  served  the  company  in  that  capacity 
for  three  years  and  four  months.  In  1872  he 
was  employed  by  the  Remington  Arms  Co.,  for 
eight  months;  then  worked  for  the  Midland  R. 
R.  Co.,  at  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  as  a  blacksmith  one 
year;  then  worked  eight  months  in  the  shops  of 
the  N.  Y.  L.  E.  &  W.  R.  R.  at  Susquehanna,  Pa. ; 
then  was  employed  in  the  Schenectady  Locomo- 
tive Works,  at  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  six  months ; 
then  entered  the  service  of  the  Meredith  Iron  & 
Lumber  company,  at  St.  Mary's,  Elk  county, 


1  'a.,  where  he  remained  two  years  and  six  months ; 
then  went  to  Ridgway,  Pa.,  and  worked  for  K. 
White  &  Co.,  for  four  months ;  then  entered  the 
service  of  the  Lehigh  R.  R.  Co.,  at  Sayre,  Pa., 
for  four  years  and  eight  months ;  worked  in  Chi- 
cago for  the  Preston  Fire  Engine  Co.  for  four 
months.  December  i,  1883,  he  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  at  the  Weldori  shops  in 
Chicago  where  he  worked  building  locomotives 
four  years;  then  served  the  Everhard  Mfg.  Co. 
at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  as  foreman  six  months ;  then 
returned  to  Weldon  on  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  for  eight 
months ;  went  to  Streator,  111.,  as  foreman  in  the 
shops  of  the  Chicago,  Santa  Fe  &  California,  for 
eight  months,  and  when  the  shops  were  moved 
to  Ft.  Madison,  Iowa,  he  also  went  and  remained 
three  years ;  then  went  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  and 
worked  for  the  Meredith  Coal  &  Lumber  Co., 
four  months.  In  June  1892  he  again  entered  the 
service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  this  time  as  foreman  of 
the  blacksmith  shops  at  Freeport,  111.,  where  he 
still  remains. 

Mr.  Grace  was  married  August  10,  1896, 
to  Miss  Maggie  Mervin  of  Freeport.  They  have 
one  child,  William  Monroe,  born  September  14, 
1897.  Mr.  Grace  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
church.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 


OLPH  MASON,  an  engineer  on  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  was  born  in  St.  Johns. 
New  Brunswick,  and  is  the  son  of 
Christopher  Mason,  an  old  time  engi- 
neer on  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  Our  subject  started  his 
railroad  life  as  a  fireman  in  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  yards 
at  Aurora,  111.,  remaining  there  two  years,  when 
he  commenced  firing  in  the  road  service  and  re- 
maining there  five  and  one-half  years,  when  he 
was  promoted  to  the  right  side  of  the  cab.  and 
for  the  following  four  years  served  in  the  road 
and  switch  service.  In  1888.  Mr.  Mason  went 
to  the  Illinois  Central  as  an  engineer  in  the  freight 
service  l>etween  Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  Cairo.  111. 
He  served  there  two  vears  and  was  then  trans- 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


491 


ferred  to  Chicago,  where  for  three  months  he 
pulled  a  train  on  the  road,  when  he  was  placed 
in  the  switch  service  where  he  is  at  the  present 
time.  Our  subject  has  never  been  injured.  So- 
cially he  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  10,  B.  of 
L.  E.,  of  Burnside. 

Mr.  Mason  married  Miss  Julia  Moysant, 
and  their  union  has  been  blessed  with  eleven  chil- 
dren, viz  :  Joseph,  deceased  ;  Arthur,  William, 
Bernie,  Frank  ;  Alberta  and  Bertha,  twins  ;  Ed. 
and  Alfred,  twins,  deceased,  and  George  and 
Carrie,  twins. 


C.  WAGGENER,  superintendent 
of  bridges  and  buildings  of  Evans- 
Q  ville  district  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
was  born  near  Elizabethtown, 
Quaker  Valley,  Hardin  county,  Kentucky,  where 
he  was  educated.  His  people  are  of  the  best 
families  of  Virginia  and  Kentucky.  At  the  age 
of  sixteen  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Gulf, 
Colorado  &  Santa  Fe  road,  under  Chief  Engineer 
Temple.  He  drove  a  scraper  team  at  twenty- 
five  dollars  a  month.  Having  no  use  for  his 
money  he  left  it  in  the  care  of  the  contractor  for 
whom  he  was  working,  and  when  three  months 
pay  had  accumulated  the  contractor  decamped 
taking  the  money  and  leaving  Mr.  Waggener 
without  a  penny,  with  poor  clothes  and  an  old 
straw  hat  with  a  piece  of  calico  sewed  over  the 
top  to  protect  him  from  the  sun's  rays.  Not  dis- 
heartened he  started  out  on  foot  to  seek  work 
and  came  upon  a  crew  driving  piles  from  Nava- 
sota  to  Navasota  Junction  and  secured  a  place 
with  them.  He  continued  with  them  to  the 
Brazos  river,  camping  on  the  river  bottom  where 
the  moss  hung  from  trees,  a  novel  experience, 
for  one  who  was  then  but  a  boy.  In  June  he 
got  through  to  Houston,  Texas.  During  this 
time  the  foreman  took  sick  and  our  subject  acted 
as  foreman  some  times  receiving  one  hundred 
dollars  a  month.  July  1882  the  road  was  com- 
pleted from  the  Navasota  river  to  Brazos  river, 
and  our  subject  secured  a  place  with  the  Canton 
P>  ridge  Company  at  Houston,  Texas,  built  several 

27 


large  bridges,  and  afterwards  went  with  the  Can- 
ton Wrought  Iron  Bridge  Company.  He  quit 
and  was  on  a  farm  for  six  months,  from  which 
place  he  entered  the  service  of  the  L.  &  N.,  work- 
ing on  several  bridges,  and  went  south  to  Alabama 
as  assistant  foreman,  helping  to  build  the  bridge 
over  the  Alabama  river.  The  crew  boarded 
eighteen  miles  from  the  river  on  account  of  the 
damp  and  the  fog  at  Deatsville,  the  village  by 
the  bridge.  Becoming  ill  he  resigned  and  then 
worked  for  the  Louisville  Bridge  &  Iron  Com- 
pany, on  the  E.  Tennessee,  Virginia  &  Georgia 
Railroad,  and  the  N.  C.  &  St.  L.,  the  Knoxville 
division  of  the  L.  &  N.  also  worked  on  the  well 
known  Jacob's  bridge.  In  1888  he  came  south 
on  the  N.  N.  &  M.  V.,  also  on  the  L.  &  B.  and 
finally  in  1889  he  began  work  on  the  C.  O.  & 
S.  W.,  when  he  took  charge  of  a  bridge  crew 
and  was  soon  made  conductor  of  the  pile  driver, 
working  irregularly  until  December  1896,  when 
the  Illinois  Central  took  charge.  He  then  acted 
as  foreman  until  May  28,  1899,  when  he  was 
made  supervisor  of  bridges  and  buildings  of  the 
Evansville  district  with  headquarters  at  Hender- 
son, and  in  addition  has  charge  of  the  water 
supply.  He  has  thirty  to  seventy  men  in  his  de- 
partment and  three  foremen,  J.  K.  Earl,  J.  H. 
Morgan  and  E.  Wellington.  Mr.  Waggener  is  a 
man  of  energy  and  strict  integrity  and  shows  by 
his  advancement  what  a  poor  lone  boy  can  do  by 
perseverance.  He  married  a  daughter  of  Richard 
Whittemore  of  Kuttawa,  Ky.,  and  has  one  child, 
four  years  old.  Our  subject  is  a  prominent 
mason,  and  belongs  to  Cumberland  Lodge,  No. 
185,  K.  of  P.  He  resides  at  123  Adams  street, 
Henderson,  Ky. 


ARSHAL  R.  HEDGPETH,  an  engi- 
neer in  the  yards  at  Memphis,  Tenn., 
became  identified  with  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral on  March  24,  1894,  as  fireman 
on  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  division,  with 
Engineer  Frank  McLain.  He  was  engaged  in 
that  branch  of  the  service  for  three  years,  and 
was  then  promoted  to  engineer,  taking  charge  of 


492 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


engine  No.  63  in  the  Memphis  yards,  where  he 
is  now  employed.  While  engaged  in  firing  he 
was  in  1897  in  a  head  end  collision,  between 
engines  No.  13  and  No.  58,  in  which  Mr.  Fletcher, 
the  engineer,  was  injured,  but  he  escaped.  Mr. 
Hedgpeth  was  born  at  Springfield,  Mo.,  March 
13,  1872.  His  father,  Calvin  Hedgpeth,  is  still 
residing  there,  and  is  a  prominent  stockman.  He 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Bessie  Walson, 
and  they  have  three  children :  Damon,  James  and 
Clara.  Mr.  Hedgpeth  is  a  member  of  Division 
No.  364,  B.  of  L.  F.,  of  Memphis.  He  and  his 
family  are  adherents  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  in  politics  he  is  a  believer  in  the  prin- 
ciples of  Democracy. 


A.  BRADLEY  is  the  obliging  store 
keeper  in  the  Illinois  Central 
Q  shops  at  McComb  City,  and  is  a 
general  favorite  in  the  shops  on 
account  of  his  genial  disposition  and  general  good 
qualities.  He  was  born  in  the  state  of  New 
Jersey,  April  19,  1857,  and  is  a  son  of  Calvin  R. 
Bradley,  who  was  an  attorney  of  prominence  in 
the  east,  and  is  now  deceased.  At  the  age  of 
sixteen,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  left  home  to 
carve  his  own  fortune,  and  going  to.  Baltimore, 
Maryland,  worked  there  for  the  Southern  Ex- 
press Company.  He  was  employed  at  various 
points  in  the  east  by  that  company  and  by  the 
American  Express  Company  until  1878,  when 
he  went  to  New  Orleans  and  engaged  in  the 
restaurant  business.  He  continued  in  that  busi- 
ness until  1884,  when  he  entered  the  service  of 
the  Illinois  Central  at  McComb  City,  as  time- 
keeper in  the  railroad  shops  there.  After  a  ser- 
vice of  five  years  as  timekeeper  he  was  ap- 
pointed bookkeeper  in  the  office  of  the  Master 
Mechanic,  which  position  he  held  three  years. 
He  was  then  placed  in  charge  of  the  store  room 
and  has  since  held  that  position.  His  duties 
consist  in  disbursing  a  general  line  of  railroad 
sundries  to  the  employes  of  the  shops,  on  orders 
from  the  officials  and  foreman.  This  office  re- 


quires ability  of  no  small  means  and  Mr.  Bradley- 
is  filling  it  acceptably  to  all  concerned. 

Mr.  Bradley  was  married  to  Miss  Nettie 
Beaman,  of  McComb  City,  their  union  resulting 
in  the  birth  of  two  children,  Winston  and  Gay- 
nell. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  and  sub- 
stantial supporters  of  the  Christian  church. 


RANK  DUNHAM.  Amongst  the  eldest 
and  most  prominent  engineers  in  the 
suburban  service  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
our  subject  stands  at  the  head.  He 
began  in  the  service  in  1869,  as  a  brakeman  on 
the  Chicago  division  for  Al.  Bellows,  and  con- 
tinued in  that  capacity  until  1874,  although  in 
1871  he  did  some  running.  In  1874  he  had  his 
left  hand  injured.  Wrhile  laid  off  he  attended 
Bryant  and  Stratton's  business  college.  After 
recovery  he  went  to  El  Paso  and  began  firing  in 
the  yards.  At  that  time  they  ran  from  Chicago 
to  El  Paso  and  he  was  engaged  in  making  up 
trains.  He  remained  there  about  seven  months 
and  then  went  to  Oilman  where  he  acted  as  host- 
ler two  months,  then  returned  to  Chicago  and 
went  to  firing  No.  191  with  Geo.  Weatherhead, 
Sr.,  and  fired  for  him  five  months.  At  the  end 
of  that  time  he  was  sent  on  the  Southern  division 
and  fired  No.  188  for  Frank  Sweeny  on  freight 
from  Centralia  to  Cairo,  then  returned  to  Chica- 
go and  fired  No.  200  three  years  and  two  months 
for  Ed.  Monroe.  During  this  period  No.  200 
was  in  the  shops  and  our  subject  fired  No.  34  for 
Frank  Jennings.  In  1881  our  subject  was  pro- 
moted and  his  first  day's  run  was  on  No.  54  in* 
the  freight  yards  at  Randolph  street.  He  con- 
tinued in  this  service  nine  months  and  was  also 
extra  road  man,  as  was  customary  in  those  days. 
He  then  went  into  the  suburban  service  and  ran 
No.  91  for  one  year,  No.  44  two  months,  and  was 
then  given  No.  227,  a  new  engine  which  he  ran 
until  the  latter  part  of  '87  when  he  got  No.  216, 
then  No.  62  and  he  now  has  No.  1416.  In  the 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


493 


summer  of  '99,  when  the  black  smoke  question 
was  being  agitated,  our  subject  demonstrated  to 
smoke  Inspector  John  C.  Schubert  how  the  road 
could  abate  the  smoke  nuisance  when  it  feels  so 
inclined.  We  quote  from  the  Chicago  Tribune 
of  August  10,  '99. 

"The  trip  was  made  in  the  cab  of  engine  No.  216, 
with  a  star  crew  and  a  choice  supply  of  coal.  The 
results  of  the  trip  were  an  object  lesson  in  smoke  pre- 
vention. No.  216,  with  Engineer  Frank  Dunham  in 
charge  and  Fireman  Smith  at  the  shovel,  made  a  trip 
on  schedule  time  that  was  all  that  the  complaining 
patrons  of  the  road  could  demand.  No.  216  ran 
south  with  the  gauge  indicating  130  pounds  of  steam, 
showing  that  the  fireman  was  not  'favoring  it,'  and 
this  with  a  minimum  of  smoke.  Inspector  Schubert 
was  accompanied  by  William  H.  Quirk,  smoke  in- 
spector of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  His  position 
in  the  cab  gave  opportunity  to  see  what  a  competent 
and  careful  fireman  can  do  in  the  way  of  preventing 
smoke.  At  the  end  of  the  r.un  Inspector  Schubert 
said  to  Inspector  Quirk:  'That  was  first-rate.  If  all 
your  engines  were  run  like  that  there  wouldn't  be  any 
smoke  on  the  lake  front.'  And  Inspector  Quirk  replied 
to  Inspector  Schubert:  'That's  the  best  crew  on  the 
road  and  that's  the  way  they  do  it  every  time.'  "  *  *  * 

Mr.  Dunham  has  never  been  laid  out  by  ac- 
cident. He  is  a  member  of  B.  of  L.  E.  and 
secretary  of  insurance,  which  office  he  has  held 
for  the  past  three  years.  He  was  born  at  Charles 
City,  Iowa,  and  came  to  Chicago  in  1854.  His 
wife  was  formerly  Miss  Katie  Tillman,  daugh- 
ter of  N.  W.  Tillman,  now  superintendent  of 
construction  in  the  machinery  department. 


BENJAMIN    BUSCH,   locomotive   engi- 
neer, has  been  in  the  employ  of  the 
Illinois  Central  for  twelve  years.     He 
first  began  on  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  Railroad 
as  fireman  on  No.  222  and  fired  under  Jerry  Dee- 
gan  for  two  years  and  then  began  on  the  Illinois 
Central  as  fireman  under  William  Perry  on  engine 
No.  470.     Our  subject  fired  with  him  in  road  ser- 
vice for  several  years  and  he  was  also  in  the  pool 
part  of  the  time.     Afterwards  he  took  charge 
of  engine  No.  329  and  now  has  a  regular  run  in 
the  freight  service. 


Our  subject  was  born  in  Chicago,  March 
18,  1867,  a  son  of  Charles  Busch,  who  was  a 
cigar  manufacturer  and  is  now  deceased. 

.  Our  subject  married  Catherine  Young  of 
Chicago,  and  they  have  a  nephew,  Harry  Young, 
living  with  them.  Mr.  Busch  owns  a  home  at 
number  2584  One-hundredth  street.  He  has 
been  in  a  number  of  wrecks  and  was  in  several 
wrecks  of  great  note  and  was  only  slightly  in- 
jured. He  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  10, 
B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Burnside  and  is  prominent  in 
the  organization. 


HOMAS  AMES,  a  locomotive  engineer 
in  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
is  a  native  of  England,  but  came  to  the 
United  States  when  but  twelve  years 
old.  His  first  railroading  was  in  1873  when  he 
worked  on  the  Chicago  division  of  the  Michigan 
Central  as  a  fireman.  He  began  in  the  freight 
service  and  remained  there  until  December  1876, 
when  he  went  into  the  Kensington  yards  where 
he  ran  a  switch  engine  for  four  years.  He  then 
ran  between  Chicago  and  Kensington,  for  two 
years,  and  in  1882  he  took  a  run  on  the  Fergus 
Falls  division  of  the  Great  Northern  Railroad, 
remaining  there  for  seven  months,  when  he  re- 
turned to  the  Michigan  Central  where  he  worked 
until  September  1883,  when  he  began  on  the  Illi- 
nois Central.  His  first  work  was  done  on  the 
Cairo  incline,  being  extra  engineer  between  Cairo 
and  Centralia.  He  was  there  until  October  1884, 
when  he  came  on  the  Chicago  division  running 
freight  for  one  year.  In  1885  and  up  to  1887  he 
was  on  the  Middle  division  between  Minonk  and 
Buckingham,  then  he  ran  between  Amboy  and 
Dubuque  until  May  1888,  after  which  time  he 
returned  to  the  Chicago  division  on  freight  until 
1892.  He  next  served  on  a  pay  car  for  eighteen 
months  and  then  became  extra  passenger  man, 
and  August  i,  1896,  he  was  given  a  regular  pas- 
senger run  to  St.  Louis  on  the  Daylight  Special 
and  Diamond  Special.  On  April  28th,  29th  and 
3Oth  he  pulled  the  special  Tribune  paper  train  to 


494 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Springfield  which  was  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
four  miles,  making  the  run  to  Kankakee,  fifty- 
six  miles,  in  fifty-seven  minutes,  to  Oilman, 
eighty-one  miles,  in  eighty-three  minutes,  stop- 
ping five  minutes  at  Kankakee  and  to. Springfield 

at  3  =57- 

Our  subject  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
10,  P..  of  L.  E.  Mr.  Ames  married  Miss  Wilce 
and  they  have  six  children,  George,  Edith, 
Florence,  Walter,  Raymond  and  Amy. 

He  owns  fine  property  at  7025  Kimbark 
avenue,  Chicago,  111. 


LR.  VIALL,  conductor  on  the  Illinois 
Central,  is  a  native  of  Illinois.     He 
Q    commenced    service    on    the    Illinois 
Central  in  1880  as  a  freight  brakeman 
on   the   Chicago  division.     His   first   trip  being 
made  with  Joe  Jackson.     Our  subject  continued 
braking  on  freight  until  December   1883,  when 
he  was  promoted  to  conductor  and  ran  freight 
until  March  1893,  when  he  was  promoted  to  the 
suburban  service  and  continued  in  that  service 
until  1896,  running  extra  passenger.     In  that  year 
he  was  given  his  present  run,  on  through  passen- 
ger to  Centralia. 

Our  subject  has  never  been  seriously  in- 
jured, and  has  lived  in  Chicago  ever  since  he 
began  on  the  Illinois  Central.  Mr.  Viall  was 
married  to  Miss  Mary  Parker  and  has  two  chil- 
dren. 


JOSEPH  H.  KIBLER,  an  engineer  in  the 
freight  department  on  the  Memphis  divi- 
sion, of  the  Illinois  Central,  entered  the 
service  of  the  company  in  1885,  as  fire- 
man   on    the    Aberdeen    branch,    with    engineer 
Coeshaftner.       After  serving  as  fireman   three 
years,  he  went  to  the  Kansas  City  R.  R.  and 
worked   there   three  years.     He   was   promoted 
to     engineer    and     had     charge     of     a    switch 


engine  at  Kansas  City  for  one  year.  Re- 
turning to  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  at 
Memphis,  he  worked  as  fireman  for  two  months, 
and  then  as  switch  engineer  for  six  months,  when 
he  was  appointed  to  the  regular  freight  service 
on  the  Memphis  division,  and  has  since  remained 
there  in  charge  of  engine  No.  731.  Mr.  Kibler 
is  a  native  of  Stanton,  Va.,  and,  was  born  on  May 
4,  1866.  His  father,  Joseph  W.  Kibler,  is  a 
mill-wright  by  occupation  and  a  respected  citi- 
zen of  that  place.  Mr.  Kibler  married  Miss  Mat- 
tie  L.  Low,  of  Sardis,  Miss.  He  is  a  member  of 
Division  No.  23,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Memphis,  his 
home  city.  His  wife  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Baptist  church.  In  politics,  Mr.  Kibler  is  a 
staunch  Democrat. 


AVID  GUTSHALL  is  a  native  of  Ger- 
mantown,  Perry  county,  Pa.,  where  he 
was  born  in  1846.  In  the  spring  of 
1867  he  began  his  service  on  the  I.  C. 
as  a  freight  brakeman  on  the  Chicago  division 
and  at  that  time  there  were  only  six  freight  trains 
a  day,  he  continued  as  freight  brakeman  for  about 
two  years  and  then  was  passenger  brakeman  for 
two  years  for  Conductor  Patten.  At  the  end  of 
that  time  he  was  promoted  to  baggageman  and 
ran  a  car  one  year  and  a  half.  At  this  point 
he  was  transferred  to  what  is  now  the  Spring- 
field division,  was  freight  brakeman  there  one 
year  and  a  half  and  then  he  returned  to  Chicago 
and  began  braking  on  freight  and  continued 
about  two  years.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he 
took  charge  of  the  Pullman  work  train,  the  first 
year  they  were  building  that  town  and  then  he 
quit  the  road  and  went  with  the  Toledo,  Peoria 
&  Western  Railroad  as  freight  brakeman  for  a 
year.  In  the  spring  of  1881  he  returned  to  the 
Chicago  division  when  he  was  promoted  to  con- 
ductor at  once  and  began  running  freight  to 
Champaign  and  El  Paso,  and  continued  nine  years 
steady  with  good  success  as  he  had  no  accidents 
and  never  cost  the  company  a  dollar.  At  the 
end  of  nine  years  he  was  promoted  to  suburban 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


495 


conductor  and  continued  in  that  service  for  two 
years  when  he  was  promoted  to  the  fast  mail' 
and  has  held  that  run  for  the  past  nine  years. 
Since  entering  the  through  passenger  service  Mr. 
Gutshall  has  been  in  one  wreck  though  he  was 
in  no  way  to  blame.  While  passing  over  the  junc- 
tion switch  at  Otto,  111.,  a  freight  on  the  Bloom- 
ington  branch  collided  with  his  engine.  There 
were  nine  people  injured,  but  none  seriously. 

Our  subject  first  began  railroading  on  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  between  Pittsburg  and 
Altoona  as  freight  brakeman  and  flagman.  At 
the  time  the  call  was  made  for  troops  and  near 
the  close  of  the  war  he  enlisted  in  the  Pennsyl- 
vania reserves,  but  was  never  in  a  battle.  Mr. 
Gutshall  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen  Wendt  and 
they  have  one  daughter,  Ruth. 


Mr.  Stuart  was  married  on  the  24th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1876,  to  Miss  Mary  Bridgman,  of  Amboy, 
where  she  was  born  and  raised.  Of  this  union 
five  children  have  been  born :  William  H.,  born 
in  Amboy,  and  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  that  city  is  now  a  passenger  brake- 
man on  the  Amboy  division  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R., 
and  resides  with  his  parents  at  Freeport ;  Grace 
is  the  wife  of  Alonzo  Williams  and  makes  her 
home  in  Clinton ;  James  H.,  Hying  at  home ; 
Jennie  and  Catharine,  who  are  students  in  the 
Freeport  schools.  Mr.  Stuart  is  a  member  of 
the  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  politically  is  independent. 
Mrs.  Stuart  is  a  Catholic  in  religion. 


HARLES  STUART,  engineer  on  the 
Amboy  division  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,  and  one  of  the  old  reliable 
men  on  the  road,  was  born  in  Illi- 
nois, February  28th,  1855.  His  father,  Wil- 
liam B.  Stuart,  was  a  lawyer  by  profession  and 
a  prominent  man  in  the  city  of  Amboy  where  he 
held  the  offices  of  mayor,  justice  of  the  peace, 
and  for  many  years  city  attorney.  He  died 
in  1881.  The  mother,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Mary  Johnson,  died  in  1874.  In  their  fami- 
ly were  the  following  children :  William  H.,  for 
many  years  an  engineer  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  is  now 
a  veterinary  surgeon  and  resides  in  Amboy ; 
James  H.,  deceased,  a  former  engineer  of  the 
"Yazoo  Valley ;  J.  B.,  now  residing  in  Amboy,  was 
an  engineer  on  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  for  a  long  period ; 
Frank  M.  is  a  locomotive  engineer ;  Charles ; 
Hamilton  W.  went  to  California  in  1849. 

Charles  Stuart  attended  school  at  Amboy 
and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  entered  the  service  of 
the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  a  fireman  on  the  Amboy  divi- 
sion, where  he  remained  in  the  same  position 
until  1881  when  he  was  licensed  to  handle  the 
throttle  which  position  he  holds  to  date,  running 
on  the  Ambov  division. 


JR.  LANGHAM  began  railroading  on 
what  is  now  the  Monon  Route  in  1865 
O  at  Lafayette,  Indiana,  as  fireman  and 
continued  as  such  eighteen  months, 
when  he  began  braking  on  freight  on  the  same 
road  and  continued  six  months  when  he  was 
promoted  to  conductor  and  ran  a  train  there  until 
1871,  also  extra  passenger. 

In  that  year  he  left  that  road  and  commenced 
running  freight  on  the  Wabash  between  Lafayette 
and  Fort  Wayne,  remained  there  several  years 
when  he  resigned  and  went  to  the  N.  Y.  L.  E.  & 
W.  railroad ;  later  to  the  Big  Four  where  he  ran 
freight  and  passenger  and  while  there  brought 
one  of  the  first  passenger  trains  to  Chicago.  From 
that  road  he  went  to  the  I.  I.  &  I.  road  and  from 
there  he  came  to  the  Illinois  Central,  in  1882, 
as  freight  conductor  on  the  Chicago  division  and 
continued  in  that  service  until  the  Freeport  divi- 
sion was  opened,  when  he  was  given  a  passenger 
run  between  Chicago  and  Dubuque  and  has 
continued  on  that  division  up  to  the  present  time,. 
For  six  years  he  had  the  Freeport  passenger  run. 
Our  subject  has  never  been  injured  nor  had  a 
passenger  injured.  He  belongs  to  Division  No. 
i,  O.  R.  C. 

Mr.  Langham,  who  is  a  native  of  Auburn, 
New  York,  married  Miss  Caroline  Meek  and  has 
four  daughters. 


496 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Z>TT^  H.  ECCLES  was  born  near  Metropolis, 
Illinois.  He  commenced  railroading 
Q  on  the  Cairo  Short  Line  in  1891,  as 
a  passenger  brakeman  for  A.  M. 
Dowell  between  Pinckneyville,  111.,  and  Paducah, 
Kentucky.  He  continued  in  that  capacity  a  year 
and  was  then  promoted  to  baggage  car  between 
East  St.  Louis  and  Paducah  and  continued  in 
that  capacity  six  years.  He  then  began  braking 
on  the  mixed  train  between  Pinckneyville  and 
Paducah  for  J.  C.  Thetford  for  a  year  and  then 
on  September  26,  1899,  was  promoted  to  freight 
conductor  and  since  then  has  been  braking  and 
running  extra.  He  has  never  been  injured.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  P.  at  Pinckneyville 
and  the  Railway  and  Telegraphers'  Political 
League  of  Illinois.  Mr.  Eccles  married  Miss 
Ollie  Hollan  of  Paducah  and  has  one  child,  Ann 
Louise.  He  is  a  young  man  of  thrift  and  is 
popular  among  his  associates. 


LBERT  W.  BELLOWS,  assistant  depot 
master  at  Chicago,  began  his  railroad 
career  at  Delavan,  Wis.,  as  office  boy 
in  the  telegraph  office  of  the  Racine  & 
Mississippi  R.  R.,  which  is  now  a  branch  of  the 
C.  M.  &  St.  P.  Railway.  After  spending  a 
year  in  this  capacity,  he  secured  a  situation 
as  brakeman  between  Racine  and  Freeport  and 
was  thus  employed  until  1865.  Mr.  Bellows 
then  severed  his  connection  with  the  Racine  & 
Mississippi  company  and  from  the  spring  of 
1866  until  December  of  the  same  year  he  worked 
for  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Company.  August  6, 
1867,  Mr.  Bellows  began  with  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral company,  serving  as  brakeman  one  year  and 
a  few  summers  in  charge  of  the  gravel  pit  at 
Kankakee,  and  subsequently  served  in  the  capa- 
city of  conductor  from  Chicago  to  Champaign 
and  from  Chicago  to  El  Paso  until  1881.  Since 
the  last  named  date  he  has  been  assistant  station 
master. 

January  r,  1881,  Mr.  Bellows  married  Miss 
Chloe  E.  Fosdick,  and  their  wedded  life  has  been 


blessed  to  them  by  the  birth  of  one  child,  Mildred 
Alberta.  Socially  our  subject  affiliates  with 
Division  No.  i,  O.  R.  C.,  and  Camp  No.  422  M. 
W.  A.,  of  Chicago.  Twice  he  has  suffered  from 
the  effects  of  wrecks,  in  each  of  which  he  had 
one  of  his  legs  broken.  The  second  time  that 
this  occurred  .was  September  6,  1881,  on  the  Air 
Line,  his  last  trip  on  the  road. 


JOHN    S.    WEITZEL,    assistant    general 
freight  agent  of  the  Illinois  Central  at 
Omaha,  began  the  life  of  a  railroad  man 
on  the  Ohio  Central  at  Corning  in  the 
Buckeye  state,  as  bill  clerk  in  the  offices  there, 
serving  some  seven  months. 

Securing  a  clerical  position  with  Thomas  & 
Co.,  railroad  contractors,  he  was  in  their  employ 
some  two  years  at  points  in  Georgia.  When  the 
road  was  completed  and  opened,  as  the  East 
Tennessee,  Virginia,  &  Georgia  road,  Mr.  Weitzel 
secured  a  place  as  clerk  in  the  general  freight 
office.  In  February  1885  entering  the  service  of 
the  Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Texas  road  at 
New  Orleans,  he  was  chief  clerk  for  the  general 
agent  for  a  time  and  was  retained  in  his  service 
when  he  was  promoted  to  assistant  general  freight 
and  passenger  agent,  and  was  in  this  service 
when  the  Illinois  Central  assumed  control  on 
September  I,  1892. 

Mr.  Weitzel  served  as  clerk  for  the  division 
freight  agent  at  New  Orleans  until  November 
ii,  1894,  when  he  was  made  chief  clerk  for  the 
assistant  general  freight  agent,  Mr.  W.  D.  Hurl- 
butt  at  Memphis.  On  promotion  of  Mr.  Hurlbutt 
to  general  freight  agent  for  the  Mississippi  Val- 
ley Route  at  Louisville,  Mr.  Weitzel  was  retained 
as  ch'ief  clerk  until  August  i,  1897,  when  he  was 
made  assistant  general  freight  agent  with 
head  quarters  at  Evansville,  Ind.  On  December 
20,  1899,  a  further  advancement  was  tendered 
and  accepted,  and  Mr.  Weitzel  was  assigned  to 
his  present  position  on  the  opening  of  the  new 
line  to  Omaha. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


497 


OENRY  C.  MULLAN,  an  Illinois  Cen- 
-  tral  passenger  conductor,  residing  at 
j_[  \\  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  began  railroading 
in  1873,  on  the  B.  C.  R.  &  N.  Railroad, 
at  Cedar  Rapids,  as  a  fireman  under  Engineer 
Mike  Doud;  but  at  the  end  of  six  months  quit 
the  road  and  returned  to  his  home  at  Waterloo. 
Iowa,  and  attended  school  for  one  term.  In  De- 
cember 1874,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central  as  bill  clerk  in  the  office  at  LeMars,  re- 
maining one  year.  He  then  secured  a  place  on 
the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  as  a  fireman,  run- 
ning between  Ogden,  Utah,  and  Wells,  Nevada. 
At  the  expiration  of  eight  months,  however,  he 
returned  to  Waterloo  and  re-entered  the  Illinois 
Central  employ  as  a  brakeman  at  Waterloo. 
After  a  service  of  between  three  and  four  years 
he  was  promoted  to  freight  conductor,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1888  was  promoted  to  passenger  con- 
ductor and  given  a  regular  run  on  the  Cherokee 
and  Sioux  Falls  branch.  Since  1893  he  has  held 
his  present  run  between  Sioux  City  and  Fort 
Dodge. 

Mr.  Mullan  was  born  at  Waterloo,  Iowa, 
November  2,  1850,  and  was  married  at  Albion, 
111.,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Bunting  December  n,  1881. 
They  are  the  parents  of  five  children,  as  follows : 
Guy,  Ivan,  Harry,  Kenneth  and  Paul.  Our  sub- 
ject is  identified  with  Cherokee  Lodge,  A.  F.  & 
A.M. 


¥ICTOR  LABBE  was  born  near  Montreal, 
Can.,  coming  to  the  states  at  the  age  of 
three  months    with    his    parents    who 
were  natives  of  France.      .He  began 
railroading    on    the    Big    Four    at    St.    Anne, 
Illinois,    learning    telegraphy    and    at    the    age 
of    sixteen    was    able   to   take   the    position   of 
night  operator  at  that  place  and  continued  two 
months  and  then  went  to  the  Chicago,  Danville 
&  Yincennes,  now  the  C.  &  E.  I.,  at  Watseka, 
Illinois,  as  a  ticket  agent  and  operator  and  held 
that  position  for  three  years.     Then  he  went  to 
Chicago  and  took  a  position  as  operator  in  the 
dispatcher's  office  and  held  the  same  two  weeks, 


when  he  was  promoted  to  night  train  dispatcher 
and  continued  until  1881.  October  8,  1881, 
he  came  to  the  Illinois  Central  and  was  sent  by 
the  general  manager,  Edward  T.  Jeffery  to  open 
a  station  at  South  Park  and  later  to  22nd  street 
where  he  served  as  joint  ticket  agent  for  the 
Illinois  Central,  Big  Four  and  Michigan  Central, 
and  also  had  the  American  Express  business  to 
look  after.  On  December  23,  1899,  he  was  pro- 
moted to  city  passenger  and  ticket  agent  at 
Council  Bluffs.  Our  subject  has  not  lost  a  day 
in  nineteen  years  and  never  a  day  on  account  of 
illness.  Mr.  Labbe  speakes  French,  Italian  and 
English. 

Mr.  Labbe  married  Louise  Grandpre  of 
Watertown,  N.  Y.,  and  has  three  children,  Robert 
E.  aged  thirteen,  Verna  aged  seven  and  Percy 
aged  four.  Mr  Labbe  is  a  member  of  Whittier 
Lodge  No.  384,  Knights  of  Pythias,  of  Chicago, 
and  is  past  chancellor  of  the  lodge.  Of  seven 
years  service  as  keeper  of  records  and  seals  he 
lost  but  two  meetings  of  the  lodge,  which  service 
was  recognized  by  the  body  by  presenting  him  a 
beautiful  emblematical  ring. 

jtjtjtjtjtjt 


A.  LOOMIS,  conductor  on  the  Illinois 
Central,  was  born  in  Westfield, 
Mass.  He  commenced  railroading 
on  the  Illinois  Central  in  1863,  as 
a  train  boy  on  the  Chicago  division  and  continued 
about  a  year  and  a  half  and  then  began  braking 
on  passenger,  where  he  remained  until  1865, 
when  he  went  on  freight  a  short  time  and  in 
1868  was  promoted  to  baggageman  and  ran 
through  to  St.  Louis.  In  1870  he  resigned  and 
went  with  the  Wagner  Palace  Car  Company  as 
superintendent  on  the  L.  S.  &  M.  S.,  between 
Chicago  and  Cleveland.  He  remained  with  them 
until  1873  and  then  accepted  a  position  as  freight 
conductor  on  the  Missouri  Pacific,  running  out 
of  St.  Louis,  continuing  there  until  1878.  He 
then  went  to  the  Pennsylvania  road  and  ran 
freight  between  Chicago  and  Logansport,  Ind., 
and  was  there  until  1879  when  he  returned  to  the 


498 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Illinois  Central  and  after  making  two  trips  as 
freight  brakeman,  was  given  a  freight  run  which 
he  held  until  1883,  when  he  was  promoted  to 
the  passenger  service  and  given  a  suburban  run 
which  he  held  until  1890,  when  he  took  the  New 
Orleans  Limited,  running  to  Centralia,  he  now 
runs  the  Daylight  Special  between  Chicago  and 
St.  Louis.  Mr.  Loomis  was  in  the  Thomasboro 
wreck,  which  was  a  head  end  collision  between 
a  passenger  and  a  fruit  train.  He  was  running 
as  baggageman  at  the  time  and  his  car  was  torn 
in  pieces  and  our  subject  was  thrown  to  the  top 
of  the  next  car.  Our  subject  is  a  prominent 
member  of  the  O.  R.  C.,  he  is  past  chief  of  his 
division,  and  is  now  serving  as  assistant  chief. 
Mr.  Loomis  is  president  of  the  Freight  and 
Passenger  Conductor's  Mutual  Aid  and  Benefit 
Association,  which  is  an  insurance  company  for 
railroad  men.  He  is  a  member  of  Blue  Lodge 
No.  662,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Chapter  No.  148,  R. 
A.  M.,  Commandery  No.  35,  K.  T.,  and  Medinah 
Temple,  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  all  of 
Chicago. 


RTHUR  M.  SHAW,  roadmaster  of  the 
Omaha  division,  has  risen  to  his 
present  position  in  a  remarkably  short 
period  of  time.  While  a  student  of 
civil  engineering  in  Cornell  College  at  Mt.  Ver- 
non,  la.,  he  spent  the  open  season  of  several  years 
in  the  field,  gaining  practical  experience  in  an 
engineering  corps,  and  the  winters  pursuing  his 
studies  in  the  college  class-rooms.  His  first  ex- 
perience in  the  field  was  at  Cherokee,  in  1891, 
as  chain  man  in  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral engineering  corps  and  the  following  summer 
was  rodman  in  the  same  service.  The  summer 
of  1893  he  was  transit  man  of  the  corps  in  the 
service  of  the  Duluth  &  Iron  Range  Railroad. 
At  the  close  of  the  college  year  in  1894,  he  went 
into  the  real  estate  business  at  Algona,  la.,  for 
a  short  time  and  has  since  been  in  the  service  of 
the  Illinois  Central,  except  for  a  period  of  eight 
months  of  1898,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  govern- 


ment service  during  the  Spanish  war,  serving 
as  sergeant  of  the  2nd  regiment  United  States 
Volunteer  Engineers,  being  stationed  at  Montauk 
Point  and  Savannah.  On  the  close  of  hostilities 
in  the  spring  of  1899  he  re-entered  the  service 
of  the  Central  and  was  sent  as  instrument  man 
in  charge  of  the  work  at  Crystal  Springs,  Miss., 
in  February  1899.  Promoted  as  assistant  engi- 
neer in  August  following  he  was  in  charge  of 
the  work  at  Grenada,  Miss.  He  was  on  duty 
in  Alabama  when  he  was  selected  to  serve  as 
roadmaster  of  the  new  Omaha  division,  March 
ist,  1900,  with  headquarters  at  Council  Bluffs. 
Mr.  Shaw  was  born  at  Lee  Center,  111.,  Decem- 
ber 12,  1870.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  affiliating  with  the  lodge  at  Mt.  Ver- 
non,  la.,  and  became  one  of  the  early  members 
of  the  lodge  B.  P.  O.  E.,  recently  instituted  at; 
Council  Bluffs. 


EORGE  A.  CLARK,  superintendent  of 
the  Omaha  division  has  been  a  railroad 
man  since  the  age  of  fifteen,  beginning 
in  1883  as  telegraph  operator  on  the 
Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  system  at  Casta- 
lia,  Iowa.  The  following  year  he  accepted  a 
position  on  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis 
&  Omaha  line  as  station  agent  at  Worthington, 
Minn.,  from  which  point  he  was  transferred  to 
the  train  dispatcher's  office  at  St.  Paul.  In 
1886  he  accepted  an  offer  of  the  "Soo  Line"  as 
train  dispatcher  at  Gladstone,  Mich.  When  Mr. 
Shields  was  appointed  general  superintendent 
of  the  Chicago  &  Great  Western  in  1887,  Mr. 
Clark  was  offered  position  as  dispatcher  at  Oel- 
wein  where  he  remained  for  two  years.  For  & 
year  following,  he  served  as  chief  dispatcher  at 
Larimore,  N.  D.,  on  the  Great  Northern  line, 
and  then  returned  to  the  service  of  the  "Soo  Line" 
as  chief  dispatcher  at  Minneapolis  for  two  years. 
August  15,  1895,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  as  train  dispatcher  on  the  Chicago 
division  at  Champaign,  remaining  there  for  two 
years.  Transferred  to  Clinton.  Illinois,  he  served 


HON.  W.  (J.  COLE. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


501 


one  year  as  train  master  on  the  Amboy  division, 
and  the  following  year  in  the  same  capacity  on 
the  St.  Louis  division,  with  headquarters  at  Car- 
bondale,  where  he  remained  until  promoted  to 
his  present  position  as  superintendent  of  the 
Omaha  division,  March  15,  1900. 

Mr.  Clark  was  born  at  Mona,  Iowa,  June 
29,  1869.  His  father  Mr.  Clark,  a  mechanical 
engineer,  was  in  the  government  service's  engi- 
neering department  during  the  Civil  war. 

Mr.  Clark  was  married  in  1897  at  Larimore, 
North  Dakota,  to  Miss  Phe  Eastgate,  to  whom 
one  son,  Clinton,  has  been  born.  Of  the  social 
orders  Mr.  Clark  is  a  member  of  only  one,  the 
Masonic  lodge  at  Champaign.  As  a  railroad 
man  he  is  thoroughly  conversant  with  all  that 
pertains  to  the  management  of  a  division,  hav- 
ing learned  it  from  the  foundation  up.  He  is 
a  man  of  strong  executive  ability  and  is  one  of 
the  youngest  superintendents  on  the  line. 


ON.  W.  Q.  COLE,  state  auditor  of 
Mississippi,  residing  at  Jackson,  a 
man  of  prominence  throughout  the 
state,  is  a  former  employe  and  official 
of  the  Illinois  Central.  Mr.  Cole  entered  the 
service  of  the  Illinois  Central,  (then  known  as 
the  Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans  R.  R.) 
in  March  1878,  at  Durant,  Mississippi,  as  clerk, 
under  Roadmaster  E.  J.  Martin.  In  August  of 
that  year  he  was  appointed  pumper  at  the 
Kosciusco  Junction  water  tank  and  remained 
there  until  October  1879,  when  he  was  transferred 
to  Water  Valley,  Mississippi,  as  clerk  in  the 
office  of  the  master  mechanic.  He  occupied  the 
latter  position  until  November  of  the  same  year, 
when  he  was  sent  to  Jackson,  Tenn.,  as  clerk  to 
Superintendent  J.  G.  Mann.  By  request  of  E. 
J.  Martin,  assistant  superintendant,  he  was  in 
November  1880  transferred  to  the  latter's  office 
at  Water  Valley,  as  chief  clerk,  and  in  February 
1882,  was  promoted  to  expense  accountant  for 
the  road,  in  the  auditor's  office,  at  New  Orleans, 
under  S.  B.  McConnico,  then  auditor.  When 


the  Illinois  Central  took  possession  of  the 
Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans  R.  R.  he  was 
sent  to  the  auditor's  office  in  Chicago,  under  J. 
C.  Welling.  On  May  1st,  1883,  Mr.  Cole  was 
appointed  traveling  auditor  for  the  southern  lines 
of  the  I.  C.  which  he  held  until  January  ist,  1898, 
when  he  accepted  a  place  as  bookkeeper  for 
Jennings  Bros,  in  Water  Valley.  In  1899  he 
was  elected  auditor  of  Mississippi. 

Air.  Cole  was  born  in  Holmes  county,  Miss., 
June  28th,  1856.  William  F.  Cole,  his  father 
was  a  prominent  railroad  man  in  his  day.  He 
was  agent  for  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley 
R.  R.  (now  the  I.  C.  R.  R.)  at  Lexington,  Miss., 
when  the  road  was  first  built,  and  continued  there 
until  1884,  when  he  resigned.  He  is  now  eighty- 
two  years  old  and  peaceably  spending  his  de- 
clining years  at  the  home  of  his  son,  in  Jackson. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  has  four  brothers, 
three  of  them  being  in  the  service  of  the  I.  C. 
at  New  Orleans.  They  are :  Walter,  Jesse,  and 
Edwin  Cole,  another  brother,  Thomas,  resides 
at  Galveston,  Texas.  Mr.  Cole  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Alice  West,  of  Water  Valley, 
Miss.,  and  they  have  a  family  of  five  children, 
viz :  William  West,  Alice,  Welling,  Eva  May 
and  Wilfred.  He  is  connected  with  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  Knights  of  Honor  and  Order  of  Elks, 
all  of  Water  Valley.  With  his  family  he  occupies 
a  spacious  residence  at  509  north  State  street, 
in  Jackson,  and  has  his  office  in  the  state  capitol 
building.  Mr.  Cole  is  a  man  possessed  of  great 
ability,  ambition  and  tireless  industry.  He  is 
a  prominent  figure  in  the  affairs  of  the  state,  and 
possesses  those  characteristics  which  are  worthy 
of  emulation  by  younger  men  who  are  seeking 
the  road  to  success  in  life. 


G.  YOUNG  was  born  in  Chicago, 
January  17,  1860.  He  began  rail- 
reading  on  the  C.  &  A.  in  1877  as 
fireman  on  the  Chicago  division  and 
continued  for  three  years,  then  went  to  running 
on  switch  and  transfer  engines.  In  1887  he  came 


502 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


to  the  Central  and  went  on  suburban  engine  No. 
217,  November  23rd  of  that  year  and  ran  that 
same  engine  for  eight  years,  and  then  by  request 
of  the  master  mechanic  took  engine  No.  250, 
and  has  run  that  up  to  the  present  time.  Peter 
Young,  father  of  our  subject,  was  on -the  road 
forty-eight  years  ago  as  a  fireman,  and  was  fore- 
man in  the  round-house  at  Weldon.  He  is  now 
retired  and  has  not  been  on  the  road  for  twenty 
years.  H.  G.  Young  married  Miss  Minnie 
Kunzer  by  whom  he  has  had  two  children,  one 
now  living,  Miss  Julia  aged  eighteen  years.  Mr. 
Young  belongs  to  Division  No.  10,  B.  of  L.  E. 
He  owns  a  fine  three  story  flat  at  No.  486,  27th 
street,  Chicago. 


ENGELBRECHT,  a  native  of  Bava- 
ria, came  to  this  country  at  the  age 
°f  sixteen  and  has  been  with  the 
Illinois  Central  company  ever  since. 
It  was  in  the  fall  of  1875  that  he  began  as  an  oiler 
in  the  freight  yards  at  Randolph  street,  where  he 
worked  at  oiling,  cleaning  lamps,  etc.,  until  Jan. 
3,  1878,  when  he  began  firing  in  the  yard  service 
with  John  Costello  on  No.  30,  a  road  engine; 
then  went  on  the  road  making  his  first  trip  with 
John  Fenton  on  No.  201,  which  was  at  that  time 
a  first-class  freight  engine.  Then  he  fired  No. 
213,  now  No.  201,  which  was  the  first  double 
ended  suburban  engine,  for  John  Blackberry. 
After  this  he  was  put  on  the  meat  run  with  Mike 
McMahan,  on  No.  74,  then  with  Doc.  Israel  in 
suburban  service,  on  No.  34,  and  the  following 
year  and  eight  months  with  John  McAvoy,  now 
deceased.  June  16,  1882,  he  was  promoted  to 
engineer,  but  prior  to  that  had  done  some  run- 
ning in  the  yard.  His  first  engine  was  No.  16. 
He  continued  in  the  yard  service,  off  and  on,  for 
about  a  year,  and  was  then  transferred  to  the 
suburban,  then  south  and  ran  out  of  Buckingham, 
after  which  he  was  placed  on  No.  7,  and  later, 
on  No.  7°>  in  the  construction  service  between 
Kensington  and  Maumee,  building  the  double 
track.  His  next  run  was  on  a  freight  for  one 


year,  after  which  he  went  into  the  suburban 
service,  first  on  No.  204,  an  eight  wheeler,  then 
on  No.  223,  the  first  suburban  engine  built  by 
the  I.  C.  Co.,  which  he  ran  for  one  year,  next  on 
No.  60,  now  No.  215,  and  ran  her  seven  years 
steady.  For  a  time  he  ran  No.  243  and  now 
runs  No.  249  which  he  has  had  since  1894.  He 
has  never  been  injured,  and  never  lost  a  day  from 
neglect  of  duty. 

Mr.  Engelbrecht-  married  Miss  Emma  Den- 
ninger  and  has  four  sons,  all  in  school,  one  attend- 
ing a  manual  training  school  and  one  a  business 
college.  Mr.  Engelbrecht  has  acquired  consider- 
able means.  He  owns  a  fine  piece  of  property 
at  8049  Commercial  avenue,  also  5°  feet  in 
Dauphin  Park.  He  is  a  member  of  B.  of  L.  E., 
and  B.  of  L.  F.  and  also  belongs  to  Home  Lodge 
No.  508,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  Mr.  Engelbrecht  is  a 
man  of  untiring  energy  and  devoted  to  his  pro- 
fession. During  our  interview  he  remarked, 
with  a  smile,  that  he  could  not  live  six  months  if 
he  didn't  do  any  work. 


H.  HILL,  a  conductor  in  the  freight 
service  of  the  Central  at  Jackson, 
LQ  Tenn.,  is  a  native  of  Dresden,  the 
county  seat  of  Weakley  county,  Tenn. 
Mr.  Hill's  first  railroad  work  was  in  the  construc- 
tion department,  driving  a  cart  on  the  grade  be- 
tween Jackson  and  Cairo.  In  November  1878 
he  entered  the  train  service  as  brakeman  under 
conductors  Reno  and  Spragins.  At  that  time 
wood  burning  engines  were  in  service  and  the 
darkey  was  not  so  much  in  evidence  in  railroad 
work,  there  being  only  one  on  the  entire  Missis- 
sippi division.  After  two  years  service  Mr.  Hill 
was  compelled  to  resign  owing  to  ill  health  and 
did  not  return  to  the  service  for  a  year.  In  Sep- 
tember 1883  he  was  promoted  and  ran  as  extra 
conductor  or  brakeman  for  two  years.  Since 
1885  he  has  had  a  regular  run  in  the  Cairo  dis- 
trict, at  present  between  Jackson  and  Martin, 
Tenn.,  and  is  second  in  line  for  promotion  to 
the  passenger  service. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


503 


Two  of  Mr.  Hill's  brothers  have  been  in 
railroad  service.  Richard  Hill  at  the  time  of  his 
death  in  April  1877  had  for  six  years  been  a 
conductor  in  the  freight  service  of  the  Central 
and  another  brother,  Charles,  is  at  present  brak- 
ing on  the  N.  C.  &  St.  L.  on  which  road  he  had 
previously  served  on  the  left  side  of  the  cab. 
He  was  at  one  time  conductor  on  the  road  but 
resigning  began  again  at  the  bottom  of  the  lad- 
der. Their  father,  W.  C.  Hill,  prior  to  his 
death  in  1880  was  a  prominent  physician  in 
Union  City,  Dresden  and  Martin,  Tenn. 

In  April  1885  Mr.  Hill  was  married  to  Miss 
Mollie  T.  Henry  to  whom  were  born  two  children, 
Mollie  and  Raymond,  deceased.  Her  death  oc- 
curred in  1891.  Four  years  later  Mr.  Hill  was 
married  to  Mrs.  Willie  V.  Booker,  widow  of 
Captain  Mat  Booker,  an  old  time  conductor  on 
the  Central.  Of  the  second  marriage  a  son  was 
born,  Dewitt  Johnson  Hill. 

Mr.  Hill  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  149, 
O.  R.  C.,  of  Jackson,  Tenn.  He  has  been  in- 
strumental in  building  up  the  city  where  he  makes 
his  home,  having  erected  two  comfortable  dwell- 
ings at  Nos.  142  and  148  East  Deaderick  street. 


N.  PECKENS,  an  old  time  conduc- 
tor on  the  I.  C.,  is  a  native  of  Naper- 
Q  ville,  111.  He  commenced  work  on 
the  Illinois  Central  in  1877  as  a  sec- 
lion  hand  on  what  is  now  the  Springfield  divi- 
sion, at  Oilman,  and  worked  in  that  capacity  two 
years,  and  in  1879,  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  began 
a<^  a  brakeman  on  the  Chicago  division.  His 
first  trip  was  made  with  O.  A.  Berry,  then  train- 
master. Mr.  Berry  and  our  subject  brought  a 
train  of  stock  from  Gihnan  alone. .  Mr.  Peckens 
continued  as  brakeman  one  year  and  a  half  on 
the  Chicago  division  and  was  then  sent  to  the 
Cairo  division  and  in  December  1880,  lost  two 
fingers ;  then  at  request  of  his  mother  he  left 
the  road  and  returned  to  his  home  in  Oilman, 
but  in  a  short  time  he  took  up  railroading  again 
and  served  as  brakeman  for  a  year  and  a  half  on 


the  Springfield  division,  when  he  was  promoted 
to  freight  conductor  and  ran  freight  and  extra 
passenger  until  1891,  when  he  was  again  pro- 
moted to  regular  passenger  and  came  to  the  Chi- 
cago division,  at  which  time  the  Diamond  Special 
was  put  on  and  he  took  the  first  special  through 
from  Chicago  to  St.  Louis.  He  ran  the  night 
train  until  1896  and  was  then  given  the  day  run. 
Our  subject  belongs  to  Division  No.  206,  O.  R. 
C.  He  has  never  had  an  accident,  owing  to  his 
fault,  that  ever  cost  the  company  a  dollar.  Mr. 
Peckens  married  Miss  Hanes  and  they  have  one 
child,  May. 


OMINIC  T.  HUMPHREY,  yardmas- 
ter  at  Monroe  street,  Chicago,  began 
railroading  on  the  Chicago,  Rock 
Island  &  Pacific  Railway,  in  1878, 
on  the  Chicago  division  and  was  thus  .employed 
for  two  years  and  a  half.  From  there  he  went 
tc  the  Lake  Shore  &  Michigan  Southern  Rail- 
road and  from  the  spring  of  1881  to  the  fall  of 
1882  served  that  company  in  the  capacity  of 
switchman.  Upon  leaving  the  Lake  Shore  Com- 
pany, Mr.  Humphrey  found  employment  with  the 
New  York,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis  Railroad, 
generally  known  as  the  Nickel  Plate  Railroad, 
and  made  up  the  first  passenger  train  that  this 
company  pulled  out  of  Chicago  from  Weldon 
yards  on  October  22,  1883.  With  this  company 
he  remained  in  the  capacity  of  switchman  for 
eight  or  nine  months  when  he  became  yardmaster, 
but  in  1887  he  retired  from  railroad  work  and 
for  three  years  was  in  business  in  Chicago.  In 
1890  he  returned  to  his  former  occupation  and 
after  switching  one  year  for  the  Stock  Yards 
Company,  secured  a  similar  position  with  the 
Illinois  Central  company,  and  in  1892  was  ap- 
pointed to  his  present  position  as  yardmaster  at 
the  Monroe  street  yards. 

Mr.  Humphrey  was  born  in  Chicago,  Janu- 
ary 12,  1858,  a  son  of  John  Humphrey.  He  was 
married  in  the  city  of  his  nativity,  in  1880,  to 
Miss  Katie  Burns  and  of  the  ten  children  that 


504 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


have  been  born  to  them,  we  have  the  following 
record :  Maggie,  deceased ;  William,  Edward, 
Blanche,  deceased;  Dominic,  Harry,  Irene,  Ger- 
trude, Lillian,  deceased,  and  Howard.  Mr. 
Humphrey  is  a  member  of  the  National  Union, 
Chicago  Council  No.  71. 


1866. 


ENRY  M.  METZ,  representing  the 
Illinois  Central  as  commercial  agent  at 
Council  Bluffs,  is  a  native  of  Freeport, 
Illinois,  his  birth  occurring  November 
Until  1884  he  attended  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  city,  entering  the  service  of 
the  Illinois  Central,  June  ist,  of  that  year  in  the 
local  freight  office,  having  previously  learned 
telegraphy.  January  i,  1888,  he  was  transferred 
to  the  office  of  Mr.  W.  R.  Bascom,  assistant 
general  freight  agent  at  Dubuque,  as  chief  clerk. 
In  1892  he  filled  a  like  position  in  the  office  of 
Mr.  Benson,  commercial  agent  in  that  city,  re- 
maining until  appointed  as  freight  agent  at 
Freeport,  February  4,  1895.  When  the  Omaha 
division  was  opened  to  traffic  Mr.  Metz  was 
appointed  commercial  agent,  December  16,  1899, 
with  head  quarters  at  Council  Bluffs,  having 
entire  charge  of  the  company's  business  at  this 
important  point. 

Mr.  Metz  was  married,  at  Dubuque,  to  Miss 
Mary  Simploe.  Two  children  have  been  born, 
Genevieve,  and  Russell,  deceased.  In  the 
Evergreen  Lodge  No.  97,  at  Freeport,  Illinois, 
Mr.  Metz  was  made  a  mason  and  he  was  initiated 
into  the  mysteries  of  the  Pythian  Knighthood  in 
Orient  Lodge  No.  210,  at  Dubuque.  On  his 
removal  to  Council  Bluffs  he  became  a  member 
of  the  lodge  of  Elks  No.  531,  recently  organized 
in  that  city. 

Mr.  Metz's  business  ability  and  thorough 
training  in  the  commercial  departments  of  rail- 
road work  are  the  secrets  of  his  success  in  his 
chosen  calling,  and  his  fitness  for  the  place  was 
his  recommendation  when  the  management  was 
casting  about  for  competent  men  to  fill  the  im- 
portant positions,  in  the  opening  of  the  new  line. 


OHN  HALL,  conductor  on  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  was  born  at  Marshall, 
Michigan,  and  for  three  years  prior  to 
his  connection  with  the  Illinois  Central, 
acted  as  baggage  agent  .on  the  Michigan  Central 
at  New  Buffalo,  Lawton  and  Dowagiac.  Otis, 
his  father,  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Michigan 
Central  for  seventeen  years  as  a  freight  and 
passenger  conductor.  Our  subject  began  work 
on  the  Illinois  Central  July  17,  1886,  as  a  brake- 
man  on  the  suburban  train  for  P.  D.  Sawin  and 
then  with  Ed.  Collins  until  October  1890,  with  the 
exception  of  three  months  he  was  baggageman 
for  Collins.  Then  he  went  into  the  freight  service 
and  ran  with  Charles  Lehigh  for  three  months, 
and  then  returned  to  the  suburban  service  as 
collector  and  continued  in  that  capacity  until 
1892,  when  he  was  promoted  to  conductor  by 
Superintendent  J.  C.  Jones,  and  has  continued 
as  such  to  the  present  time.  He  has  never  been 
injured  and  socially  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
i,  O.  R.  C.,  of  Chicago. 


ILLIAM  B.  ORMOND,  chief  train 
dispatcher  on  the  Omaha  division, 
began  his  railroad  career  in  Nov. 
1876  at  Milwaukee,  where  he  learned 
telegraphy  in  the  office  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee 
&  St.  Paul  lines,  and  served  as  operator  for  five 
years  at  various  points  in  Wisconsin,  also  in  the 
general  offices  in  Milwaukee,  being  promoted  to 
dispatcher  in  1881.  When  the  offices  were  re- 
moved to  Chicago,  in  1883,  Mr.  Ormond  was 
transferred  to  that  point,  remaining  until  1892, 
serving  the  last  five  years  as  chief.  In  1892  he 
was  appointed  train  master,  serving  until  his 
resignation  in  November  1893,  to  go  into  business 
with  his  brother  in  Milwaukee.  He  then  re- 
turned to  railroad  service  some  eighteen  months 
later,  accepting  a  position  with  the  Great 
Northern,  in  the  state  of  Washington,  where  he 
remained  one  year. 

The  two  succeeding  years  he  served  as  train 
dispatcher    for    the    Colorado    &    Southern    at 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


505 


Trinidad,  being  promoted  to  chief  while  in  the 
service.  On  the  opening  of  the  Omaha  division 
of  the  Illinois  Central  Mr.  Ormond  was  offered 
the  position  as  chief  train  dispatcher  of  the  divi- 
sion, with  head  quarters  at  Council  Bluffs,  which 
he  accepted. 

Born  in  Milwaukee,  May  I5th,  1859,  Mr. 
Ormond  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  that  city, 
and  in  Wales,  where  he  spent  two  years  visiting 
his  grandmother,  when  a  boy.  He  was  married 
at  Trinidad,  Colorado,  in  1898,  to  Miss  Carrie 
White.  Careful  in  all  his  business  relations,  Mr. 
Ormond  stands  high  in  his  chosen  profession. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Train  Dispatcher's 
Association. 


].  DAWSON,  a  native  of  Hicksville, 
Ohio,  began  railroading  on  the 
Illinois  Central  in  September  1888, 
as  a  switchman  at  iO4th  street, 
Chicago,  and  continued  there  about  two  weeks 
when  he  began  braking  on  a  freight  for  conductor 
Green,  an  old  employe  of  the  road,  and  then  for 
Bennie  Schaffer  and  later  for  Frank  Woods. 
He  remained  in  the  freight  service  two  years 
when  he  was  set  up  to  conductor  and  ran  extra 
about  three  months,  when  he  was  given  a  regular 
car,  and  held  it  for  six  years. 

In  1890  our  subject,  Charles  Litchfield, 
Frank  Allen,  deceased,  Mr.  Trotter,  Frank 
Adams,  Mr.  Cooper  and  Harry  Earl,  of 
Champaign,  as  representatives  of  the  O.  R.  C., 
waited  upon  the  company  and  it  was  through 
their  efforts  that  the  standard  schedule  of  wages 
was  made.  At  the  end  of  six  years  he  was  pro- 
moted to  his  preferred  run  and  remained  on  that 
until  November  12,  1898,  when  he  was  promoted 
to  the  passenger  service  and  since  that  date  has 
been  in  the  suburban  service. 

Our  subject  has  never  received  a  severe 
injury.  He  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  I,  O. 
R.  C.,  and  in  May  1897  he  was  a  representative 
to  the  O.  R.  C.  convention  held  at  Los  Angeles, 
California.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Blue  Lodge 


No.  140,  A.  F.  and  A.  M.,  Chapter  No.  50,  R. 
A.  M.,  both  of  Champaign,  Commandery  No.  16, 
K.  T.  and  Council  No.  19,  both  of  Urbana. 

On  October  6,  1891,  Mr.  Dawson  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Lulu  Barber,  of  Grand 
Rapids,  Mich. 


ENRY  GARMES  is  a  native  of  Germany, 
having  been  born  near  Hanover  in 
March  1856,  and  came  to  this  country 
when  he  was  seven  years  of  age.  In 
1873  he  began  railroading  in  the  yards  at 
Champaign,  as  a  switchman  and  continued  there 
for  five  years,  when  he  began  on  the  Champaign 
division  as  a  freight  brakeman,  remaining  there 
about  four  years,  and  was  then  promoted  to 
conductor  in  the  freight  service,  remaining  until 
the  spring  of  1893,  when  he  came  to  Chicago  and 
ran  a  through  passenger  until  November  1st, 
1893,  then  he  returned  to  Champaign  and  was 
in  the  freight  service  until  December  I2th,  1894, 
when  he  came  to  Chicago  and  has  since  been  on 
the  fast  mail  to  Centralia.  In  all  his  years  of 
railroad  service,  our  subject  has  never  been 
injured  and  during  that  time  he  has  only  been  off 
the  road  about  six  months.  Socially  he  is  a 
member  of  Division  No.  112,  O.  R.  C. 

Mr.  Garmes  married  Miss  L.  C.  Cappis  and 
they  have  four  children,  Gertrude  L.,  wife  of 
Frank  Duncan,  of  Chicago,  Eva  C.,  Arthur 
Eugene  and  Earl  D. 

jtjtjtjtjtjt 


LI  CLARK,  one  of  the  conductors  in  the 
through  passenger  service,  is  a  native 
of  old  England,  where  his  birth 
occurred  in  the  city  of  Boston,  in  the 
year  1848.  In  1865,  with  his  father,  he  came 
to  join  two  elder  brothers  who  had  established 
themselves  on  farms  near  St.  Joseph,  Michigan, 
after  serving  through  the  Civil  War.  In  October 
1872  Mr.  Clark  came  to  Chicago  and  secured  a 


506 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


position  as  brakeman  on  the  Illinois  Central, 
serving  two  and  a  half  years  in  this  capacity  he 
was  promoted  to  conductor  in  the  freight  service 
early  in  seventy-five,  and  eight  years  later  was 
advanced  to  the  passenger  service,  running  at 
present  in  the  through  service  betwee'n  Chicago 
and  Centralia.  During  nearly  thirty  years  in  the 
service  Mr.  Clark  has  escaped  serious  accident 
and  has  brought  through  safely  all  the  passengers 
in  his  charge. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Clark  occurred  at 
White  Pigeon,  Michigan,  in  December  1876, 
when  Miss  Millie  Bottomly  became  his  helpmeet. 
Of  their  three  children  all  are  living :  William 
H.  is  a  clerk  for  the  Featherstone  Manufacturing 
Company,  of  Chicago ;  George  F.  is  a  fireman  in 
the  Chicago  terminal  yards  of  the  Central ; 
Lottie  Mable  is  a  student  in  the  Chicago  schools. 
Both  sons  graduated  from  the  Chicago  Athen- 
aeum. Mr.  Clark  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
112,  O.  R.  C.,  of  Centralia. 


JA.  WHEELER,  traveling  passenger 
agent  for  the  Illinois  Central,  whose 
Q  home  is  at  Manchester,  Iowa,  began 
work  for  this  company  in  July  1881, 
as  assistant  excursion  agent  under  Capt.  J.  F. 
Merry,  whose  biography  appears  on  another  page 
of  this  volume,  and  was  in  that  capacity  until 
1883,  and  since  that  date  has  been  traveling  pas- 
senger agent  under  Mr.  Merry.  His  duty  is 
to  look  up  and  organize  excursion  parties  all  over 
the  United  States  and  to  personally  conduct  them. 
Mr.  Wheeler  was  born  in  Herkimer  county, 
N.  Y.,  in  1842,  and  came  west  with  his  parents, 
Asa  and  Mary  Wheeler,  in  1854,  at  the  age  of 
thirteen  years  and  located  in  Jackson  county, 
Iowa.  The  father  was  a  hotel  keeper  by  occupa- 
tion and  subsequently  moved  to  St.  Charles, 
Minn.,  where  he  operated  a  hotel  for  two  years, 
but  spent  the  latter  years  of  his  life  on  a  farm. 
Our  subject,  in  his  early  life,  was  a  brakeman 
on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  for  a  short  time, 
and  was  also  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business 


at  Manchester  with  J.  F.  Merry,  above  mentioned. 
In  1864  he  enlisted  in  Company  F,  Forty-sixth 
Iowa  Volunteer  Infantry,  as  a  private  and  served 
six  months,  but  participated  in  no  battles  and  was 
never  injured  in  any  way. 

Mr.  Wheeler  was  married  at  Manchester  to 
Miss  Mary  N.  Cattron,  of  that  city.  Their  only 
child  is  Dr.  Earnest  C.  Wheeler,  of  Fargo,  N. 
Dak. 

Our  subject  affiliates  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Le- 
gion of  Honor,  all  of  Manchester. 


1856. 


HARLES  B.  FLETCHER,  train  mas- 
ter of  the  Cherokee  division  of  the  I. 
C.  is  a  native  of  southern  Illinois,  his 
birth  occurring  at  Sparta,  July  14, 
He  attended  school  at  Centralia,  111.,  and 
a  short  time  at  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  finishing  his 
education  in  the  printing  office  of  his  father,  J. 
Warren  Fletcher,  who  established  the  Centralia 
Sentinel,  the  first  journal  in  'that  city.  During 
the  years  1875-6  while  in  his  father's  office  he 
learned  telegraphy  under  the  instruction  of  L. 
A.  Louis,  former  superintendent  of  telegraph, 
studying  and  practicing  mornings,  noons  and 
nights.  In  1876  he  was  appointed  night  operator 
at  East  St.  Louis  for  the  Bridge  &  Terminal  Com- 
pany. Resigning  some  three  months  later,  he  re- 
turned to  the  case  in  the  office  of  the  Sentinel, 
where  he  was  employed  until  January  i,  1877, 
when  he  became  night  operator  at  the  Relay 
depot,  East  St.  Louis,  and  two  months  later  went 
onto  the  day  shift,  remaining  a  year  and  a  half. 
Resigning,  he  accepted  a  position  with  the  St. 
Louis  &  San  Francisco  Line  as  agent  and  opera- 
tor at  Pierce  City,  Mo.,  but  shortly  after  returned 
to  his  former  position  at  the  Relay  depot,  where 
he  remained  until  sickness  compelled  him  to  re- 
sign. After  his  recovery  Mr.  Fletcher  again 
entered  railroad  work  November  24,  1879.  as 
night  operator,  at  Clinton,  111.,  for  the  Illinois 
Central  and  has  been  in  their  employ  ever  since. 
After  a  few  months  at  Clinton  he  was  appointed 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


507 


clay  operator  at  Effingham,  serving  a  year  and 
the  same  length  of  time  at  Kankakee.  His  next 
assignment  was  as  ticket  agent  and  manager  of 
telegraph  at  Carbondale  for  a  few  months  and 
was  then  transferred  to  Centralia,  where  he  re- 
mained until  transferred  to  Cherokee  in  December 
1887,  as  day  operator.  In  February  1888  he 
was  assigned  to  duty  in  the  office  of  the  division 
superintendent,  in  April  of  the  same  year  was 
made  chief  clerk  and  in  March  1892  was  made 
train  master,  which  position  he  has  since  filled 
to  the  satisfaction  of  the  management  of  the  road. 

Mr.  Fletcher  was  married  at  Centralia  to 
Miss  Kate  Cunningham,  to  whom  have  been  born 
four  children,  Howard,  Annie  Jean,  Mabel  and 
J.  Warren. 

Of  the  mysteries  of  Masonry  Mr.  Fletcher 
has  learned  much,  having  passed  the  required 
tests  and  is  now  a  member  of  Speculative  Lodge, 
No.  207,  Burning  Bush  Chapter  No.  90,  and 
Crusade  Commandery  No.  39,  of  Cherokee,  and 
has  passed  over  the  burning  sands  in  Kaaba  Tem- 
ple, Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine  at  Davenport. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  insurance  order  of 
the  Highland  Nobles  at  Cherokee. 


JOHN  DOLAN  who  is  a  native  of  Morris- 
town,  New  Jersey,  began  his  railroad 
career  November  16,  1871,  when  he  be- 
gan as  a  freight  brakeman  on  the  Chi- 
cago division  with'  Nicholas  Murray,  remaining 
there  two  weeks  when  he  was  put  in  the  Hyde 
Park  suburban  service.  During  this  time  he 
served  as  extra  brakeman  on  freights  when  he 
returned  to  the  regular  freight  service  remain- 
ing for  about  two  years,  running  with  Eli  Clark 
and  Chris  Bark,  now  off  the  road.  For  the  fol- 
lowing three  and  a  half  years  he  served  as  brake; 
man  in  the  through  passenger  service  for  Conduc- 
tor A.  S.  Patten,  now  living  in  Chelsea,  Mass. ; 
then  ran  as  extra  baggageman  for  two  years 
when  he  was  made  collector  in  the  suburban  ser- 
vice. In  October  1886  he  was  promoted  to  regu- 
lar suburban  conductor  where  he  has  continued 


until  the  present  day,  and  he  is  now  number 
two  on  the  seniority  list.  During  his  long  rail- 
road experience  he  has  never  been  injured. 

Mr.  Dolan  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen  Duffy 
and  they  have  six  children,  John,  William,  Mary, 
Thomas,  Kittie  and  Edward. 


H.  BAKER,  conductor  on  the  Illinois 
Central,  first  saw  the  light  of  day 
in  Mason,  (now  Clio)  Illinois,  May 
8,  1888,  our  subject  went  on  the 
Illinois  Central  as  a  freight  brakeman  on  the 
Chicago  division  for  Conductor  John  Woods 
and  continued  in  that  capacity  until  September 
4,  1890,  when  he  was  promoted  to  freight 
conductor,  and  ran  freight  until  1895,  when  he 
was  promoted  to  the  passenger  service  and  went 
into  the  suburban  service  at  Chicago,  continuing 
there  until  September  I,  1899,  when  he  was 
given  the  St.  Louis  Diamond  Special.  Several 
times  he  has  been  called  upon  to  take  out 
special  trains. 

He  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  i,  O.  R. 
C,  also  a  member  of  Blue  Lodge  No.  841, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M., -Woodlawn  Chapter  No.  176, 
R.  A.  M.,  of  Englewood,  and  Commandery  No. 
59,  K.  T.  Mr.  Baker  married  Miss  Gibson,  who 
is  deceased. 


AMUEL  M.  FITCH,  a  well  known  con- 
ductor in  the  suburban  service,  began 
his  railroad  career  with  the  Atchison, 
Topeka  &  Santa  Fe,  as  brakeman  un- 
der Conductor  Jack  Roberts,  in  the  fall  of  1887 
and  continued  in  that  capacity  for  three  years. 
After  promotion  to  conductorship,  Mr.  Fitch  con- 
tinued in  the  service  for  a  year  and  then  on  No- 
vember 7,  1891,  secured  a  place  with  the  Illinois 
Central  in  the  suburban  service.  During  the 
following  year  he  was  promoted  and  has  served 
as  conductor  since,  having  the  run  between  the 


508 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


city,  Woodlawn  and  Harvey  and  one  trip  a  day 
to  South  Chicago.  His  brother,  A.  B.  Fitch, 
is  a  conductor  on  the  A.  T.  &  S.  F. 

Mr.  Fitch  was  born  at  Batavia,  Iowa,  Aug. 
19,  1870,  a  son  of  Henry  Fitch,  a  bridge  carpen- 
ter, who  died  when  our  subject  was  very  small. 
He  was  married  at  Cheltenham  October  14,  1896, 
to  Miss  Jessie  Westbrook. 

Mrs.  Fitch  is  a  member  of  the  Ladies'  Auxili- 
ary of  the  O.  R.  C.  Mr.  Fitch  is  a  member  of 
Division  No.  i,  O.  R.  C.,  of  Chicago,  in  which 
he  is  serving  as  assistant  chief  conductor.  He 
is  a  member  of  Invincible  Lodge  No.  353,  Knights 
of  Pythias,  of  Cheltenham  and  of  the  Golden 
Rule  Lodge  No.  726,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Chicago. 


LFRED  SANDERSON,  who  has  charge 
of  one  of  the  suburban  engines  from 
the  Twenty-seventh  street  shops, 
Chicago,  ranks  third  in  the  order  of 
seniority  of  the  Illinois  Central  company's  engi- 
neers in  the  city  of  Chicago.  Mr.  Sanderson 
was  born  in  Montreal,  Canada,  September  25, 
1846.  He  began  railroading  in  1862  at  Point 
St.  Charles,  on  the  Grand  Trunk  Line  under  Engi- 
neer Jim  Prey.  In  1863  he  came  to  Chicago, 
111.,  and  after  firing  for  two  years,  was  given 
charge  of  freight  engine  No.  175,  which  he 
operated  eighteen  years.  In  1883,  Mr.  Sander- 
son was  promoted  to  a  passenger  run  between 
Chicago  and  Champaign,  pulling  the  Big  Four 
trains  as  far  as  Kankakee,  where  they  left  the 
Central  company's  lines,  until  1893,  when  he  was 
transferred  to  his  present  position  at  the  head 
of  a  suburban  train. 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  meet  the  pioneers  of  any 
community  and  hear  them  recount  thrilling  ex- 
periences amid  frontier  surroundings.  Our  sub- 
ject is  a  pioneer  railroad  employe  and  his  reminis- 
cences of  early  railroad  life  are  very  interesting. 
When  he  began  as  a  fireman,  wood  burning  en- 
gines were  in  use  and  railroad  construction  and 
management  were  very  different  from  those  of 
these  days.  It  is  a  noteworthy  fact,  also,  that 


during  his  entire  career  of  nearly  forty  years, 
Mr.  Sanderson  has  never  been  in  a  wreck. 

Mr.  Sanderson  was  married  in  the  city  of 
Chicago,  in  1872,  to  Miss  Margaret  Clancy.  Our 
subject's  father,  Joseph  Sanderson,  was  a  farrier 
in  England. 


H.  GERRY  is  another  of  Chicago's 
enterprising  and  wide-awake  bus- 
Q  iness  men  who,  by  his  own  energy 
and  faithfulness,  has  risen  to  an 
enviable  position  from  the  lowly  walks  of  life. 
The  name  will  be  readily  recognized  by  the  em- 
ployes of  the  Illinois  Central  company  as  that  of 
the  assistant  train  master  at  the  Randolph  street 
station. 

Mr.  Gerry  was  born  at  Racine,  Wis.,  June 
4,  1858,  and  began  working  for  the  Illinois 
Central  company  June  6,  1883,  as  a  brakeman 
on  a  suburban  train  at  Chicago,  under  O.  A. 
Barry,  train  master.  Later  he  was  extra  brake- 
man in  the  passenger  service  between  Chicago 
and  Effingham,  but  was  soon  promoted  to  a 
regular  run  which  he  held  for  eighteen  months, 
under  Conductor  James  H.  Claudius.  He  was 
next  promoted  to  train  baggageman,  but  after 
following  that  line  of  work  for  five  years  and 
three  months,  he  resigned  and  went  into  the 
freight  service  as  brakeman.  Eighteen  months 
later  the  company  saw  fit  to  put  him  in  charge  of 
a  freight  train,  but  poor  health  demanded  a 
resignation  of  that  position  at  the  end  of  a  year. 

After  a  few  months'  rest  and  attention  to  his 
physical  condition,  Mr.  Gerry  was  again  able  to 
begin  work  and  soon  secured  a  position  as  brake- 
man on  a  suburban  train.  From  December  1890, 
until  June  i,  1896,  he  served  as  brakeman  and 
collector,  but  at  the  last  named  date,  was  pro- 
moted to  the  office  of  regular  conductor,  and 
retained  the  same  until  January  3,  1898,  when  he 
was  appointed  assistant  train  master  under  Mr. 
Dunning.  Mr.  Gerry's  record  is  a  remarkable 
one,  in  that  there  is  not  a  mark  against  him  on 
his  page  of  the  record  of  train  men  kept  by  the 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


511 


company.  This  means  that  during  his  entire 
career  of  sixteen  years  on  that  line,  there  has  not 
heen  an  error  charged  to  his  account. 

Not  only  has  Mr.  Gerry  been  successful  in 
his  business  career,  but  he  has  attained  a  high 
position  in  social  circles,  affiliating  with  the 
Apollo  Lodge  No.  642,  Corinthia  Chapter  No. 
69,  and  St.  Bernard  Commandery  No.  35,  all  of 
Chicago,  and  also  holds  a  membership  in  Division 
Xo.  i.  O.  R.  C.  Mr.  Gerry  was  married  April 
19,  1893,  to  Mrs.  Alma  Westney,  of  Chicago. 


DWARD  W.  GERRY,  locomotive  en- 
gineer, is  a  native  of  Racine,  Wis., 
where  he  was  born  in  1860.  On 
October  251!!,  1884,  Mr.  Gerry  com- 
menced firing  a  switch  engine  for  Lewis  George, 
in  the  Chicago  yards  and  continued  in  that  service 
until  the  spring  of  1885  when  he  began  firing 
a  suburban  engine  for  William  McManman,  now 
deceased,  then  for  Frank  Dunham.  At  the  end 
of  two  years  he  went  into  the  freight  service 
and  fired  for  George  Baltsey,  deceased,  then  for 
J.  P.  Smith,  and  then  in  the  passenger  service 
with  Charles  Draper,  also  deceased,  continuing 
until  August  26,  1888,  when  he  was  promoted  to 
engineer  and  given  switch  engine  No.  20,  in  the 
Chicago  yards,  and  was  on  that  until  November 
19,  of  the  same  year.  This  was  prior  to  his 
examination  but  on  the  latter  date  he  was  ex- 
amined and  qualified  for  any  service.  He 
continued  as  a  yard  engineer  and  the  extra 
freight  service  until  the  spring  of  1889,  when  he 
was  put  in  the  "chain  gang"  where  he  remained 
until  May  1891.  During  this  time  he  was  on 
all  divisions  south  to  Cairo  and  west  to  Dubuque. 
On  May  31.  1891,  he  was  given  suburban  engine 
Xo.  204.  followed  by  engine  No.  210.  which  he 
ran  until  1894.  when  he  got  his  present  engine 
Xo.  245.  Our  subject  is  a  member  of  Division 
Xo.  to.  I!,  of  L.  E..  of  Burnside. 

Mr.  (jerry  was  married  first  to  Miss  Jennie 
Railsback  and  the}-  had  one  child,  Edward 
Leonard.  In  1898  he  married  for  his  second 

28 


wife  Miss  Frances  Westney  and  they  have  one 
child.  Warren  Howard. 

Thomas  Gerry,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
has  been  in  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central 
company  a  great  many  years  working  in  the 
carpenter  department,  now  being  employed  in 
the  shops  at  Burnside. 


ERLIN  JONES,  who  has  been  with 
the  Illinois  Central  for  twelve  years, 
began  firing  in  Chicago  in  the  yards 
on  engine  No.  249,  with  Toney 
Pickart,  engineer,  and  was  on  same  three  months, 
and  then  went  on  suburban  engine  No.  60  for 
fifteen  months ;  later  fired  on  engine  No.  458, 
between  Chicago  and  Champaign,  Illinois,  for 
one  year.  He  then  ran  a  switch  engine  for  one 
year  and  a  half  and  was  examined  and  promoted 
to  engineer ;  he  began  in  the  freight  service  on 
engine  No.  320,  and  has  since  been  in  suburban 
and  freight  service.  He  now  runs  engine  No. 
328.  on  the  Chicago  division.  Our  subject  was 
born  in  El  Paso,  September  3rd,  1864.  His 
father  was  John  B.,  a  tailor  in  El  Paso  and 
Chicago  for  forty-five  years,  and  died  in  the 
latter  city  in  1898.  Our  subject  makes  his  home 
with  his  mother  and  sister  at  1834,  8gth  street, 
but  owns  property  in  this  city.  Mr.  Jones  was 
iii  a  wreck  at  Danforth,  111.,  while  firing  on 
engine  No.  164,  but  he  was  only  slightly  injured. 
Our  subject  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
10,  B.  of  L.  E.,  at  Burnside,  and  is  also  a  member 
of  Blue  Lodge  No.  765,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  at  Pull- 
man. 


HOMAS  COLLINS,  station  agent  at 
Grand  Crossing,  111.,  was  born  at 
Niagara  Falls,  Ontario,  He  entered 
railroad  service  as  an  office  boy  at 
Farina,  Illinois,  under  W.  L.  Arnold,  who  was 
station  agent  at  the  time ;  served  in  that  capacity 
six  months  and  then  went  to  Peotone  as  a  helper 
to  his  brother,  M.  Collins,  who  was  agent  there, 


512 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


remained  about  two  years,  learning  telegraphy 
and  station  work.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he 
was  sent  out  as  supply  agent  and  operator,  and 
has  worked  in  nearly  all  the  stations  between 
Peotone  and  Centralia.  In  1873  he  was 
appointed  night  train  dispatcher  at  -Champaign 
for  the  Champaign  division,  was  there  six  months 
and  then  went  back  to  Peotone  and  took  charge 
of  the  station  there  for  his  brother  until  1875, 
when  the  latter  resigned,  and  in  July  1875,  our 
subject  was  appointed  to  fill  the  position.  He 
remained  there  until  November  1884,  when  he 
was  transferred  to  Effingham,  remaining  until 
November  1887,  when  at  the  request  of  Super- 
intendent of  Telegraph  Jones,  he  went  to 
Freeport,  as  assistant  to  Superintendent  Murphy. 
This  was  at  the  time  of  the  construction  of  the 
road  to  Dodgeville  and  Madison.  He  had 
charge  of  all  the  trains,  construction,  etc.,  and 
remained  there  about  one  year,  or  until  the  com- 
pletion of  the  line.  He  then  went  to  Dodgeville. 
Wisconsin,  refusing  a  position  as  train  dispatcher 
at  Rockford,  Illinois,  remained  one  year,  and  in 
1889,  at  the  request  of  Superintendent  Russell, 
he  came  to  Grand  Crossing,  Chicago,  and  re- 
mained until  April  1891,  when  he  was  appointed 
joint  agent  of  the  World's  Fair,  representing 
twenty-two  roads  and  had  full  charge  of  all  the 
freight  from  the  time  the  ground  was  broken 
until  April  15,  1894,  at  which  date  the  last 
exhibit  was  shipped  away.  During  that  time  he 
handled  seventy  thousand  cars  of  freight  and 
about  one  million  dollars  in  cash.  After  a  short 
vacation  he  was  appointed  joint  agent  of  the 
I.  C.  L.  S.  &  M.  S.,  M.  C.,  and  Nickel  Plate, 
at  Grand  Crossing  and  has  held  that  position  to 
the  present  time.  He  has  never  been  suspended 
nor  lost  a  clay  on  account  of  illness.  Michael, 
a  brother,  was  in  the  employ  of  the  company 
from  1865  to  1875,  as  agent  at  Peotone:  Martin, 
another  brother,  is  in  Agent  Howard's  office  at 
the  Park  Row  Central  station  at  Chicago. 

Mr.  Collins  was  married  September  16, 
1873,  to  Miss  Emma  Folke,  of  Peotone,  Illinois. 
They  have  three  children,  viz :  Margaret  B., 
\Valter  T.,  ticket  clerk  at  Grand  Crossing,  and 
Howard  F. 


G.  PIERCE,  station  agent  at  Man- 
chester, Iowa,  began  his  railroad 
LQ  career  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years, 
in  the  capacity  of  operator  at  the 
station  of  which  he  now  has  control,  and  was 
thus  employed  eight  years  under  J.  L.  Kelsey. 
From  there  he  went  to  Earlville,  Iowa,  and  per- 
formed the  duties  of  station  agent  during  the 
years  1893  and  94,  from  there  he  went  to  Nashua, 
where  he  was  agent  for  eleven  months,  and  in 
February  1895  he  went  to  Manchester  to  accept 
his  present  position. 

When  our  subject  was  nine  years  of  age 
his  father,  Lewis  W.  Pierce,  was  overtaken  by 
the  angel  of  death,  and  he  was  left  to  fight  the 
battles  of  life  on  his  own  responsibility.  In  1892 
he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Anna  E. 
Dudley,  of  Manchester,  and  their  home  has  been 
blessed  by  the  presence  of  one  child,  Francis  H. 
Being  left  an  orphan  at  such  an  early  age  and 
obliged  to  work  for  his  own  sustenance,  Mr. 
Pierce  early  learned  to  apply  himself  closely  to 
whatever  task  occupied  his  attention..  He  has 
always  been  a  hard-working  man  and  a  faithful 
employe  and  commands  alike  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  his  employers  and  fellow  workmen. 


W.  WYLIE,  who  has  been  in  the  em- 
p^         ploy  of  the  Illinois  Central  for  near- 
)  1         O    ly    thirty-five    years,    is    a    native    of 
Lebanon,    New    York.        He    began 
railroad    life    in    1866,    at    the    age    of    sixteen 
years,  as  newsboy  at  Amboy,  Illinois,  and  con- 
tinued as  such  for  six  months,  and  in  June  1867 
he  commenced  braking  and  continued  four  years 
on   freight  and   passenger.     At  the  end  of  the 
four  years  he  was  promoted  to  conductor  and  ran 
freight  until  1881.     During  that  time  he  was  on 
all  divisions  of  the  Illinois  Central  north  of  the 
Ohio   river   and   had   charge   of   a   construction 
train    on   the    Amboy   division    between    Amboy 
and  Clinton  for  five  seasons. 

At  the  end  of  the  ten  years  service  running 
freight    he    was    promoted    to   passenger   mixed 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


513 


train  for  a  while.  During  the  construction  of  the 
Freeport  division  he  was  transferred  and  had 
charge  of  the  iron  train  during  that  period ;  and 
later  was  put  in  charge  of  the  gravel  pit  at  Cole- 
man,  and  when  the  road  was  completed  he  ran 
the  first  passenger  train  over  the  line  and  is  the 
oldest  conductor  on  the  division.  He  has  continued 
here  to  the  present  time,  running  through  passen- 
ger to  Dubuque.  Our  subject  was  never  seri- 
ously injured,  nor  has  he  ever  had  an  accident 
that  cost  the  company  a  dollar.  He  has  lived  in 
Chicago  since  1888. 

Mr.  Wylie  belongs  to  Division  No.  i,  ().  R. 
C..  and  was  also  a  member  of  the  Brotherhood 
of  Conductors.  The  ().  R.  C.  lodge  at  Amboy 
was  named  in  honor  of  Mr.  Wylie.  though  it 
has  since  been  transferred  to  Freeport. 

Mr.  \Y\lie  married  Miss  Koontz  and  has 
one  son. 


APTAIX  JOHN  F.  MERRY,  in  the 
best  sense  of  the  word  is  a  represen- 
tative business  man.  In  his  financial 
success,  unblemished  business  record, 
and  steadily  increasing  usefulness,  Dubuque  and 
l(iwa  may  well  feel  a  personal  pride  and  interest. 
Captain  Merry  was  born  in  Summit  county,  Ohio, 
March  24,  1844,  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen  moved 
with  his  parents  to  Delaware  county,  Iowa.  In 
August  1862  he  enlisted  at  Dubuque,  Iowa,  in 
Company  K.  2ist  Iowa,  and  remained  with  this 
regiment  until  March  1863,  when  he  was  dis- 
charged for  disability.  In  April  1864  he  enlisted 
in  a  company  which  was  mustered  into  the  46th 
Iowa,  of  which  the  new  speaker.  David  B.  Hen- 
derson, was  colonel.  This  company,  of  which 
the  Captain  was  Second  Lieutenant,  was  known 
as  Company  F,  46th  Iowa. 

In  August  1865  the  Captain  entered  the  ser- 
vices of  Conger  Bros.  &  Co.,  of  Manchester,  as 
clerk  in  a  general  store,  and  remained  with  them 
until  1867.  when  he  went  in  business  for  himself. 
In  1879  he  became  excursion  agent  for  the  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad.  In  1881  he  was  promoted 


to  general  western  passenger  agent,  and  a  few 
years  later  to  assistant  general  passenger 
agent  of  the  D.  &  S.  C.  R.  R.,  a  part 
of  the  Illinois  Central  system,  and  in  1892 
was  made  assistant  general  passenger  agent  of 
the  entire  system,  a  position  he  still  holds. 
During  all  these  years  of  service  his  headquarters 
have  been  at  Manchester,  Iowa,  until  September 
i,  1898,  when  he  removed  to  Dubuque,  and  in 
addition  to  his  duties  as  assistant  general  pas- 
senger agent,  he  also  assumed  the  duties  of  secre- 
tary and  treasurer  of  the  Iowa  Land  &  Loan 
Company,  secretary  of  the  Dunleith  &  Dubuque 
1 '.ridge  Company,  assistant  secretary  and  treas- 
urer of  the  D.  &  S.  C.  R.  R.  Co.  and  secretary  of 
the  Fort  Dodge  &  Omaha  Railroad  company. 

Captain  Merry  is  a  public  spirited  man  and 
foremost  in  everything  that  tends  to  popularize 
the  company  he  serves,  and  the  community  and 
state  in  which  he  lives.  In  1895  he  organized 
the  Vicksburg  National  Military  Park  Associa- 
tion for  the  promotion  of  a  National  *Park  at 
Vicksburg,  to  include  the  federal  and  confeder- 
ate battle  grounds  about  that  historic  city,  and 
through  his  efforts  congress  passed  a  bill  author- 
izing the  establishment  of  such  a  park  and  ap- 
propriating a  sufficient  sum  to  purchase  the  lands. 
A  commission  has  already  been  appointed,  lands 
purchased  and  work  begun  on  the  park,  which 
is  to  be  one  of  the  most  interesting  military  at- 
tractions of  this  country. 

Captain  Merry  is  a  Republican,  and  was  a 
delegate  to  the  St.  Louis  convention  in  1896 
that  nominated  Win.  McKinley  for  president. 
He  was  unanimously  elected  president  of  the 
Dubuque  Business  Men's  League  during  the  first 
year  of  its  existence,  and  in  every  possible  way 
advertised  the  ad  vantages,  and  resources  of  Du- 
buque. He  is  a  member  of  Hyde  Clark  Post, 
<;.  A.  R..  of  Hyperion  Lodge  K.  of  P.  at  Man- 
chester, and  takes  an  active  interest  in  everything 
looking  to  the  moral  as  well  as  material  develop- 
ment of  Dubuque.  The  Captain  is  a  Metho:list, 
and  one  of  the  two  Lay  delegates  elected  by  the 
Upper  Iowa  Conference  to  represent  them  at  the 
General  Conference  of  the  M.  E.  church  to  be 
held  in  Chicago  during  the  month  of  May. 


514 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


He  has  also  given  a  great  deal  of  attention 
to  the  development  of  towns  and  cities  on  the  line 
of  the  Illinois  Central,  as  well  as  the  country 
adjacent  thereto.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  Na- 
tional Nicaragua  Canal  convention  held  at  St. 
Louis  and  New  Orleans,  and  was  the  author  of 
a  motion  at  the  St.  Louis  convention  that  a  com- 
mittee be  appointed  to  draft  a  concise  write-up 
of  the  advantages  of  the  Nicaragua  Canal,  a 
copy  of  which  was  to  be  mailed  every  newspaper 
in  the  United  States  having  a  circulation  of  500 
and  upwards.  The  Captain  was  made  chairman 
of  the  committee,  and  through  the  publication 
of  this  circular  a  general  sentiment  was  created 
in  favor  of  the  canal. 


moving  to  Clinton,  in  the  capacity  of  chief  dis- 
patcher when  the  offices  were  transferred,  serv- 
ing at  the  latter  point  three  years.  In  1894 
Mr.  Brown  was  transferred  to  Waterloo,  serving 
as  trick  dispatcher  until  October  1899,  when  he 
was  promoted  to  his  present  position  of  chief 
in  the  office. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Brown,  which  united 
him  with  Miss  Anna  Graham,  occured  at  Spring- 
field, 111.  Their  three  sons  are  named  Earl,  Ray- 
mond and  Leslie. 

Mr.  Brown  was  formerly  a  member  of  the 
Pythian  order,  but  owing  to  frequent  movings 
has  allowed  his  membership  to  lapse.  He  is 
one  of  the  more  recent  members  of  the  Train 
Dispatcher's  Association  of  America.  Mr.  Brown 
is  a  man  of.  steady  habits  and  gives  close  and  care- 
ful attention  to  the  traffic  under  his  charge. 


,OLDIN  A.  BROWN,  chief  dispatcher 
for  the  I.  C.  Ry.,  at  Waterloo,  Iowa, 
has  been  engaged  during  his  entire  rail- 
road career  on  the  Illinois  Central. 
Born  at  Medina,  Ohio,  February  17,  1862,  his 
education  was  acquired  in  the  district  schools  of 
Wood  and  Lorain  counties  in  the  Buckeye  state. 
After  farming  for  two  seasons  with  an  uncle  in 
Ohio,  Mr.  Brown  learned  telegraphy,  and  in 
1883  accepted  a  position  as  agent  for  the  Illinois 
Central  at  Lake  Fork,  111.,  where  about  the  first 
message  he  heard  across  the  wires  was  the  re- 
port of  a  wreck  in  the  gravel  pit  on  that  branch. 
After  some  six  months  at  his  first  station,  Mr. 
Brown  was  transferred  to  the  office  in  the  capi- 
tal city  of  Illinois,  as  bill  clerk,  where  he  re- 
mained an  equal  length  of  time  and  a  like  period 
he  served  as  operator  at  Mt.  Pulaski  in  the  above 
state.  For  half  a  year  he  served  as  operator  at 
Manchester,  Iowa,  where  he  resigned,  remaining 
out  of  service  the  remainder  of  the  twelve  months. 
On  his  return  to  the  service  he  was  sent  as  agent 
to  Kumler,  111.,  and  six  months  later  to  Gibson, 
in  the  same  state,  where  he  remained  two  years. 
Transferred  to  Springfield  a  second  time,  he 
served  as  clerk  in  the  superintendent's  office  a 
few  months,  and  was  then  appointed  dispatcher, 


HARLES  E.  KURD,  the  oldest  con- 
ductor on  the  Chicago  division  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  is  a  native  of  Cleve- 
land, Ohio.  He  began  railroading  in 
1863  as  a  freight  brakeman  on  the  Big  Four  be- 
tween Cleveland  and  Columbus.  After  serving 
there  six  months  he,  in  the  same  year,  came  to 
the  Illinois  Central  and  accepted  a  position  as 
freight  brakeman  on  the  Chicago  division.  At 
that  time  there  were  only,  three  trains  each  way 
in  twenty-four  hours.  For  the  following  year 
he  was  brakeman  and  ran  as  extra  conductor, 
but  at  the  end  of  that  time  he  was  given  a  regu- 
lar train  and  ran  freight  until  1873,  when  he  was 
promoted  to  passenger  service  and  began  running 
a  suburban  train.  At  that  time  there  was  only 
one  train  which  ran  to  Grand  Crossing.  He 
sold  his  own  tickets  and  made  five  trips  per  day, 
continuing  in  that  service  for  six  years  when  he 
was  promoted  to  through  passenger  service  run- 
ning to  Centralia.  Later  he  was  appointed  super- 
intendent of  the  suburban  traffic  and  held  that  po- 
sition about  four  months,  when  he  resigned  and 
returned  to  the  through  passenger  service.  When 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


515 


he  first  went  in  the  through  passenger  service 
there  were  only  two  trains  each  way  per  day, 
and  such  things  as  air  brakes,  etc.,  were  unknown. 
After  his  return  to  the  through  service  he  con- 
tinued until  September  12,  1899,  when  he  was 
given  the  Daylight  Special  to  St.  Louis.  Dur- 
ing 1871,  while  the  company  was  building  the 
round  house  at  Weldon,  he  had  charge  of  the 
gravel  train.  It  was  while  he  was  on  this  run 
the  Chicago  fire  took  place  and  our  subject 
worked  pulling  cars  out  of  the  way. 

Our  subject  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  i, 
O.  R.  C.  and  was  a  charter  member  of  the 
Brotherhood  of  Conductors  which  was  formed 
prior  to  the  O.  R.  C. 

Mr.  Hurd  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Jane 
Conklin  and  has  had  three  children :  Charles, 
who  died  in  1898;  Grace  and  Walter. 


ILLIAM  CORCORAN,  engineer  on 
the  Chicago  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  began  railroading  in  1880 
as  a  fireman  at  Temple,  Texas,  on 
the  Gulf,  Colorado  &  Santa  Fe  Railroad  with 
John  Moynihan  as  engineer.  August  12,  1886, 
he  came  to  Chicago  and  entered  the  service  of 
the  Illinois  Central  company,  and  after  firing 
for  four  years,  crossed  the  cab  and  has  since  had 
charge  of  the  levers  on  a  freight  run  from  Chi- 
cago to  Champaign. 

Mr.  Corcoran  was  born  in  Charleston,  S. 
C.,  September  21,  1860,  and  remembers  the  great 
conflagration  of  that  place  when  he  was  quite 
a  small  boy.  He  also  remembers  Sherman's 
march  and  the  shelling  of  the  city  by  the  Union 
Fleet.  Mr.  Corcoran  was  married  in  Chicago 
to  Miss  Mary  Clark,  and  three  children,  Marie, 
James  and  Lyda,  have  been  born  to  them.  Our 
subject  has  been  quite  successful  in  his  railroad 
career  and,  although  he  has  not  followed  it  as 
long  as  some  who  have  accumulated  a  great  deal 
less  of  this  world's  goods,  he  has  secured  for  him- 
self and  his  family,  a  pleasant  residence  on  Rurn- 


side  avenue.  The  only  time  that  he  met  with 
serious  accident  was  when  engine  No.  310  turned 
over  on  him  at  Martins,  111. 

Socially  he  affiliates  with  Division  No.  10, 
P..  of  L.  E.,  of  Burnside. 

Mr.  Corcoran's  father  was  also  an  Illinois 
Central  employe,  having  served  in  the  shops  at 
Amboy,  111.,  in  1867,  and  also  in  the  round  house 
at  Weldon  in  1871  and  '72. 


HARLES  CARNEY,  track  supervisor 
at  Waterloo,  Iowa,  has  been  in  the 
railway  service  since  the  age  of  twelve, 
excepting  what  time  he  spent  in  the 
schools  completing  his  education.  He  began  in 
the 'summer  of  1867  at  Dixon,  111.,  carrying  the 
tools  of  the  stone  masons,  building  bridge  work 
under  the  direction  of  Frank  Egan.  The  fol- 
lowing summer  he  carried  water  for  the  bridge 
carpenters  and  in  the  spring  of  1864,  being  "a 
broth  of  a  boy"  by  this  time,  took  his  place  on 
the  section  under  his  father's  foremanship.  The 
following  summer  found  him  in  the  same  position 
and  in  the  spring  of  1873  he  took  up  the  same 
work,  at  which  he  continued  until  May  1875, 
when  he  came  to  Waterloo  as  foreman  of  an  ex- 
tra force  working  under  the  direction  of  Mr. 
J.  T.  Moran.  In  December  he  returned  to  his 
old  place  at  Dixon,  remaining  until  July  1876, 
when  he  came  to  Dubuque  to  take  charge  of  an 
extra  gang,  repairing  a  washout  on  the  river 
bank  at  Dubuque  until  December  1st,  and  the 
remainder  of  the  winter  in  the  quarry  getting 
out  riprap.  The  following  spring  found  him 
acting  as  section  foreman  at  Epworth,  Iowa, 
where  he  remained  a  year  and  a  half,  going  thence 
to  Newell  where  he  was  employed  till  1881.  Af- 
ter firing  a  few  months  he  resumed  track  work 
at  -LeMars  where  he  remained  until  May,  1883, 
the  date  of  his  promotion  to  track  supervisor 
between  Fonda  and  Sioux  City.  He  was  sub- 
sequently in  charge  between  Sioux  City  a'nd  Fort 
Dodge,  later  between  Cherokee  and  Sioux  City 
and  finallv  between  Onawa  and  Sioux  Falls,  at 


516 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


the  time  he  was  assigned  to  his  present  duty  July 
12.  1895,  having  now  supervision  between  Fort 
Dodge  and  Waterloo. 

Mr.  Carney  was  born  at  Dixon,  111.,  May 
27,  1855,  where  he  attended  the  public  schools, 
supplementing  that  with  a  term  in  the  Christian 
Brothers  school  at  LaSalle,  during  the  winter  of 
i86o,-'70,  and  the  following  winter  at  the  Chris- 
tian Brothers  school  at  Prairie  DuChien. 

Mr.  Carney  was  married  at  Dixon  to  Miss 
Mary  Hennesy,  to  whom  ten  children  have  been 
born :  the  living  are  Lillie  A..  Marie,  Bessie, 
Charles.  Evangeline,  Raymond,  Harry,  Roy  and 
Gladys. 

Our  subject  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen  at  Fort  Dodge.  As 
a  railroad  man  he  is  thoroughly  versed  in  the 
construction  and  maintenance  of  the  road-bed 
of  a  great  and  growing  system,  and  keeps  in- 
formed on  all  that  pertains  to  his  line  of  work 
in  railway  operation. 


GBERT  N.  CANFIELD,  a  freight  con- 
ductor  on  the  Omaha  division  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  began  his  railway  ser- 
vice with  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Min- 
neapolis &  Omaha  Railroad  at  Sioux  City,  as 
fireman  in  1892,  and  occupied  a  seat  on  the  left 
side  of  an  engine  some  two  years.  Preferring 
train  service,  he  resigned  in  the  fall  of  1894  and 
secured  a  place  as  brakeman  in  the  service  of 
the  Illinois  Central  on  the  Dubuque  division,  run- 
ning east  and  west  from  Cherokee.  With  a 
view  to  his  promotion  he  was  ordered  up  for  ex- 
amination in  the  summer  of  1899  and  in  July  set 
up  to  a  conductorship  and  on  the  opening  of 
the  Omaha  division  in  the  close  of  the  year  was 
given  a  freight  run  between  Omaha  and  Fort 
Dodge. 

Born  at  Troy,  Minnesota,  March  29,  1873, 
Mr.  Canfield  has  been  practically  reared  on  the 
railroad.  His  father,  Alvin  Canfield,  is  an  engi- 
neer in  the  service  of  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul, 
Minneapolis  &  Omaha,  stationed  at  Sioux  City, 


where  another  son,  Eugene,  is  in  the  service  of 
the  same  company,  as  machinist  in  the  shops. 

Our  subject  is  a  member  of  Division  X<>. 
171  B.  of  R.  T.,  at  Fort  Dodge.  The  only  severe 
accident  in  which  he  has  been  involved,  occurred 
in  October  1899,  from  which  he  fortunately 
escaped  unhurt. 


ILLIAM  D.  PATTERSON,  station 
agent  for  the  I.  C.  Ry.,  at  Cherokee, 
unlike  most  railroad  men  has  spent 
his  entire  career  in  the  one  city. 
ISorn  at  Mt.  Forest,  Ontario,  October  25,  1863, 
he  received  his  early  education  at  Listowell  in 
the  same  province.  While  yet  a  boy  he  moved 
with  his  parents  to  a  farm  on  one  of  the  numer- 
ous islands  in  Lake  Huron  and  later  worked  for 
a  time  on  the  famous  canal  at  Sault  Ste.  Marie 
before  coming  to  the  states  in  1881.  The  same 
year  he  secured  a  clerkship  in  the  freight  office 
at  Cherokee  serving  in  that  capacity  four  years. 
Having  learned  telegraphy  he  was  for  a  short 
time  night  operator  prior  to  his  appointment  as 
chief  clerk  in  the  freight  office.  In  February 
1890  he  was  appointed  ticket  and  freight  agent 
at  Cherokee,  which  position,  he  has  since  filled, 
having  entire  charge  of  the  large  freight  and 
passenger  traffic  of  the  thriving  little  city. 

Mr.  Patterson  was  married  in  Cherokee  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Patterson  to  whom  four  children 
have  been  born :  Henry,  Ellen,  Jean  and  John. 

In  the  Masonic  order  Mr.  Patterson  has 
taken  a  deep  interest,  having  attained  the  degrees 
of  Speculative  Lodge  No.  307,  Burning  Bush 
Chapter  No.  90  and  Crusade  Commandery  No. 
39,  of  Cherokee,  and  the  Kaaba  Temple  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine  at  Davenport. 

His  fellow  citizens  have  recognized  business 
ability  in  him  by  electing  him  to  the  city  council 
tc.  which  he  has  been  returned,  by  the  electors  of 
the  first  ward,  for  a  term  of  six  years. 

Mr.  Patterson  believes  in  learning  the  ways 
of  the  world  by  contact  and  in  consequence  has 
been  an  extensive  traveler,  having  been  within 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


517 


the  boundaries  of  forty-three  of  the  states  of 
the  Union  and  has  traveled  from  ocean  to  ocean, 
from  the  lakes  to  the  Gulf,  from  Canada  to  Old 
Mexico  and  has  profited  by  what  he  has  seen  of 
the  many  varied  types  of  mankind  making  up 
the  citizenship  of  the  western  world. 


YRON  K.  KILBORXE,  station  agent 
for  the  111.  Central  at  Cedar  Falls,  la., 
has  been  in  the  service  of  the  com- 
pany since  January  1881,  when  he  be- 
gan  as  assistant  station  agent  and  telegraph 
student  at  Marcus,  Iowa,  under  Division  Super- 
intendent D.  W.  Parker.  It  was  during  this 
period  that  E.  T.  Jeffery,  then  general  manager 
of  the  I.  C.  system,  was  snow  bound  and  for  some 
ten  days  Marcus  was  the  headquarters  of  the  rail- 
way. Having  mastered  the  art  of  telegraphy 
in  a  remarkably  short  time,  Mr.  Kilborne  was  in 
September  of  the  same  year,  appointed  station 
agent  at  Meriden,  la.,  where  he  remained  until 
April  1883,  except  two  weeks  which  were  spent 
at  Jesup,  la.  Serving  about  a  year  at  Marcus, 
he  resigned  because  of  ill  health,  spending  the 
summer  in  Canada.  In  September  1884  be  re- 
entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  at  Mitchell,  la., 
and  in  August  1888.  was  transferred  to  Parkers- 
burg  where  he  remained  some  seventeen  months. 
From  February  1890  until  April  1894  be  was 
agent  at  Webster  City,  and  on  the  latter  date  was 
appointed  to  his  present  position  of  freight  and 
passenger  agent  at  Cedar  Falls. 

Mr.  Kilborne  is  a  native  of  Ontario,  Can., 
his  birth  occurring  at  Waterloo,  October  21, 
1856.  He  was  married  at  Ayr,  Ontario,  to  Miss 
-Margaret  Watson,  to  whom  one  daughter,  Luella 
Clare,  has  been  born. 

Our  subject  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
Order,  holding  membership  in  Acacia  Lodge  No. 
176  and  Hope  Chapter  at  Webster  City.  He 
was  formerly  a  member  of  the  K.  of  P.,  and  since 
coming  to  Cedar  Falls  has  become  identified  with 
the  A.  O.  U.  W.  Mr.  Kilborne  is  a  musician  of 
recognized  ability  and  is  a  band  leader  of  more 


than  ordinary  merit.  In  a  number  of  towns 
where  he  has  been  stationed  he  has  organized 
and  conducted  a  cornet  band.  At  Cedar  Falls 
he  organized  and  directed,  for  a  time,  the  A.  O. 
U.  W.  Military  Band  which  has  developed  into 
one  of  the  best  musical  organizations  in  the  state. 
His  close  attention  to  the  interests  of  his  em- 
ployers has  won  for  him  advancement,  from  time 
to  time,  as  vacancies  in  better  positions  have  oc- 
curred. 


1CHOLAS  RING,  the  oldest  engineer 
on  the  St.  Louis  division,  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  began  his  railroad  career 
in  the  employ  of  the  St.  Louis,  Alton 
&  Terre  Haute  Railroad  in  April  1861.  He 
served  as  fireman  nine  years  under  different  engi- 
neers, among  whom  are  the  following :  Master 
Mechanic  J.  B.  Laird,  J.  M.  Seat,  George  Pomroy, 
M.  M.  McClellen.  Dick  Cox,  J.  Hazen,  E.  C. 
Benton,  1!.  Warren,  A.  M.  DeClerk,  P.  H.  Mur- 
phy, W.  J.  Stoke,  C.  T.  Barton,  A.  C.  Beckworth 
and  G.  H.  Hatz.  He  was  set  up  to  engineer  in 
the  fall  of  1870,  and  his  first  work  in  that  ca- 
pacity was  on  a  switch  engine  in  the  yards  at 
East  St.  Louis,  where  be  spent  six  months,  and 
then  he  had  charge  of  a  freight  engine  until 
1871.  At  that  time  he  was  promoted  to  the  pas- 
senger service  and  given  a  run  between  East  St. 
Louis  and  Du  Quoin,  and  was  thus  employed  until 
Dec.  1897.  During  the  following  year  he  ran  from 
E.  St.  Louis  to  Carbondale,  but  since  1898  his  run 
has  been  between  E.  St.  Louis  and  Paducah.  Our 
subject  is  the  oldest  engineer  in  East  St.  Louis, 
and  during  the  many  years  he  has  spent  on  the 
road  has  never  had  a  serious  accident,  nor  been 
injured  in  any  way ;  he  was  never  suspended 
by  either  railroad  company  for  which  he  has 
worked. 

Mr.  Ring  was  born  in  Loraine,  France,  in 
1846,  and  came  to  America  with  his  father  in 
1849  ancl  located  in  St.  Clair  county,  Illinois, 
where  the  father  died  during  the  same  year. 
Our  subject  began  life  on  his  own  responsibility 


518 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


at  the  age  of  fifteen  years  as  a  cigar  maker,  and 
pursued  that  calling  several  months  previous  to 
entering  the  service  of  the  railroad. 

He  was  married  at  East  St.  Louis  to  Miss 
Anna  E.  Painter,  of  that  city,  and  of  the  six  chil- 
dren born  we  have  the  following  record :  Vernie 
W.,  husband  of  Lillie  Garvey,  machinist  and  night 
engine  inspector  for  the  Illinois  Central  at  East 
St.  Louis :  Sadie  M.,  Charles  N.;  Sidney  W., 
Lottie  May  and  Nellie  A.  who  died  at  the  age 
of  ten  years. 

Socially  Mr.  Ring  is  a  member  of  Division 
No.  512,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  East  St.  Louis.  In 
1 88 1,  he  built  his  present  comfortable  home  at 
No.  417  Market  street. 


Central  as  chief  clerk  at  the  local  freight  station 
at  South  Water  street,  Chicago  and  in  April  1892 
was  appointed  local  agent.  In  April  1893,  on 
account  of  ill  health,  he  resigned  and  was  off 
the  road  until  December  1893.  On  his  return 
he  was  made  agent  at  Centralia  and  continued 
until  July  1894,  then  during  the  strike  was 
transferred  to  Mounds  and  Cairo,  as  assistant 
agent  and  continued  there  until  December  1896, 
when  he  went  to  East  St.  Louis  as  local  freight 
agent  which  position  he  held  until  April  ist,  1900, 
when  he  was  transferred  to  Chicago  as  freight 
agent  where  he  is  at  present  located. 

Mr.  Lambert  was  married  to  Miss  Edis 
Rucker  and  has  one  child.  Our  subject  is  a 
member  of  Blue  Lodge  and  Royal  Arch  Masons. 


J.  LAMBERT  is  a  native  of  Crestline. 
Ohio,  where  he  was  born  June  17. 
1864.  He  began  his  career  in  1878 
at  Fort  W'ayne,  Indiana,  with  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  company  as  messenger 
and  office  boy.  From  that  he  was  promoted  to 
clerk  and  in  1883  was  promoted  to  night  yard 
dispatcher.  November  22,  1883,  he  went  to 
the  Fort  Wayne,  Cincinnati  &  Louisville  as 
shop  clerk  in  the  offices  at  Fort  Wayne  and  con- 
tinued about  one  year.  At  this  time  he  quit  the 
road  and  for  three  months  devoted  his  time  to 
some  gold  mining  business  in  Montana.  On  his 
return  he  accepted  a  position  with  the 
Pennsylvania  road  at  Chicago  as  yard  and 
merchandise  transfer  clerk  and  continued  as 
same  two  years.  He  then  resigned  and  went  to 
the  Minnesota  &  North  Western,  now  the 
Chicago  &  Great  Western,  as  chief  in-bound 
freight  clerk  and  after  serving  in  that  capacity 
one  and  one  half  years,  he  was  promoted  to  chief 
clerk  and  continued  until  November  18,  1889, 
when  he  was  appointed  agent  of  the  Chicago  & 
Northern  Pacific,  in  Chicago  and  continued  until 
January  1891,  when  he  was  appointed  train 
master  of  the  Chicago  &  Calumet  terminal  of 
that  city  and  held  that  position  until  February 
1892.  On  that  date  he  came  to  the  Illinois 


AMUEL  NORTH,  traveling  passenger 
agent  at  Omaha,  was  born  near  Sim- 
coe,  Ontario,  November  27,  1860,  at- 
tending the  public  schools  of  his  native 
city  and  a  commercial  college  at  London,  Onta- 
rio. On  leaving  the  commercial  school,  he  se- 
cured a  position  in  the  office  of  a  woolen  mill  in 
that  province  where  he  was  employed  until  com- 
ing to  the  States  in  April  1887.  Securing  a 
position  in  the  office  of  an  insurance  agency  at 
Sioux  City,  he  was  there  employed  until  Octo- 
ber of  that  year,  when  he  entered  the  service 
of  the  Illinois  Central  as  a  clerk  in  the  freight 
department.  In  1889  he  was  transferred  to  clerk- 
ship in  the  ticket  office  and  in  1890  made  station 
ticket  agent,  where  he  served  until  September 
1898,  the  date  of  his  appointment  as  city  passen- 
ger and  ticket  agent.  Aug.  i,  1900,  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Omaha  division  as  traveling  passen- 
ger agent  with  headquarters  at  Omaha. 

During  the  time  he  has  been  connected  with 
the  Central,  Mr.  North  has  demonstrated  his 
ability  as  a  railroad  man.  His  affable  manners 
make  him  a  typical  passenger  agent,  and  his 
thorough  business  principles  maintain  his  stand- 
ing in  the  good  graces  of  his  employers. 


S.  S.  KERWIN. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


521 


Mr.  North  was  married  at  Tipton,  la.,  to 
Miss  Anna  C.  Breidinger.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  Order,  being  enrolled  in  Tyrian  Lodge, 
No.  508,  Sioux  City,  Chapter  No.  26,  and  Colum- 
bian Commandery  No.  18,  all  of  Sioux  City,  and 
of  Kaaba  Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine  at  Daven- 
port, Iowa. 


S.  KERWIN,  engineer  on  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  first  began  railroad- 
'  Q  ing  on  the  Grand  Trunk  Railroad  in 
1876  as  an  engine  wiper,  at  Port 
Huron.  Michigan,  his  native  town,  and  remained 
there  in  the  shops  three  years,  working  himself 
up  to  engineer.  At  the  end  of  that  period  he 
engaged  in  the  switch  service  for  about  four 
years,  then  went  on  the  road  and  ran  from  Port 
Huron  to  Detroit  until  1890.  He  then  came  west 
and  ran  on  the  Big  Four  from  Indianapolis  to 
Springfield  in  the  freight  service  one  year.  He 
then  went  to  the  Chicago  &  Eastern  Illinois  and 
ran  from  Danville,  111.,  to  Chicago  and  Terre 
Haute,  and  was  there  one  year.  He  then  entered 
the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  and  was  put  in 
charge  of  the  machinery  at  the  pit  assisting  Super- 
intendent W.  W.  Wench  until  he  was  put  on  the 
road  in  freight  service  on  the  Chicago  division. 
His  first  engine  was  No.  422  with  which 
lie  pulled  sand  from  Knickerbockers  in  the 
construction  service,  for  the  new  grade  that 
was  being  built  at  that  time.  He  then  went 
on  the  road  as  extra  and  since  1894  has  been 
in  the  yard  service,  running  No.  140. 

Mr.    Kerwin   has   never  been   injured.     He 
belongs  to  the  B.  of  L.  E.,  No.  10,  of  Chicago. 


JOHN  A.  OSBORN,  general  baggage  agent 
for  the  Illinois  Central  company  at  Chi- 
cago, is  one  of  those  men  who,  whatever 
may  be  their  early  surroundings,  are  sure 
to  make  a  success  in  life ;  and  let  their  business 
career  begin  with  as  gloomy  prospects  as  it  may. 


they  will  eventually  be  ranked  among  the  leading 
business  men  of  the  community  in  which  they 
live. 

Mr.  Osborn  began  working  for  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  company  July  15,  1876,  at  the 
Randolph  street  station,  Chicago,  where  he  was 
hired  to  handle  baggage.  He  later  served  two 
years  and  a  half  as  check  clerk.  During  the  fol- 
lowing two  years,  Mr.  Osborn  served  as  second 
clerk  under  Mr.  Stinson,  and  in  1881  the  latter 
died  and  our  subject  was  promoted  to  the  posi- 
tion of  chief  clerk  of  the  general  baggage  depart- 
ment. January  4,  1897,  he  was  given  his  present 
position,  that  of  general  baggage  agent. 

Mr.  Osborn  was  born  in  Baltimore,  Mel.. 
September  4.  1853,  a  son  of  Owen  Osborn.  So- 
cially he  has  affiliated  with  Apollo  Lodge,  No. 
642,  since  1893. 


DELBERT  DILLON,  supervisor  of 
bridges  and  buildings  on  the  Cherokee 
division,  is  a  man  who  has  raised  him- 
self to  his  present  position  by  attention 
tc  the  details  of  work  in  his  department,  fitting 
himself  for  a  position  of  authority.  He  was 
born  in  Hardin  county,  la.,  April  3,  1856,  and 
reared  on  the  farm.  In  1876  he  secured  a  place 
as  laborer  with  a  bridge  crew  at  Fonda,  and  show- 
ing an  aptness  with  tools  learned  the  trade  of 
bridge  carpenter.  After  a  year's  service  on  the 
Illinois  Central  he  secured  a  place  as  carpenter 
in  the  service  of  the  Dubuque  &  Dakota  road, 
and  two  years  later  was  made  foreman  of  the 
bridge  crew,  serving  in  that  capacity  five  years. 
Resigning  he  accepted  a  position  of  foreman 
with  the  Minnesota  &  Northwestern  and  eighteen 
months  later,  in  1887,  returned  to  the  service  of 
the  Central  as  foreman  of  bridge  carpenters. 
His  appointment  to  his  present  position  of  super- 
visor of  bridges  and  buildings,  dates  from  1895, 
since  which  time  he  has  been  at  the  head  of  that 
department  on  the  Cherokee  division.  During 
the  construction  of  the  Omaha  branch,  Mr.  Dil- 
lon had  charge  of  much  of  the  work  on  the  north 


522 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


end,  the  big  trestle  over  Coon  river  coming  un- 
der his  care.  Called  to  a  responsible  position 
in  railroad  construction,  Mr.  Dillon  has  met  all 
the  expectations  of  his  employers,  and  merits 
the  confidence  they  have  placed  in  his  ability 
as  a  worker  in  heavy  and  light  timber.  In  his 
24  years  of  railroad  service  he  has  only  been  off 
duty  two  months. 

On  February  13,  1887,  Mr.  Dillon  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  J.  Brown,  at  Iowa 
Falls,  la.  To  this  union  nine  children  have  been 
born,  seven  of  whom  are  living:  Allan  B.,  Ar- 
thur Leslie,  Hattie  Alma,  Ella  May.  Mary  Agnes, 
David  and  Ruth. 

Mr.  Dillon  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order 
at  Cherokee,  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 


JAMES  T.  WHALON,  depot  master  at 
Chicago,  began  railroading  in  the  spring 
of  1876.  at  Peoria,  Illinois,  serving  as 
brakeman  for  the  Toledo,  Peoria  & 
Western  Railroad  Company.  After  eleven 
months,  he  was  promoted  to  conductor  in  1877 
and  held  the  latter  place  until  1881,  when  he 
resigned  and  came  to  Chicago  to  enter  the  employ 
of  the  Pennsylvania  company.  There  he  served 
as  yard  man,  doing  passenger  work  until  1886, 
when  he  was  appointed  assistant  station  master. 
When  the  Illinois  Central  company  opened  their 
new  station  at  Park  Row,  in  1893,  they  offered 
Mr.  Whalon  the  position  of  night  station  master, 
and  he  began  work  in  that  capacity  April  17,  of 
the  same  year,  continuing  until  January  I,  1896, 
when  he  was  promoted  to  his  present  position. 

Mr.  Whalon  was  born  in  the  town  of  Chenoa. 
Illinois  his  natal  day  being  March  31,  1858. 
September  31,  1886,  he  was  married,  in  Chicago, 
to  Miss  Margaret  McDonald,  daughter  of 
Captain  McDonald,  a  well  known  citizen  of 
Chicago.  To  this  congenial  union  have  been 
born  five  children,  whose  names  in  the  order  of 
their  birth  are  as  follows :  Francis,  Charles, 
Emmett,  Leo  and  Marion.  Fraternally  Mr. 


Whalon  is  identified  with  the  Royal  Arcanum, 
Garden  City  Council,  and  also  of  the  National 
Union.  Lincoln  Council,  both  of  Chicago. 
Throughout  his  railroad  career  Mr.  Whalon  has 
had  to  suffer  from  but  one  accident,  although 
that  one  was  quite  serious  and  kept  him  from  his 
work  about  three  months. 


HEALY,  conductor  on  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  was  born  in  Clifton, 
Q  111.  He  commenced  on  the  Illinois 
Central  on  June  30,  1883,  as  freight 
brakeman  on  the  Springfield  division,  between 
Gilman  and  Springfield,  continuing  there  two 
years,  when  he  was  promoted  and  the  following 
two  years  he  was  on  the  extra  list,  then  he  was 
given  a  regular  run.  In  October  1891  he  re- 
ceived a  regular  passenger  run  and  held  it  three 
years  in  place  of  another  man  who  waived  his 
rights.  At  the  end  of  these  years  he  went  back 
on  freight  and  continued  until  August  1896, 
when  he  came  to  Chicago  and  was  at  once  put 
on  the  St.  Louis  run.  Diamond  Special,  which  he 
has  held  up  to  the  present  time. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Lincoln  Division 
No.  206,  O.  R.  C,  of  Springfield,  but  was  trans- 
ferred to  Division  No.  i,  O.  R.  C,,  of  Chicago. 

On  June  18,  1891,  Mr.  Healy  married  Miss 
Jennie  Fordyce,  of  Gilman,  Illinois.  They  have 
one  son,  Earl  Bernard. 


ENRY  H.  IRLE,  conductor  on  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  was  born  in  Philadelphia, 
Pa.,  January  10,  1855.  He  began  on 
the  old  I.  B.  &  W.  at  Indianapolis  as 
a  carpenter  in  1873,  and  worked  for  them  three 
months;  then  was  off  the  road  until  1879  when 
he  went  on  the  Indiana,  Decatur  &  Springfield, 
working  on  construction  on  the  east  end  of  the 
road.  He  was  there  four  months  and  then  in 
October  1879  lie  began  on  the  Illinois  Central 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


523 


as  a  freight  brakeman  on  the  Champaign  divi- 
sion. His  first  conductor  was  Z.  F.  Jencks.  He 
continued  as  brakeman  until  August  1883,  when 
he.  was  promoted  to  freight  conductor,  and  his 
first  running  was  done  in  the  freight  service  on 
the  same  division  where  he  remained  until  Febru- 
ary 1885.  He  then  quit  and  went  with  the  Mil- 
waukee &  St.  Paul  and  then  returned  to  the  Cen- 
tral and  began  running  freight,  and  remained 
in  that  service  until  August  10,  1899,  when  he 
was  promoted  to  extra  passenger  conductor  on 
the  Chicago  division. 

Our  subject  belongs  to  Division  No.  112, 
O.  R.  C..  of  Centralia,  of  which  he  has  been 
chief  and  also  chairman  of  the  Grievance  Com- 
mittee. He  is  also  a  member  of  Valiant  Lodge, 
Xo.  130,  K.  of  P.,  the  Western  Star  Lodge, 
Xo.  240,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Chapter  No.  50,  R.  A. 
M.,  all  of  Champaign,  and  Urbana  Commandery, 
Xo.  16,  K.  T.,  of  Urbana. 


1LLIAM  A.  DODDS.  a  well  known 
and  popular  engineer  in  the  pas- 
senger service  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, between  Memphis,  Tennessee, 
and  Cairo,  Illinois,  dates  his  connection  with  the 
company  from  1883.  He  began  railroad  work 
on  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  railroad  where  he  first 
served  as  fireman,  and  in  1875  was  promoted  to 
engineer.  From  1875  until  1882  he  was  in  the 
employ  of  that  company  as  engineer  at  Jackson. 
Term.,  running  north  and  south  on  that  division 
of  the  road.  In  May  of  the  latter  year  he  went 
to  Mexico,  and  worked  as  engineer  on  the 
Mexican  Central  R.  R.  until  February  1883.  He 
then  went  to  Palestine,  Texas,  and  was  with  the 
International  &  Great  Northern  Railroad  until 
June  of  that  year,  when  he  returned  to  Jackson. 
Tenn.,  and  entered  the  -service  of  the  Illinois 
Central  between  Jackson  and  Cairo.  Illinois, 
remaining  there  until  February  1897.  Going  to 
Memphis  he  began  work  on  the  Fulton  division 
of  the  road ;  he  has  since  remained  there,  and 


L;  now  in  charge  of  engine  Xo.  377,  in  the  pas- 
senger service  between  Memphis  and  Cairo.  He 
has  been  in  two  small  wrecks  during  his  connec- 
tion with  the  road,  one  at  Mayfield  Junction, 
near  Cairo,  and  the  other  at  East  Cairo,  but  there 
was  no  one  injured  in  either. 

Mr.  Dodds  was  born  near  Atlanta,  Georgia, 
December  i,  1854,  and  is  a  son  of  Asbury  Dodds, 
who  was  a  farmer  there.  P'ive  brothers  of  our 
subject  became  railroad  men,  three  of  them  are 
now  engineers  in  the  service  of  the  Mobile  & 
Ohio  R.  R.,  one  is  a  foreman  on  the  same 
road,  and  another  brother,  now  deceased,  was 
also  an  employe  of  that  road.  Mr.  Dodds 
married  Miss  Iva  Hammond  of  Jackson,  Tenn. 
They  have  one  child,  Glynnie. 

Socially  he  is  connected  with  Madison 
Lodge,  Xo.  16,  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  Knights  of  the 
Maccabees,  both  of  Jackson,  Tenn.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  P>.  of  L.  E..  of  Memphis. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  while  Mrs.  Dodds  is  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  faith.  They  reside  at  No.  514 
Shelby  street,  in  the  city  of  Memphis,  where  they 
have  a  comfortable  home. 


S.  WILDESON,  engineer  on  the  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad,  was  born  in 
De  Kalb  county,  Indiana,  October  i, 
l&57-  Jonas  Wildeson,  his  father, 
was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  is  now  a  farmer 
in  Indiana.  His  mother,  Elizabeth  (Gelwicks) 
Wikleson,  is  deceased.  The  family  consisted  of 
eleven  children :  A  half  brother,  George,  an  en- 
gineer on  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  for  many  years,  died  in 
November  1893;  Nancy  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty ;  John,  a  farmer,  lives  in  De  Kalb  county, 
Indiana ;  Elizabeth  is  living  at  home  with  her 
father :  Louisa,  wife  of  Theodore  Wyatt,  a 
farmer,  lives  in  De  Kalb  county,  Indiana  ; 
Subject ;  Sidney,  an  employe  of  the  L.  S.  &  M, 
S.,  at  Norwalk,  Ohio ;  Sarah  married  William 
Wyatt,  a  farmer,  and  lives  in  De  Kalb  county, 
Indiana:  Ida  is  the  wife  of  Cory  Shugars,  a 


524 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


confectioner,  residing  at  Auburn,  Ind. ;  Elmer, 
a  farmer  resides  in  De  Kalb  county,  Indiana. 
Clyde,  married,  is  a  clerk  in  Auburn,  Indiana. 

T,  S.  Wildeson  was  educated  in  De  Kalb  Co., 
Indiana.  He  worked  on  his  fathers  farm  until 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  then  entered  the  service 
of  the  L.  S.  &  M.  S.  R.  R.  as  trackman,  remained 
there  for  three  years,  then  went  on  the  Wheeling 
&  Lake  Erie,  where  he  remained  eighteen 
months.  In  March  1885  he  came  to  Chicago 
and  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  as  a  fireman  on  the  Champaign  division, 
remained  in  that  position  until  1888,  when  he 
was  transferred  to  the  Chicago  division  and 
moved  to  Freeport,  Illinois.  On  the  nth  of 
September  1888,  he  was  promoted  to  engineer 
and  has  remained  in  their  employ  on  a  freight 
run  up  to  the  present  time. 

On  the  first  day  of  May  1889,  Mr  Wildeson 
was  married  to  Miss  Amanda  Walter  of  Orrville, 
Ohio.  She  was  born  December  9,  1859.  She 
is  the  daughter  of  Samuel  Walter,  a  farmer 
living  near  Orrville,  O.  Her  mother,  Catharine 
(Chreamer)  Walter,  died  October  19,  1894. 
Mr.  Wildeson  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows, 
and  the  B.  of  L.  E.  He  is  a  republican.  Mr. 
Wildeson  and  his  wife  attend  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church. 


of  the  Central  and  began  as  fireman  on  a  switch 
engine  August  15,  1886,  and  a  few  weeks  latei 
was  assigned  to  the  suburban  service  where  he 
remained  one  and  a  half  years.  From  this,  he 
was  promoted  to  the  through  freight  and  pas- 
senger service  until  November  12,  1891,  wher 
he  was  examined,  found  competent  and  promotec 
to  the  other  side  of  the  cab.  For  nearly  twc 
years  he  was  an  extra,  running  in  the  switch  anc 
through  freight  and  passenger  service,  until  he 
was  placed  in  the  regular  suburban  service  anc 
in  the  spring  of  1899  he  was  given  a  regulai 
freight  run  between  Chicago  and  P>loomington 
one  of  the  hardest  runs  on  the  line. 

At  Clinton  Junction,  Wisconsin,  occurrec 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Lindrew  to  Miss  Emrm 
C.  Andersen,  who  is  the  mother  of  two  children 
Agnes  Isabel  and  Louisa  Katherine.  Mr 
Lindrew  is  a  member  of  Division  .No.  10,  B.  oi 
L.  E.,  of  Burnside  and  the  Chicago  Lodge,  No 
91.  A.  O.  U.  W. 

During  all  his  railroad  career  he  has  provec 
himself  to  be  a  careful,  watchful  employe  anc 
stands  well  in  the  estimation  of  his  superiors. 


LE  L.  LINDREW  in  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral freight  service,  was  born  in  the 
province  of  Kongswinger,  Norway, 
November  22,  1864,  and  came  to 
America  in  the  spring  of  1883.  Proceeding  to 
Wisconsin,  where  many  of  his  countrymen  had 
settled,  he  rented  land  and  engaged  in  the  rais- 
ing of  tobacco.  Unfortunately  the  price  of  that 
staple  the  year  he  was  a  planter  fell  to  a  small 
fraction  of  the  usual  market  value  and  his  high 
hopes  were  not  attained.  To  add  to  his  troubles 
commission  men  to  whom  he  sent  his  crop  failed 
to  do  as  they  ought  to  have  done  and  he  lost 
heavily  again.  Seeing  no  chance  for  success  in 
this  line,  he  sought  employment  in  the  service 


LLIOTT  F.  WISE,  supervisor  oi 
bridges  and  buildings  of  the  Dubuque 
division,  of  the  Illinois  Central,  was 
born  in  Washington  county,  Pa.,  June 
14,  1841.  Securing  his  education  in  the  comnior 
schools,  he  learned  the  ship  carpenter's  trade  al 
which  he  worked  in  his  native  state  until  the 
spring  of  1868,  with  the  exception  of  three  years 
in  the  Army.  1861  to  1864,  when  he  shipped  a< 
carpenter  on  a  steamboat  bound  for  the  upper 
Missouri.  Resigning  at  Omaha,  he  was  on  his 
way  home  overland  and  stopped  off  at  Dixon,  111., 
for  a  short  visit  with  relatives  from  his  native 
state.  The  bridge  at  Dixon  was  at  that  time  un- 
der repair  and  being  offered  work  on  the  structure 
he  accepted,  thereby  changing  his  whole  career. 
His  ability  was  soon  recognized  and  he  was  made 
foreman,  at  which  he  served  until  Tune  T.  1868, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


525 


when  he  was  made  supervisor  of  bridges.  In 
i8f>9  he  went  to  Iowa,  and  after  his  marriage,  in 
1871,  made  his  home  in  Iowa  Falls  until  April  I, 
1879,  since  which  time  he  has  resided  continu- 
ously in  Waterloo.  Of  latter  years  the  super- 
vision of  buildings  has  been  added  to  that  of 
bridges,  making  Mr.  Wise's  responsibilities 
correspondingly  greater.  His  long  connection 
with  the  road,  a  third  of  a  century,  bespeaks  his 
ability  to  fulfill  all  that  is  expected  of  him  by 
the  management  of  the  great  system  he  has  so 
long  served. 

Mr.  Wise  was  first  married  to  Miss  Sarah 
J .  Winn,  to  whom  five  children  were  born,  viz : 
Carrie  E.,  deceased,  Mary  W.,  Edith  G.,  John 
Freeman  and  Sarah  A.  Of  his  second  marriage 
to  Miss  Hattie  H.  Brown,  two  children  have  been 
born,  Elliott  B.  and  Leon  G.  Mr.  Wise  is 
identified  with  the  Masonic  order,  holding  mem- 
bership in  the  Blue  Lodge  at  Iowa  Falls. 


and  in  1878  was  promoted  to  conductor,  remained 
in  the  employ  of  that  road  until  1892.  He  then 
embarked  in  the  livery  business,  but  sold  out 
within  a  year,  and  returning  to  railroad  life  in 
1893,  became  identified  with  the  Yazoo  & 
Mississippi  Valley  Railroad  in  October  of  that 
year  as  a  conductor  in  the  freight  service,  between 
Vicksburg  and  New  Orleans,  his  present  position. 

Mr.  Yearwood  was,  in  1884,  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Jennie  A.  Walker,  of  Sweet- 
water,  Tennessee,  a  native  of  that  place,  born 
in  1863.  They  have  three  fine  children ;  Maude, 
born  in  1885;  Faun,  born  in  1887;  and  Richard 
H.,  born  in  1891. 

He  belongs  to  Vicksburg  Division,  No.  231, 
O.  R.  C,  and  is  also  a  Knight  Templar  and  a 
Knight  of  Pythias.  In  religious  affairs  he 
unites  with  the  Baptist  church,  and  is  politically 
a  democrat. 


J.  YEARWOOD,  a  conductor  in  the 
freight  service  on  the  New  Orleans 
division  of  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi 
Valley  Railroad,  was  born  in  Sweet- 
water,  Tennessee,  on  August  8th,  1857.  His 
parents  were  H.  B.  and  Elizabeth  (Scruggs) 
Yearwood,  the  latter  still  living  and  residing  on 
the  old  homestead  near  Sweetwater.  H.  B. 
Yearwood,  a  farmer  by  occupation,  was  a  Colonel 
of  Militia  before  the  civil  war.  He  was  a 
Mexican  Veteran,  and  served  as  Major  of  the 
Third  Tennessee  Infantry  during  the  civil  war, 
but  at  an  early  period  was  appointed  on  the  staff 
of  General  P.  T.  G.  Beauregard,  serving  until 
1864,  when  he  became  disabled.  He  departed 
this  life  in  June  1897. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  of  his  native  place,  and  in  1874 
entered  the  service  of  the  East  Tennessee, 
Virginia  &  Georgia  Railroad,  as  a  brakeman 
between  Bristol  and  Chattanooga,  Tennessee. 
Soon  after  he  was  appointed  baggage  master. 


'ILLIAM  W.  SAMPSELL,  loco- 
motive engineer  in  the  employ  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  dates  his  connection 
with  the  road  from  1885.  He  be- 
gan his  railroad  life  on  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio 
Railroad,  running  from  South  Chicago  to  the 
city  as  a  fireman  under  Patrick  Ray,  and  later 
served  under  Mr.  McLaughlin,  remaining  with 
the  B.  &  O.  two  years.  He  then  began  with  the 
Illinois  Central,  as  fireman  for  L.  Sanderson  on 
engine  No.  85,  then  was  on  No.  192  for  John 
Maloney,  then  on  No.  33  for  Frank  Rugg.  He 
was  then  promoted  to  the  right  side  and  was 
given  charge  of  engine  No.  201  in  the  road 
service  between  Chicago  and  Champaign,  but 
after  two  trips  was  given  engine  No.  382,  which 
he  ran  for  one  year,  for  the  following  nine 
months  he  had  charge  of  engine  No.  594,  and 
during  the  next  two  years  ran  No.  332.  He  was 
then  in  the  pool  for  two  years,  but  for  the  past 
three  years  he  has  been  in  the  suburban  service 
with  engine  No.  244.  Our  subject  has  been  in 
one  wreck  but  has  never  been  injured. 


526 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Mr.  Sampsell  was  born  February  24,  1860, 
in  Snycler  county.  Pennsylvania,  a  son  of  William 
H.  Sampsell.  who  was  a  contractor  and  plasterer, 
and  wbo  now  makes  his  home  in  St.  Joe  county, 
Michigan.  Our  subject  married  Miss  Frances 
J.  Collins,  of  Marshall,  Mich.,  and  they  have  two 
children.  William  LeRoy,  born  June  10,  1892, 
at  Racine.  Wisconsin,  and  John  Francis,  born 
February  28,  1894.  in  Chicago.  The  family  re- 
sides in  a  pleasent  home  at  No.  2566,  looth  street, 
Chicago.  Socially  Mr.  Sampsell  is  a  member  of 
division  \"o.  10.  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Burnside. 


LONZO  R.  MEYERS,  who  is  a  native 
of  Missouri,  is  a  son  of  David  L. 
Meyers,  a  prominent  lecturer,  who 
died  in  1879.  Our  subject  began  his 
career  in  1882,  when  but  sixteen  years  of  age, 
as  a  clerk  in  a  freight  office.  He  was  next  made 
agent,  then  clerk  in  the  auditor's  office,  remaining 
until  1890.  when  he  went  to  St.  Louis  with  the 
P.  T.  &  A.  Railroad.  In  October  1890  he  was 
transferred  to  Paclucah,  as  auditor  of  the  P.  T. 
&  A.  and  remained  there  until  the  fall  of  1893, 
when  he  was  made  auditor  of  the  consolidated 
P.  T.  &  A.  and  Tennessee  Midland  Railroads 
and  office  moved  to  Memphis.  In  May  1895  he 
resigned  his  position  as  auditor  of  these  roads 
on  account  of  changes  in  the  management.  He 
next  went  to  Princeton,  Ky..  as  agent  of  the  C. 
O.  &  S.  W.  Railroad,  remaining  there  until  1897. 
when  he  was  transferred  to  Paducah  as  local 
agent.  He  was  in  charge  of  this  position  until 
April  1898,  when  the  commercial  agent's  office 
was  abolished  and  our  subject  made  local  chief 
clerk  with  ten  clerks  in  his  department  and  a 
great  amount  of  business  under  his  immediate 
supervision. 

Mr.  Meyers  married  Miss  Helen  Sinnot,  a 
daughter  of  one  of  Paducah's  most  prominent 
families.  Our  subject  is  a  man  of  fine  executive 
ability  and  has,  by  his  own  merits,  won  for  him- 
self a  place  above  what  most  young  men  attain 
at  his  time  of  life. 


1"TS^\  H.  BROWN,  round  house  foreman 
J  j  for  the  Illinois  Central,  at  McComb 
J  \^ss  o  City.  Miss.,  was  born  in  New  Or- 
leans in  1864.  Daniel  Brown,  his 
father,  was  a  well  known  engineer  in  the  passen- 
ger service  of  the  Illinois  Central,  where  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  he  had  charge  of  the  engine 
known  as  the  "Black  Prince".  This  famous  en- 
gine was  afterward  run  by  another  old  timer 
Cousins,  by  name,  who  made  that  remarkable 
run  from  Canton,  Miss.,  to  Xew  Orleans,  La., 
carrying  Governor  Warmoth  of  Louisiana.  Mr. 
Brown.  Sr.  died  in  1865. 

D.  H.  Brown,  of  this  sketch,  began  his  rail- 
road career  in  1876  as  an  apprentice  in  the  shops 
at  McComb  City,  serving  full  time,  working 
afterward  at  his  trade  there  and  serving  as  gang- 
foreman.  While  engaged  in  the  shops  he  served 
successively  under  Master  Mechanic  Anderson, 
McKenna,  Whittaker,  Losey,  Baldwin,  and  Daw- 
son.  In  1896  he  was  tendered  the  position  of 
round  house  foreman,  and  accepting,  has  since 
successfully  filled  it.  He  has  charge  of  quite  a 
force  of  men  in  the  shops,  yards  and  round  house, 
and  has  a  large  amount  of  office  work  to  look 
after. 

Mr.  Brown  has  invented  a  patent  valve 
which  is  now  in  successful  use  on  several  engines 
on  the  Lousiana  division,  one  having  been  used 
for  three  years  and  a  half  on  a  passenger  engine 
without  being  repaired.  Ordinary  valves  re- 
quire to  be  ground  every  few  months.  Engineers 
speak  in  the  highest  terms  of  this  invention,  and 
offers  from  locomotive  manufacturers  have  been 
received  to  apply  it. 

Several  brothers  of  Mr.  Brown  have 
been  connected  with  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  Company,  one  of  them  familiarly 
known  as  Dick  Brown,  was  a  bright  young  pas- 
senger engineer,  well  known  in  New  Orleans, 
who  had  been  connected  with  the  passenger  ser- 
vice of  the  road  for  eight  years.  This  young 
man  died  in  the  prime  of  his  manhood,  from 
what  was  supposed  to  be  spinal  trouble,  traced 
tc  an  accident  while  in  the  service.  While  com- 
ing out  of  Vicksburg  one  morning,  at  a  speed  of 
about  fifteen  miles  an  hour  he  stepped  out  on 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


527 


the  running  board, "to  tap  the  air  pump,  which 
was  not  working  well.  He  slipped  and  fell,  but 
being  active,  caught  the  end  of  the  sleeper,  and 
passing  through  the  cars  reached  his  engine.  On 
arriving  at  New  Orleans,  he  experienced  some 
pain,  ami  from  that  time  gradually  grew  worse, 
and  finally  died  despite  the  best  attention  of 
specialists.  He  was  a  very  popular  member  of 
his  division  of  the  B.  of  L:  E.,  which  defrayed 
the  entire  expense  of  his  illness,  amounting  to 
seven  hundred  dollars,  not  permitting  his  rela- 
tives to  pay  any  part  of  it.  Another  brother  of 
Mr.  Brown,  John  S.  who  died  in  1876,  was  also 
a  popular  engineer  in  the  I.  C.  service. 

Mr.  Brown  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Honor,  and  Woodmen  of  the  World.  He  owns 
a  spacious  residence  in  McComb  City,  where  he 
resides  with  his  wife,  their  four  children,  and 
his  mother,  and  is  a  very  highly  esteemed  mem- 
ber of  the  community. 


JAMES  E.  POOLE,  better  knoon  as  "Ed". 
is  a  native  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  and  is 
one  of  the  oldest  men  in  the  freight  ser- 
vice on  the  Chicago  division  of  the 
Illinois  Central.  January  i,  1881,  he  commenced 
firing  on  a  switch  engine  at  Kankakee  for  the 
noted  engineer.  Peter  Eich,  who  is  now  on  the 
middle  division.  He  remained  there  eight  months 
and  was  then  promoted  to  fireman  on  passenger 
tor  Stewart  Hazlett  and  George  Weatherhead, 
between  Kankakee  and  El  Paso,  in  which  ser- 
vice he  continued  for  ten  months  being  then 
transferred  to  the  Chicago  division.  Our  subject 
fired  a  freight  and  through  passenger  until  1886, 
and  for  three  months  prior  to  his  examination 
for  engineer,  he  ran  a  switch  engine  in  the  yards 
ai  Chicago. 

On  September  y,  1886,  he  passed  his  exam- 
ination and  was  assigned  a  freight  run  on  the 
Chicago  division,  where  he  remained  until  1890 
and  we  next  find  him  on  the  Chicago  &  North 
Western,  pulling  freight  there  for  six  months 
and  then  returning  to  the  Illinois  Central  in 


freight  service  until  1893.  He  was  then  put  in 
the  World's  Fair  service,  having  a  suburban  run 
until  April  1899,  when  he  returned  to  freight 
service  and  has  since  been  pulling  the  St.  Louis 
Manifest,  with  engine  No.  331.  His  first  engine 
was  the  old  twelve  spot.  Our  subject  is  a 
member  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  has  held  office  of 
Guide  for  a  number  of  years. 

Mr.  Poole  married  Miss  Davis  of  Buckley, 
Illinois.  When  he  first  came  to  the  Chicago 
division  there  were  only  six  freight  trains  each 
way  a  day.  He  brought  the  first  stock  train  over 
the  C.  M.  &  N.  from  Freeport  to  Chicago. 


EORGE  W.  HASSMAN,  the  affable 
and  highly  competent  division  fore- 
man of  the  mechanical  shops,  on  the 
Aberdeen  division  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral, at  Durant,  Mississippi,  was  born  in  Reading, 
Pennsylvania,  on  July  3rd,  1861. 

Louis  H.  Hassman,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject was  born  at  Strasburg,  Germany,  on  August 
20.  1817.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  years  he  became 
an  apprentice  machinist  in  his  native  place  and 
served  four  years  time,  completely  mastering  the 
trade.  He  then  travelled  through  Germany, 
France,  Switzerland  and  other  countries,  and  in 
1845,  emigrated  to  America,  landing  in  New 
York  in  April  of  that  year.  Going  to  Philadel- 
phia, he  worked  there  for  a  short  time,  and  in 
1846  went  to  Reading,  Pennsylvania,  securing 
a  position  with  a  firm  of  stationary  engine 
builders.  In  1848  he  entered  the  service  of  the 
Philadelphia  &  Reading  R.  R.  in  the  shops  at 
the  latter  place,  serving  twenty-eight  years  as 
foreman  of  the  stationary  engine  department, 
and  directing  the  erection  of  the  extensive  car 
shops  and  rail  mill.  This  remarkable  old  gentle- 
man, bears  the  unique  distinction  of  fifty  years 
service,  in  the  shops  of  that  company,  and  is 
now,  at  the  age  of  eigthy-three,  still  on  duty 
with  vim  and  energy  of  many  a  younger  man. 
He  has  followed  his  trade  of  machinist  sixty- 


528 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


seven  years,  a  record  probably  unequaled 
throughout  the  whole  United  States.  For  the 
last  eight  years  he  has  been  employed  in  the 
locomotive  department,  fitting  up  the  engine  gear- 
ing, and  cab  work.  He  performs  his  duties  with- 
out the  use  of  spectacles,  showing  what  a  re- 
markably well  preserved  man  he  is.  He  built  the 
first  stationary  engine  used  in  a  printing  office 
in  the  city  of  Reading,  Pa.,  and  did  it  without  the 
use  of  a  lathe. 

Mr.  Hassman  married  a  Miss  Wayne,  a  de- 
scendant of  the  family  of  Anthony  Wayne,  of 
revolutionary  fame.  He  has  seven  children,  of 
whom  William  Hassman,  is  superintendent  of 
motive  power  on  the  Vermont  Central  R.  R. 
It  is  needless  to  say  that  Mr.  Hassman,  Sr.  is 
a  respected  and  honored  citizen  of  Reading,  Pa., 
where  he  has  so  long  lived  and  been  identified 
with  the  leading  industry  of  the  place. 

George  W.  Hassman  the  subject  of  our 
sketch,  began  railroad  life  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
in  the  Philadelphia  &  Reading  shops,  running  a 
steam  hammer  for  two  years  at  night,  which 
was  in  those  days  considered  quite  a  feat  for  a 
boy.  He  then  served  four  years  in  the  shops 
under  his  father,  being  shown  no  favors  but  on 
the  contrary  being  held  to  account  more  strictly 
than  other  boys,  who  were  serving  at  the  same 
time.  After  finishing  he  went  to  the  Enterprise 
Works  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  later  went  to 
St.  Louis,  where  he  was  for  a  time  in  the  employ 
of  the  Iron  Mountain  R.  R.  and  the  machine 
shops  in  that  city.  He  then  worked  on  the 
Texas  &  Pacific  R.  R.,  next  on  the  Gulf  Coast 
&  Santa  Fe,  and  then  to  the  Missouri  Pacific  R. 
R.  as  foreman  in  Kansas  City,  Kansas.  From 
August  1 88 1,  to  October  1884,  he  was  round 
house  foreman  at  Cypress,  Kansas.  In  1885  he 
served  in  the  same  capacity  at  Sedalia,  Missouri, 
and  in  March  1886  went  to  the  Richmond  & 
Danville  R.  R.  at  Richmond,  Va.  His  next  work 
was  with  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  where 
he  was  employed  in  1887,  following  which  he 
went  to  Paducah,  Ky.,  working  one  year  for  the 
Illinois  Central  in  the  round  house  at  that  point. 
Leaving  Paducah,  Mr.  Hassman  next  went  to 
Little  Rock,  thence  to  the  northwest  and  New 


Mexico.  He  then  returned  to  Kansas  City,  Mo., 
and  served  as  round  house  foreman  for  the  Mis- 
souri Pacific  there,  from  1892  to  1896.  Resign- 
ing that  position  he  was  for  one  year  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Santa  Fe  R.  R.  in  New  Mexico,  and 
left  the  latter  to  accept  a  position  with  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  at  Water  Valley,  Miss.,  where  he 
was  employed  until  July  1898.  In  the  spring  of 
1899  he  was  appointed  division  foreman  for  the 
I  C.  at  Durant,  Miss.,  where  he  is  now  serving 
and  has  charge  of  the  mechanical  department  of 
the  Aberdeen  division,  and  Tchula  district.  His 
duties  consist  in  looking  after  all  the  repair  work 
of  seventeen  engines.  He  has  in  his  department 
sixteen  engineers,  nineteen  fireman,  two  hostlers, 
two  machinists,  one  boiler  maker,  besides  the 
•  car  inspectors,  and  a  force  of  twenty-seven  la- 
borers. The  shops  and  round  house  of  the  I.  C. 
at  Durant,  are  considered  the  most  complete  of 
any,  south  of  the  Ohio  river. 

Mr.  Hassman  married  a  beautiful  and  ac- 
complished lady,  the  daughter  of  Henry  Holmes, 
who  was  a  veteran  engineer  in  the  service  of 
the  New  York  Central,  and,  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  in  the  employ  of  the  West  Shore  R.  R. 
He  had  been  in  active  service  as  engineer  for 
forty  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hassman  have  one 
son,  Henry  Hassman.  a  bright  and  promising 
boy. 

Mr.  Hassman  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  of  Kansas  City.  He  is  a  man  of  more 
than  ordinary  ability,  discharging  his  duties  in 
the  most  satisfactory  manner,  and  the  officials  of 
the  road  recognize  in  him  a  valuable  and  trust- 
worthy employe. 


DWIN  B.  LUDWICK,  a  popular  pas- 
senger conductor  on  the  Hodgenville 
branch  of  the  Louisville  division  of 
the  Illinois  Central,  was  born  in  1859. 
in  Mercer  county,  Kentucky,  where  he  received 
his  early  education.  On  February  29,  18/8,  he 
entered  the  service  of  the  Paducah  &  Elizabeth- 
town  -Railroad  as  freight  brakeman.  After 


o 

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55 
£ 

O 
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£ 

o 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


531 


working  in  this  capacity  fourteen  months  he 
had  his  foot  run  over  and  was  laid  up  for  some 
time,  after  which  he  resumed  work,  braking  and 
ir.  1882  was  promoted  to  conductor.  On  account 
of  ill  health  he  accepted  a  position  in  a  baggage 
car  in  1888,  running  between  Paducah  and 
Louisville,  having  charge  of  the  baggage  and 
express.  He  was  next  promoted  to  conductor 
on  the  Hodgenville  branch.  He  runs  in  the 
passenger  and  freight  service  and  has  charge 
of  the  business  of  the  branch.  He  has  a  good 
record  and  is  a  thorough  railroad  man.  Our 
subject  is  an  enthusiastic  horseman,  and,  like  a 
true  Kentuckian,  owns  several  fine  animals. 

Mr.  Ludwick  married  Miss  Jessie,  daughter 
of  Jacob  Hubbard,  at  one  time  president  of  the 
H.  &  E.  Railroad.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order,  being  identified  with  the  Blue 
Lodge,  Chapter  and  Commandery,  also  a  member 
of  Division  No.  89,  O.  R.  C. 


T.  ARNN,  a  popular  conductor  in  the 
passenger  service  of  the  Louisville 
'  Q  division  of  the  Illinois  Central,  began 
his  railroad  career  in  the  service  of 
the  Nashville,  Chattanooga  &  St.  Louis  railroad. 
In  February  1885  he  was  promoted  to  conductor, 
where  he  remained  until  1892,  when  he  quit  and 
went  to  Paducah,  securing  a  place  on  the 
Chesapeake,  Ohio  &  Southwestern  railroad,  run- 
ning between  Paducah  and  Central  City.  In 
1896  he  was  given  a  preferred  freight  run,  be- 
tween Paducah  and  Louisville,  and  on  April  23, 
1900,  was  promoted  to  the  passenger  service, 
making  his  home  in  the  latter  city.  Our  sub- 
ject's railroad  record  is  a  good  one,  never  losing 
any  time  in  his  long  service. 

Mr.  Arnn  was  born  in  1861  in  Conyersville, 
Tenn.  His  father,  C.  D.  Arnn,  who  is  of  good 
old  Virginia  stock,  is  an  experienced  railroad 
blacksmith,  and  makes  his  home  in  Jackson,  Tenn. 
Our  subject  has  a  brother  who  for  the  past  eight 
years  has  served  as  conductor  with  a  run  between 
Jackson  and  Mounds. 

29 


Mr.  Arnn  married  Miss  Arnn,  of  Tennessee, 
and  they  have  three  children,  Nettie  May,  Roy 
Elmore  and  Beauton,  all  attending  school.  Our 
subject  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  290,  O.  R. 
C.  and  also  of  Plain  City  Lodge  No.  449,  A.  F. 
&A.  M. 


WEN  DONNEGAN,  or  "Sergeant 
Donnegan  "  as  he  is  known,  is  probab- 
ly one  of  the  most  interesting  charac- 
ters on  the  Memphis  division  of  the 
Illinois  Central.  He  was  born  in  Ireland  and 
came  to  this  "country  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  his 
lather  dying  when  he  was  a  small  lad.  He  made 
his  home  with  an  aunt  in  Nashville,  Tenn.,  where 
he  learned  the  shoemaker's  trade  and  became 
expert  making  ladies'  shoes,  at  which  he  worked 
until  1868,  when  his  mother  died.  Mr.  Donne- 
gan is  known  by  everybody  and  many  a  joke 
and  good  story  is  told  about  him  by  the  older 
men  of  the  road.  He  commenced  his  railroad 
career  in  1870,  on  the  section  between  Paducah 
and  Trimble,  on  the  old  Elizabethtown  &  Paducah 
road,  working  on  the  construction  one  year,  when 
he  quit  and  began  firing  with  J.  Carney  on  engine 
No.  7,  an  old  wood  burner,  after  which  he  ran 
a  switch  engine  at  Paducah.  After  promotion 
he  was  sent  out  on  a  work  train,  hauling  ties, 
and  was  afterwards  employed  on  a  passenger 
train  two  or  three  years,  running  the  first  train 
into  Newbern,  in  1880.  He  ran  the  passenger 
train  several  years  when  he  took  a  freight  run, 
and  at  present  he  has  a  preferred  run  between 
Paducah  and  Memphis.  Our  subject,  in  his 
long  service,  has  never  received  any  severe  in- 
jury, but  he  has  had  many  close  calls.  At  one 
time,  while  on  engine  No.  27,  in  the  passenger 
service,  he  struck  a  Paducah  local  engine  No. 
ii,  and  had  a  head  end  collision.  Mr.  Donne- 
gan was  thrown  down  a  bank  twenty  feet  but 
escaped.  Both  engines  were  demolished  but  no 
one  was  injured.  At  one  time  our  subject  was 
given  an  extra  to  haul  a  train  of  vegetables, 
called  the  extra  special  on  train  thirteen.  The 


532 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


train  ahead  stopped  to  pack  a  box  and  put  out 
no  warning  flag.  He  was  going  down  grade 
at  a  high  rate  of  speed,  struck  the  train,  de- 
molished his  engine  and  the  opposing  train's  ca- 
boose, and  was  thrown  out  of  cab  with  such  force 
as  to  break  his  watch,  and  lay  him  up  one  month 
with  his  injuries.  Mr.  Donnegan,  J.  L.  McGuire 
and  Pat  Grogan  are  the  oldest  men  on  the  Mem- 
phis division  of  the  Illinois  Central.  Mr.  Donne- 
gan came  to  Paducah,  married  a  daughter  of 
Pat  Kelly,  a  contractor  who  built  a  large  part 
of  the  Elizabethtown  &  Paducah  road.  They 
have  seven  children,  living,  Ellen  A.,  an  ac- 
complished young  lady ;  Pat  T.,  a  machinist ; 
Mary  C,  Maggie  C.,  Katie,  Owen  and  Agnes.  Mr. 
Donnegan  lost  four  children  through  death,  Pat, 
John,  Isabelle  and  Anna  Belle.  Our  subject  is 
a  member  of  Division  No.  225,  B.  of  L.  E.,  being 
a  charter  member  of  the  Division.  He  also  be- 
longs to  the  Catholic  Knights  of  America,  and 
in  1878  joined  the  Catholic  Knights  and  Ladies 
of  America.  Mr.  Donnegan  is  well  known  along 
the  line  as  "  The  Old  Reliable."  He  has  one  of 
the  finest  residences  in  Paducah,  built  from  his 
own  plans,  and  is  possessed  of  other  real  estate. 


ILLIAM  M.  FRANTZ,  freight  and 
ticket  agent  at  Fort  Dodge,  has  been 
in  the  service  of  the  company  since 
1876,  having  learned  telegraphy  and 
received  his  first  appointment,  as  operator,  at 
Charles  City,  Iowa.  In  the  spring  of  1878  he 
was  transferred  to  Epworth,  where  he  remained 
one  month  and  then  returned  to  Charles  City. 
In  September  of  that  year  he  was  transferred 
to  Cherokee  for  a  year's  service  as  operator,  going 
thence  to  Pomeroy  as  agent,  where  he  remained 
three  years.  In  the  fall  of  1882  he  was  appointed 
agent  at  Cedar  Falls  and  a  year  later  was  made 
joint  agent  for  the  Central  and  the  "Omaha" 
road,  at  LeMars.  remaining  at  that  station  until 
the  fall  of  1891.  After  a  year's  service  as  train 
dispatcher  at  Fort  Dodge,  Mr.  Frantz  served  the 


following  year  in  the  office  at  Cherokee.  In  the 
fall  of  1893  he  returned  to  LeMars  as  freight 
ardent  where  he  was  employed  at  the  time  of 
his  appointment  as  chief  dispatcher  at  Cherokee, 
in  the  fall  of  1896,  and  a  month  later  received 
his  present  appointment  at  Fort  Dodge. 

Mr.  Frantz  was  born  at  Olean,  New  York, 
December  25,  1859,  and  received  his  education 
in  the  schools  of  his  native  place  and  of  Charles 
City,  Iowa,  whither  his  mother  moved  after  the 
death  of  the  father  which  occurred  soon  after  the 
war.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  Frantz  to  Miss 
Frances  P.  Price  occurred  at  Pomeroy,  Iowa, 
in  April  1882.  Mr.  Frantz  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  holding  membership  in  the 
Blue  Lodge  at  LeMars,  the  Chapter  and  Com- 
mandery.at  Fort  Dodge,  and  in  El  Kaher  Temple 
of  the  Mystic  Shrine  at  Cedar  Rapids.  He  also 
affiliates  with  the  Fort  Dodge  Lodge  of  Elks 
and  the  Iowa  Legion  of  Honor. 


DSAAC  F.  BARNES,  a  popular  and  trusted 
conductor  of  long  service,  on  the  Louisi- 
ana division  of  the  Illinois  Central,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Eastern  Mississippi.  He  entered 
the  service  of  the  I.  C.,  in  1885,  as  brakeman 
under  Conductor  Weight,  and  after  two  years 
work  in  that  department,  was  promoted  to  con- 
ductor, where  he  has  since  remained.  He  has 
had  charge,  during  his  career,  of  all  kinds  of 
trains,  and  now  has  an  extra  passenger  run  on 
the  Louisiana  division.  His  fifteen  years  ser- 
vice with  the  company  has  been  free  from  acci- 
dents. He  however  sustained  a  painful  injury 
and  had  a  narrow  escape  from  death  in  1898. 
by  being  struck  by  a  mail  crane  while  extinguish- 
ing a  fire  on  the  side  of  a  cattle  car  on  his  train. 
Mr.  Barnes  married  Miss  Bryant,  a  native  of 
Mississippi,  and  seven  children  have  been  born 
to  them,  of  whom  five  are  living ;  they  are,  Verna, 
fourteen  years  old ;  Henry,  aged  eleven,  Newton, 
aged  nine ;  Earnest,  aged  five,  and  Carl,  aged 
two.  An  infant,  John  Hurd,  died  when  only 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


533 


three  days  old.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barnes  also  lost 
their  oldest  child,  William  I.,  on  March  n,  1898, 
a  young  man  just  entering  his  seventeenth  year. 
He  contracted  blood  poisoning  from  an  unsuc- 
cessful operation,  for  the  removal  of  a  crumb 
which  had  lodged  in  his  throat,  and  died  after  an 
illness  of  nine  days,  despite  the  best  medical  at- 
tendance. He  had  just  graduated  from  the 
Harris  Business  College  with  highest  honors, 
and  had  entered  a  career  which  promised  to  be  a 
bright  and  successful  one,  when  claimed  by  death. 
His  short  life  was  that  of  an  honorable,  Christian 
youth,  idolized  by  his  parents,  and  loved  by  every 
one. 

Mr.  Barnes  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
367,  O.  R.  C.,  in  which  he  has  held  several  offices. 
He  is  a  substantial  citizen  of  McComb  City, 
owning  considerable  property,  and  is  held  in 
high  esteem,  by  his  many  firm  friends. 


JOHN  C.  BISHOP,  foreman  of  the  car- 
penter shops,  for  the  Illinois  Central  at 
McComb  City,  Miss.,  has  been  connected 
with  the  company  for  thirty-four  years. 
He  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  in  the  old 
26th  street  shops,  at  Chicago,  111.,  where  he  first 
worked  in  the  freight,  afterward  in  the  passenger 
department,  finally  taking  charge  of  the  carpen- 
ter department  which  position  he  held  three  years 
He  then  had  charge  of  the  passenger  equipment, 
under  Mr.  Sullivan,  when  he  was  transferred  to 
McComb  City,  as  general  foreman  of  all  the 
shops.  This  position  he  held  for  thirteen  years, 
and  when  it  was  abolished  he  entered  the  carpen- 
ter shop  as  a  workman,  has  gradually  risen  and 
now  has  charge  of  the  department.  Mr.  Bishop 
was  born  in  Boston,  Massachusetts,  on  April 
22,  1859,  and  is  a  son  of  Captain  William  S.  P. 
Bishop,  a  sea-captain,  who  was  engaged  in  ser- 
vice between  English  and  African  ports.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  are  now  deceased. 

Miss  Mary  L.  Russell  of  St.  John's,  New 
Brunswick,  became  the  wife  of  our  subject,  and 


they  are  the  parents  of  three  children.  Mamie, 
wife  of  John  Seabey,  of  Brookhaven,  Miss., 
Blanche,  wife  of  Dr.  Robertson,  a  prominent 
physician  of  McComb  City ;  and  Theo.,  a  clerk 
in  the  office  of  the  master  mechanic  for  the  I. 
C.  at  the  latter  place.  A  service  of  thirty-four 
years  in  the  employ  of  a  company  is  a  record  of 
which  any  man  might  be  justly  proud.  Mr. 
Bishop's  long  connection  with  the  company  has 
been  one  of  uniform  satisfaction,  and  there  is 
not  a  more  popular  or  well  known  man  in  the 
service. 


JH.  QUINLAN  first  entered  railroad 
service  at  Dunleith  (now  called  East 
Q  Dubuque)  in  1869  as  a  messenger 
boy  etc.,  for  Station  Agent  C.  A. 
Beck  and  continued  in  that  capacity  until  Decem- 
ber, when  he  quit  and  attended  school  that  win- 
ter. In  June  1870  he  began  as  a  section  hand 
at  the  same  place  and  continued  until  1873  as 
a  laborer.  On  August  u,  1873,  he  commenced 
on  construction  train  as  brakeman  between  Ga- 
lena and  Dunleith  and  remained  there  until  Sep- 
tember 13,  when  he  began  as  a  brakeman  on 
freight  between  Dubuque  and  Amboy  and  con- 
tinued six  years,  or  until  1879,  when  he  was 
promoted  to  conductor  and  ran  until  1882.  He 
was  then  given  a  regular  train  and  continued 
until  June  1891,  when  he  was  transferred  to  the 
Freeport  division  and  received  a  regular  passen- 
ger run  which  he  has  held  up  to  the  present  time. 
He  has  had  through  passenger  to  Dubuque  all 
the  time  with  the  exception  of  one  year,  when  he 
ran  between  Chicago  and  Freeport.  On  Decem- 
ber 15,  1875,  in  making  a  coupling  he  had  his 
right  hand  smashed  and  was  laid  up  until  April 
1876.  On  December  20,  1890,  he  was  jerked 
off  an  engine  going  thirty  miles  an  hour  and  was 
seriously  injured.  At  the  time  he  began  on  the 
Amboy  division  there  were  only  three  freight 
trains  each  way  a  day. 

He  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  235,  O.  R. 
C.,  which  he  has  served  as  chief  conductor.     He 


534 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


is  also  a  member  of  Lodge  No.  294,  M.  W.  of 
A.,  of  Dubuque. 

Mr.  Quinlan  married  Miss  Kinslo  and  has 
three  children.  T.  J.  Quinlan,  a  brother,  is  also 
a  passenger  conductor  running  west  of  Dubuque 
on  the  Iowa  division. 


NTHONY  PICKART,  who  was  born 
in  Milwaukee  in  1858,  commenced 
service  as  a  railroad  employe  in  the 
boiler  shops  at  Weldon  in  the  summer 
of  1874  and  continued  there  three  years.  He 
then  began  firing  in  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  yards, 
where  he  remained  four  months.  He  was  next 
employed  on  the  Champaign  division  of  the  I.  C. 
for  about  four  months  and  then  returned  to  the 
Chicago  division,  firing  on  engine  No.  188,  for 
A.  Fortin,  the  "wild  Frenchman",  firing  for  him 
two  years,  he  then,  by  special  request,  went  on 
through  passenger  engine  No.  118,  for  Charles 
Draper  and  continued  there  until  June  1881, 
when  he  was  promoted  to  engineer  and  began 
in  the  yard  service,  his  first  engine  being  No. 
117.  He  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  10,  B.  of 
L.  E.,  of  Burnside.  Mr.  Pickart  married  Miss 
Anna  Gustin  and  has  four  children,  Annie, 
Arthur  J.,  Merlin  L.,  and  Eugene  C.  He  owns 
fine  property  at  2944  Wallace  street,  Chicago. 


JOHN  B.  STEWART,  a  native  of  the  sou  h 
was  born  at  Maysville,  Alabama,  April 
i,    1857.     His   father,   William   Stewart, 
now    deceased,    was    a    merchant ;    the 
mother,  who  in  maidenhood  was  Ann  B.  Barker, 
has  followed  her  husband  to  the  great  beyond. 
J.  B.  Stewart  attended  the  common  schools  of 
his  native  county  and  until   1884  h^d  been  em- 
ployed at  farm  work  in  various  localities.     Octo- 
ber 24th  of  that  year  he  secured  a  position  with 
the  Mississippi  &  Tennessee  Railroad  as  baggage 


master,  serving  in  that  capacity  two  and  a  half 
years  when  he  was  promoted  to  conductor  in 
the  freight  service.  In  1892  he  was  again  set 
ahead  and  given  charge  of  a  passenger  train, 
running  between  Memphis  and  Grenada,  Miss. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Stewart  was  solemn- 
ized on  September  12,  1886,  Miss  Mary  R.  True, 
becoming  his  helpmate.  The  two  children  born 
to  the.m  are  Fannie  B.,  and  Sallie  T.  Mrs 
Stewart  is  a  native  of  Gurley,  Alabama.  The 
family  are  members  of  the  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian church. 

Mr.  Stewart  has  taken  three  degrees  in  the 
Masonic  order  and  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
175,  O.  R.  C.,  of  Memphis.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Democrat.  Few  who  begin  railroad  life  at  the 
age  at  which  Mr.  Stewart  did  rise  as  rapidly  in 
the  service  as  he  has  done. 


ZIAS  S.  MILLER,  foreman  of  the 
round  house  for  the  Illinois  Central 
at  Canton,  Miss.,  and  an  old  and 
valued  employe,  began  his  railroad 
career  in  1863,  in  the  railroad  shops  at  Lake, 
Miss.  In  1867  he  was  in  the  service  of  the  old 
Vicksburg  &  Meridian  R.  R.  as  engineer,  and 
remained  with  that  company  from  1863  to  1869, 
after  which  he  was,  for  a  short  time,  with  the 
Mobile  &  Ohio  R.  R.  as  engineer  at  Jackson, 
Tenn.  He  then  went  to  Water  Valley,  Miss., 
and  entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  as  engineer 
in  the  passenger  department  on  the  Mississippi 
division,  serving  from  December  1869  to  Febru- 
ary 1871.  It  was  while  in  that  position  that 
Mr.  Miller  had  a  very  narrow  escape  from  death 
in  an  accident.  There  was  a  washout  on  the  road 
at  Malone,  Miss.,  and  his  engine  ran  into  it  and 
was  wrecked.  He  was  so  badly  injured  that  his 
left  leg  had  to  be  amputated,  but  being  in  no 
wise  to  blame  the  company  paid  all  consequent 
expenses  and  allowed  him  his  salary  for  the  en- 
tire two  years,  he  was  unable  to  wo-k.  On  his 
recovery  he  was  appointed  foreman  of  the  round 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


535 


house  at  Water  Valley,  Miss.,  where  he  was  for 
a  short  time  and  was  then  transferred  to  Canton 
in  the  same  capacity,  until  1875.  He  was  next 
sent  to  Durant,  Miss.,  and  for  a  short  time,  was 
engineer  on  the  Aberdeen  branch  of  the  road. 
He  was  then  appointed  as  engineer  on  the  "Pay 
Car  and  Specials"  on  the  Louisiana  division, 
of  the  I.  C.  and  also  in  charge  of  the  inspection 
train,  that  carried  Messrs.  Ackerman  and  Jeffery 
on  their  tour  of  inspection.  Mr.  Miller  then  re- 
turned to  Canton,  and  resumed  his  former  oc- 
cupation as  round  house  foreman,  remaining 
there  until  he  was  sent  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  and 
to  Nashville,  Term.,  to  inspect  engines  that  were 
offered  for  sale  to  the  I.  C.  company,  he  then  for 
the  third  time,  returned  to  the  round  house  at 
Canton,  and  has  since  remained  there.  In  1878 
during  the  yellow  fever  epidemic,  Mr.  Miller, 
being  an  immune  was  one  of  the  few  men  capa- 
ble for  duty,  and  in  addition  to  his  round  house 
duties,  served  as  engineer  between  Canton 
and  Calhoun,  Miss.,  also  between  Canton  and 
Rays  Bluff.  Mr.  Miller  was  born  in  Attalla 
county,  Mississippi,  a  son  of  James  P.  and  Dorcas 
(Green)  Miller.  The  mother  was  a  descendant 
of  the  Ball  family  of  Washington  fame.  Mr. 
Miller,  Sr.  was  an  extensive  planter  of  North 
Carolina  and  also  in  Mississippi,  where  both  he 
and  his  wife  died. 

Miss  Florence  Wallar,  of  London,  England, 
became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Miller,  and  a  family 
of  seven  children  were  born  to  them,  of  whom 
six  are  living:  they  are,  Florence,  John  C.,  Ada, 
Mary,  Ruth,  and  Robert  Lemar.  Lucy  died 
while  young. 

Socially,  Mr.  Miller  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and 
the  Knights  of  Honor,  all  of  Canton.  While 
working  as  engineer,  he  was  connected  with  the 
Brotherhood,  and  was  a  delegate,  in  1871,  to 
the  convention  at  Toronto,  Canada,  and  a1  so  in 
1872  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  His  family  are 
members  of  the  Episcopal  church,  of  Canton. 

Mr.  Miller  has  been  employed,  during  his 
career,  on  the  following  roads  which  have  been 
absorbed  by  the  I.  C.,  viz:  Lessees  of  Mis- 
sissippi Central,  New  Orleans,  Jackson  & 


Great  Northern,  New  Orleans,  St.  Louis  & 
Chicago,  and  Chicago.  St.  Louis  &  New  Or- 
leans. He  was  engineer  of  the  special  that  car- 
ried Mr.  Osborne  and  party,  when  the  road  was 
bought.  Captain  Miller,  as  he  is  familiarly 
known,  is  a  man  who  counts  his  friends  by  the 
score.  His  present  force  of  fifty-five  men  are 
handled  in  a  way,  that  marks  him  as  a  man  of 
ability,  all  working  together  harmoniously  and 
having  complete  confidence  in  their  foreman. 


ILLIAM  B.  McKENNA,  an  old 
and  trusted  employe  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  employed  as  foreman  in  the 
store  room  of  the  company,  at 
McComb  City,  Mississippi,  was  formerly  master 
mechanic  for  the  Illinois  Central  at  that  place,' 
and  also  at  Clinton,  Illinois.  His  first  service 
was  with  the  "Big  Four"  R.  R.,  where  as  a  boy 
of  sixteen  he  worked  for  that  company  on  a  small 
salary  and  remained  in  the  service  nine  years, 
receiving  a  salary  of  three  and  one  half  dollars 
per  day,  before  retiring. 

In  1878  he  received  the  appointment  of 
master  mechanic,  at  Clinton,  Illinois,  for  the 
Gilman,  Clinton  &  Springfield  Railroad  (now  the 
1.  C.  R.  R.)  and  held  that  position  seven  years. 
On  the  acquisition  of  that  road  by  the  Illinois 
Central,  he  was  transferred  to  McComb  City, 
Miss.,  as  master  mechanic  there,  where  he  re- 
mained seven  and  one  half  years.  He  was  then 
sent  back  to  Clinton,  resuming  his  former 
position,  and  remaining  there  eleven  months. 
The  following  six  years  were  spent  at  Durant, 
Mississippi,  as  foreman  of  the  Illinois  Central 
shops  of  the  Aberdeen  district.  In  July  1899 
he  returned  to  McComb  City,  where  he  has  since 
been  employed  as  foreman  in  the  store  room. 
Mr.  McKenna  was  born  at  Manchester,  England, 
on  Aug.  8th,  1839.  James  McKenna,  the  father 
of  our  subject,  was  clerk  in  one  of  the  large 
glass  works  of  England,  and  emigrated  to 
America  with  his  family  in  1849.  Landing  at 


536 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


New  Orleans,  they  proceeded  by  boat  to  Cincin- 
nati, where  he  embarked  in  the  bakery  business. 
Moving  to  Indianapolis,  lie  was  in  the  same 
business  there  for  a  time,  and  later  moved  to 
Peru,  Indiana,  where  he  died,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  ninety-two  years.  W.  B.  McKenna,  the 
original  of  this  sketch,  married  Miss  Sarah  E. 
Tver  of  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  whose  father  was 
an  old  railroad  conductor.  To  them  six  children 
were  born,  viz ;  Lida,  Catherine,  George,  Fannie, 
Mazzie  and  Emma. 

He  is  connected  with  the  Masonic  order, 
being  a  member  of  De  Witt  Lodge,  No.  84,  of 
Clinton,  Illinois.  Mr.  McKenna  and  his  wife 
are  members  and  staunch  supporters  of  the 
Presbyterian  church,  of  which  he  is  at  present 
a  deacon.  They  reside  in  a  commodious  home 
in  McComb  City,  and  are  old  and  highly  re- 
spected residents  of  the  place. 


C.  CAREY,  conductor  on  the  Free- 
port   division,   Illinois   Central   Rail- 
road,  was  born  in  Janesville,   Wis., 
September  28,  1862,  and  is  the  son 
of  Thomas  and  Mathilda  (Burdick)  Carey.     The 
former,  a  farmer  by  occupation,  died  in  1864,  the 
latter  is  living  in  Belmond,  Iowa. 

H.  C.  Carey  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Durand,  111.,  Belmond,  Iowa,  and  the 
Janesville  Business  College.  At  the  age  of  six- 
teen he  began  herding  cattle  in  Iowa  and  re- 
mained in  this  employment  for  five  years.  He 
then  went  to  Wayne,  111.,  and  entered  the  service 
of  M.  W.  Dunham,  the  largest  breeder  of  fine 
horses  in  the  world,  where  he  remained  for  a 
period  of  six  years.  He  then  took  a  busin-ss 
course  at  the  Janesville  Business  College,  and 
went  to  Aurora,  111.,  where  he  clerked  in  the 
Hotel  Evans  for  about  two  months,  then  went 
back  to  his  old  employer  Mr.  Dunham,  wi'h 
whom  he  remained  about  two  years.  June  8, 
1892,  Mr.  Carey  came  to  Freeport,  and  entered 
the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  a  brakeman  on 


the  Freeport  division,  running  between  Chicago 
and  Dubuque,  and  in  March  1897  was  promoted 
to  his  present  position  of  conductor. 

Mr.  Carey  was  married,  March  8,  1893,  to 
Helen  May  Hammond,  of  Wayne,  Illinois.  Mrs. 
Carey  was  born  May  18,  1872.  She  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  Wayne  and  also 
took  a  course  in  the  Academy  at  Elgin,  Illinois. 
Her  union  with  Mr.  Carey  has  been  blest  with 
one  child,  Marian  H.,  born  April  7,  1894.  Mr. 
Carey  is  a  member  of  the  B.  of  R.  T.  In  poli- 
tics he  affiliates  with  the  Republican  party. 


RANK  D.  HENNEY,  an  engineer  in  the 
service  of  the  Illinois  Central  on  the 
Memphis  division,  entered  the  employ 
of  the  company  in  August  1890.  His 
railroad  career  began  on  the  Wabash  Railroad, 
as  fireman  between  Danville  and  Quincy,  Illinois, 
where  he  was  promoted  to  engineer  in  1871. 
He  served  as  engineer  in  the  freight  and  pas- 
senger service,  on  that  run,  between  eight  and 
nine  years.  The  following  eight  years  he  was 
on  the  Hudson  River  division  of  the  New  York 
Central  Railroad,  between  New  York  City  and 
Albany.  After  a  service  of  three  years  with  the 
L.  &  M.  C.  R.  R.  between  Louisville  and 
Lafayette,  he  returned  to  the  Wabash,  and  was 
on  different  parts  of  that  sysetm  until  entering  the 
employ  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  at  Kansas 
City,  Missouri.  He  worked  on  nearly  all  the 
branches  of  the  latter  road  in  the  states  of  Kansas 
and  Nebraska  during  the  two  years  he  was  con- 
nected with  the  road,  and  then  went  to  the 
Kansas  City  Railroad  between  Memphis  and 
Birmingham,  where  he  remained  four  years.  He 
then  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central 
and  has  since  been  with  that  road.  Mr.  Henney 
is  a  native  of  Center  county,  Pennsylvania,  born 
April  8,  1848.  His  father,  William  C.  Henney, 
was  in  the  water  works  there,  and  departed  this 
life  in  Green  county,  Missouri.  William  C. 
Henney  Jr..  a  brother  of  our  subject,  resides  in 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


537 


Kansas  City ;  and  Burnett,  another  brother, 
resides  at  Springfield.  Illinois,  where  he  has 
charge  of  the  electric  light  plant  in  the  Leland 
Hotel  of  that  city.  Mr.  Henney  married  Miss 
Belle  Stanton,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and 
three  children  have  been  born  to  them,  DeClercq, 
Jay  S.,  and  Burnett  M. 

He  has  been  a  member  of  Macon  Lodge,  No. 
8,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Decatur.  Illinois,  since  1872. 
and  is  connected  with  Division  No.  23,  B.  of 
L.  E.,  of  Memphis,  but  was  formerly  a  member  of 
Division  No.  281,  B.  of  L.  E.,  at  Vicksburg, 
Mississippi.  Mrs.  Henney  is  a  member  of 
Success  Lodge,  No.  159,  Woman's  Auxiliary, 
B  of  L.  E. 

Mr.  Henney  has  seen  service  on  a  number 
of  roads  and  has  been  fortunate  during  his 
career  to  escape  wrecks  of  a  serious  nature.  He 
is  a  popular  man  on  the  Memphis  division. 


and  has  charge  of  the  tool  room  of  the  27th  street 
shops  and  round  house,  he  mastered  his  trade 
by  earning  a  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
scholarship  and  taking  a  course  in  the  Chicago 
School  of  Electricity ;  John  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Chicago  High  and  Manual  Training  School,  and 
also  of  the  Armour  Institute,  in  the  latter  school 
he  constructed  an  engine  during  his  course  that 
i3  a  fine  piece  of  small  machinery ;  Robert  is  also 
a  graduate  of  the  Chicago  High  and  Manual 
Training  School,  where  he  learned  the  cabinet 
maker's  trade  and  machine  work,  his  work  even 
while  in  school  was  of  such  high  grade  that  the 
professor  bought  it  of  him  for  presents.  The 
names  of  the  other  two  children  are  Bessie  and 
Mable. 


JAMES  H.  BANTA,  whose  home  is  at 
7040  Stony  Island  avenue,  ranks  second 
in  the  order  of  seniority  among  the  Illi- 
nois Central  engineers  in  Chicago.  He 
began  his  railroad  career  as  a  brakeman  in  1861, 
tollowing  that  line  of  work  for  a  short  time, 
and  also  spent  a  few  months  in  the  boiler  shops. 
He  then  served  for  a  time  in  the  capacity  of  fire- 
man, but  since  October  4,  1865,  has  held  his 
position  on  the  right  side  of  the  engine.  His 
first  two  weeks  as  engineer  were  spent  on  a 
switch  engine,  and  then  for  three  years,  ran  on 
the  main  line  from  Dubuque,  Iowa,  to  Wapella, 
Illinois.  In  1872  Mr.  Banta  was  given  a  run 
on  an  accommodation  train  between  Chicago  and 
Oilman,  and  is  now  in  charge  of  engine  No.  906, 
on  the  same  line. 

Mr.  Banta  is  a  native  of  the  town  of  Mt. 
Yernon,  Westchester  county,  New  York.  Jan. 
1 6,  1871,  he  married  Miss  Ella  McKnight,  and 
of  the  eight  children  that  have  blessed  their 
wedded  life  six  are  now  living,  namely:  Susan 
M.:  James  Harry  is  an  Illinois  Central  employe, 


ILLIAM  F.  SHOFFNER,  freight 
and  passenger  agent  at  Water 
Valley,  was  born  in  Marshall  county, 
Mississippi,  July  3,  1865,  a  son  of 
Dr.  James  H.  ShofTner,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears 
elsewhere  in  this  work.  His  parents  moved  from 
Marshall  county  and  shortly  after  their  locating 
at  Water  Valley  he  secured  employment  in  the 
service  of  what  is  now  the  Illinois  Central,  as 
office  boy,  being  soon  promoted  to  clerk.  After 
about  two  years  here  and  in  the  telegraph  de- 
partment, he  was  appointed  agent  at  Ackerman, 
Mississippi,  where  he  remained  six  years  and 
was  then  transferred  to  Durant,  serving  one  year 
at  that  point.  He  was  next  assigned  to  the 
freight  department  at  Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  on 
October  i,  1892,  was  appointed  freight  and  pas- 
senger agent  at  Water  Valley,  where  he  has  since 
been  engaged.  Mr.  Shoffner  was  married  in 
Water  Valley,  December  2,  1898,  to  Miss  Willie 
Douglas,  and  to  them  have  been  born  two  sons, 
Douglas  and  Emmet. 

He  is  a  Mason  of  high  degree,  holding  mem- 
bership in  the  Blue  Lodge,  No.  145,  at  Jackson, 
Tennessee,  in  McConnico  Chapter,  No.  92,  and 
St.  Cyr  Commandery,  No.  6,  at  Water  Valley, 
and  Hamasa  Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  at 


538 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Meridian,  Miss.  The  Knights  of  Honor  and  the 
Elks  Lodge,  No.  456,  of  Water  Valley,  also  claim 
his  allegiance.  As  a  business  man  he  stands 
high  and  as  a  railroad  man  is  all  that  could  bs 
desired  by  his  employing  corporation.  By  his 
affability  and  prompt  attention  to  business  he  has 
made  himself  popular  .with  the  patrons  of  the 
road  doing  business  at  Water  Valley. 


JAMES  SMITH,  an  old  employe  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  is  a  car-repairer  in  the 
yards  of  the  company,  at  Canton,  Miss. 
He  entered  the  service  of  the  company 
in  the  fall  of  1858  as  watchman,  in  the  city  of 
Xew  Orleans,  and  has  since  remained  with  the 
road  in  various  capacities  until  the  present  time. 
Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Derby,  England,  on 
March  4,  1820,  emigrating  to  America  in  1840, 
and  landing  in  New  Orleans.  He  was  in  the 
United  States  army  for  five  years,  and  is  now  a 
pensioner.  He  married  Miss  Dolan,  a  native  of 
Ireland,  who  departed  this-  life  in  1898.  Mr. 
Smith  has  two  sons  in  the  Illinois  Central  service  ; 
James,  an  engineer  at  Canton,  Mississippi,  and 
Samuel,  a  switchman.  His  long  connection  with 
the  road,  has  made  Mr.  Smith  well  known  to 
the  employes. 


'ILLIAM  S.  KING,  superintendent 
of  the  Mississippi  division  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  has  been  in  railroad 
service  since  1878.  The  first  ten 
years  were  in  the  service  of  the  C.  C.  C.  &  St. 
L.,  rising  from  water  boy  on  the  section  to  sta- 
tion baggage  master  and  clerk,  and  the  latter 
years  as  telegraph  operator  and  train  dispatcher. 
In  August  1888  he  entered  the  employ  of  the 
C.  &  O.  Ry.  as  train  dispatcher  and  rose  to  the 
position  of  chief  dispatcher  and  train  master, 
filling  that  position  at  the  time  of  his  resignation 
ir  the  spring  of  1892.  March  10,  of  the  last  named 


ytar  he  accepted  the  superintendency  of  the  New 
Orleans  division  of  the  L.  N.  O.  &  T.  railroad 
and  continued  in  the  service  of  the  Y.  &  M.  V. 
toad  on  its  succession  to  the  property  of  the 
former  line,  August  31,  1892,  until  his  transfer 
to  his  present  position  September  I,  1895.  Mr. 
King  is  a  native  of  Milford  Center,  Ohio.  Of 
his  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Vise  a  son  was  born, 
Eugene  W.  who  died  in  New  Orleans  in  1893. 
Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the  lodge  of  Elks, 
No.  192,  of  Jackson.  He  is  a  railroad  man  of 
wide  experience  and,  having  worked  his  way  from 
the  lowest  round  of  the  ladder  up,  has  a  wide  and 
accurate  knowledge  of  every  detail  of  railway 
operation. 


LOUIE  VAUPEL,  an  engineer  on  the 
Evansville  passenger  transfer  was  born 
in  Evansville,  1871,  a  son  of  Henry 
Vaupel.  Our  subject  was  reared  by 
his  aunt  and  received  his  education  in  Evansville. 
When  but  sixteen  years  of  age  he  began  work  in 
the  mechanical  department  of  the  L.  &  N.  shop 
at  Howell,  Indiana.  He  later  went  on  the  Ohio 
Valley  Railroad  as  fireman  and  served  all  over 
the  middle  division  or  the  old  C.  O.  &  S.  W. 
In  1896  he  became  regular  engineer  and  ran  the 
freight  transfer  engine  at  Evansville,  soon  being 
promoted  to  a  passenger  engine.  Mr.  Vaupel 
has  never  been  injured  or  received  any  bad 
marks,  he  is  a  self  made  man  and  be  it  said  to 
his  credit,  has  supported  his  aunt  from  the  time 
he  was  sixteen  years  of  age.  He  now  resides 
with  her  and  cares  for  her  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
two  years.  He  has  great  talent  for  drawing, 
especially  engines,  and  many  familiar  "iron 
horses"  on  the  line  have  been  depicted  with  his 
pencil  and  adorn  several  of  the  mechanical  offices 
on  the  Louisville  division  of  the  Illinois  Central. 
One  was  in  the  master  mechanic's  office  and  was 
pronounced  perfect  by  the  engineers  and  artists. 
He  is  a  genius  in  his  way. 

Mr.  Vaupel  is  a  quiet,  unassuming  gentle- 
man, a  general  favorite  with  all.  He  belongs  to 
the  P..  of  L.  E.  and  the  P..  of  L.  F. 


JOHN   S.  WILLIAMS. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


541 


JOHN  S.  WILLIAMS,  a  conductor  run- 
ning out  of  Memphis,  is  a  son  of  Dr. 
John  S.  Williams,  a  prominent  physician 
for  many  years  in  Arkansas,  and  a  sur- 
geon from  1 86 1  to  1865  in  the  Confederate  army. 
He  died  in  1880.  His  wife,  Frances  Lawrence, 
died  September  30,  1870.  Mr.  Williams  has  one 
brother,  W.  F.  Williams,  a  prominent  physician 
in  Hazen  Station,  Ark.,  and  has  two  sisters  in 
Memphis.  Mrs.  J.  G.  Cooper,  and  Miss  Mollie. 
John  S.  Williams  was  born  in  Prairie  Co., 
Ark..  September  30,  1867,  and  attended  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  his  native  county  until  the  death  of 
his  father,  when  he  removed  to  Memphis  and 
continued  his  education  in  the  schools  of  the 
city.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  entered  the  store 
of  J.  B.  Pate  &  Co.,  at  Water  Valley,  Miss.,  as  a 
clerk,  remaining  about  a  year.  He  secured  a 
place  on  the  Illinois  Central  as  brakeman,  run- 
ning between  Water  Valley  and  Canton  for  a 
twelve-month,  then  went  to  Memphis  and  for 
several  months  was  engaged  in  the  office  of  the 
Memphis  Avalanche.  Returning  to  railroad 
work  he  secured  a  position  on  the  Mississippi 
&  Tennessee  road  as  brakeman  and  in  1889  was 
promoted  to  freight  conductor  running  between 
Memphis  and  Grenada.  In  1896  he  was  again 
advanced  and  given  a  passenger  run  between  the 
same  points.  Miss  Clara  Kelly,  of  Coffeeville, 
Miss.,  was  the  name  of  the  girl  that  became  Mrs. 
Williams,  and  the  date  of  the  ceremony  was 
October  17,  1888.  Mrs  Williams  is  a  daughter 
of  J.  F.  and  Emma  (Collins)  Kelly,  natives  of 
Mississippi,  now  residents  of  Memphis,  where 
Mr.  Kelly  is  and  has  been  jailor  for  the  past  four 
years.  One  son,  Lawrence  K.,  has  been  born  to 
to  them.  They  are  adherents  to  the  Presbyterian 
faith.  Mr.  Williams  is  prominent  in  fraternal 
circles,  especially  in  the  Masonic  fraternity,  being 
a  member  of  the  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter,  Comman- 
dery.  Mystic  Shrine,  and  is  now  a  thirty-second 
degree  Mason.  In  the  Knights  of  Pythias  he  has 
taken  the  subordinate  and  uniform  rank  degrees. 
He  has  joined  the  Elks,  and  is  enrolled  in  the 
Memphis  Division  of  the  O.  R.  C.  In  politics  he 
is  to  be  found  in  the  Democratic  ranks. 


C.  CLARK,  the  courteous  and  ac- 
commodating agent  for  the  111.  Cen- 
tral, at  Polo,  Illinois,  was  born  May 
27,  1847.  His  educational  training- 
was  acquired  in  the  public  schools  of  Jamestown, 
New  York.  In  1866  he  came  west,  locating  at 
Hastings,  Minnesota,  where  he  worked  at  various 
occupations  until  May  1867,  most  of  the  time 
as  a  clerk  in  a  general  merchandise  store.  He 
then  went  to  Polo,  Illinois,  accepting  a  position 
as  station  baggageman  for  the  Illinois  Central 
and  working  in  that  capacity  until  November 
1867.  He  was  then  promoted  to  clerk  in  the 
freight  office  there,  occupying  that  position  for 
ten  years,  when  he  was  appointed  agent  for  the 
company  at  that  point  and  continues  in  that 
capacity  at  the  present  time.  Mr.  Clark  was,  in 
April  1882,  united  to  Miss  Ida  Shuber,  and  has 
a  family  of  three  children.  Mr.  Clark  is  a  very 
accommodating  official,  having  the  esteem  of 
the  traveling  public  at  Polo,  and  his  long  incum- 
bency in  office  shows  him  to  be  an  honorable 
and  straight  forward  man. 


A.    RUGG,    whose   home   is   at   4218 

r  Ellis  Ave.,  ranks  first  in  the  order 
O  of  seniority  in  Chicago,  being  the 
oldest  engineer  on  the  Chicago  divi- 
sion. Mr.  Rugg's  first  railroad  experience  was 
on  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad,  where  he 
began  when  very  young,  as  fireman  under  en- 
gineer Ed.  Wilcox.  He  took  great  interest  in  his 
work  and  was  soon  promoted  to  a  seat  on  the 
right  side  of  the  cab.  March  9,  1863,  while  still 
a  young  man,  he  began  work  in  the  capacity 
of  engineer  for  the  Illinois  Central  Company. 
During  the  following  year,  he  spent  a  few  months 
on  the  Racine  &  Mississippi  Railroad,  but  on 
January  11,  1865,  he  returned  to  the  Illinois 
Central.  During  the  years  between  May  I,  1875, 
and  December  i,  1877,  he  served  as  foreman  of 
the  shops  at  Champaign,  and  from  December  i, 
1877.  until  January  22,  1882,  as  train  master 


542 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


between  Centralia  and  Cairo.  At  his  own  re- 
quest, Mr.  Rugg  then  became  an  engineer  again, 
with  a  run  out  from  Chicago. 

In  1864  Mr.  Rugg  was  married,  in  Chicago, 
to  Miss  Aurelia  S.  Russell,  and  their  wedded  life 
has  been  blessed  to  them  by  the  advent  of  a 
family  of  three  children.  Mr.  Rugg  has  affil- 
iated with  the  B.  of  L.  E.  for  thirty-six  years, 
holding  his  membership  in  Division  No.  10,  at 
Burnside. 


neer.'  His  first  and  last  question  was  after  the  welfare 
of  the  passengers  and  crew.  When  he  knew  they  were 
safe  his  soul  went  up  alone. 

Are  all  the  crew  safe  and  the  passengers  too? 

Yes,  you  say?    Thank  God  that  is  clever. 
And  his  soft  eyes  closed  and  his  pale  face  smiled 

As  he  whistled  down  brakes  forever." 


ILLIAM  RUFFIN,  one  of  the  best 
loved  engineers  that  ever  made 
Water  Valley  his  home,  has  left  a 
tender  memory  in  the  hearts  of  his 
associates  there.  His  old  friend,  Edward  Crisp, 
since  a  victim  of  a  similar  fate,  made  especial 
request  that  something  of  his  record  be  preserved. 
William  Ruffin  was  a  native  of  Toone  Station, 
a  short  distance  south  of  Jackson,  and  was  reared 
in  his  native  place,  where  he  first  served  the 
company  as  stationary  engineer.  He  secured  a 
position  as  fireman  about  1881  and  four  years 
later  was  promoted  to  the  other  side  of  the  cab 
and  given  a  run  in  the  freight  service.  The  last 
three  years  of  his  life  he  was  at  the  head  of  a 
passenger  train  and  was  there,  on  duty,  when  the 
accident  that  crushed  out  the  life  of  a  hero 
occurred.  An  extract  from  the  Water  Valley 
paper  published  at  the  time  voices  the  sentiment 
of  his  colleagues  better  than  could  be  written  here. 

"There  was  an  accident  on  the  Illinois  Central 
above  Water  Valley  last  Monday  night  and  the  first 
tidings  from  the  scene  were  horrifying.  Later  it  was  un- 
derstood that  but  one  life  was  lost.  The  engineer  while 
heroically  standing  at  his  post  went  down  with  his  en- 
gine as  it  plunged  through  the  bridge.  His  was  the 
precious  life  that  was  lost,  yet  relaters  of  the  accident 
speak  of  it  as  not  so  bad  after  all — nobody  was  killed 
but  the  engineer.  Only  an  engineer.  Was  ever  a  man 
entrusted  with  a  holier,  more  responsible  duty  than  the 
custody  and  care  of  human  lives?  When  a  man  dies  in 
the  fulfillment  of  such  a  duty  the  only  thing  about  him 
that  is  not  an  angel  is  his  overalls. 

Wm.  Ruffin  was  the  name  of  the  hero  who  died  at 
his  post  that  fateful  night,  yet  he  was  'only  an  engi- 


JOHN  B.  EDAMS,  ex-master  mechanic  of 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  is  a  native 
of  Bucks  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
was  born  on  August  7th,  1832.  Mr. 
Edams  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
Philadelphia,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  decided 
to  become  a  telegrapher,  which  art  was  at  that 
time  in  its  infancy.  He  found  an  opening  in  an 
office,  and  was  put  to  work  every  morning  with 
a  broom  to  sweep  out  the  office,  which  he  did  and 
did  well,  but  concluded  after  a  short  trial  that 
he  was  not  adapted  to  that  line  of  work,  especially 
as  the  greater  part  of  it  seemed  to  be  acquired 
by  the  use  of  a  broom,  so  he  "resigned"  and  went 
fishing.  A  few  days  later  he  apprenticed  him- 
self to  the  Philadelphia  &  Reading  Railroad  Co., 
to  learn  the  trade  of  a  machinist,  and  worked  for 
that  company  two  years.  He  then  secured  em- 
ployment with  J.  P.  Morris  &  Co.,  steamboat 
and  stationary  engine  builders,  and  was  in  the 
shops  of  that  company  for  two  years.  Return- 
ing to  the  P.  &  R.  R.  R.  Co.,  he  was  in  their 
employ  six  months,  and  then  decided  to  go  west. 
He  reached  Lafayette,  Indiana,  working  there 
for  six  months,  and  from  there  went  to  East  St. 
Louis,  in  the  service  of  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi 
Railroad,  which  was  then  under  course  of  con- 
struction. Owing  to  the  sickly  condition  of  the 
city  at  that  time  he  went  to  Quincy,  Illinois, 
remaining  in  the  latter  city  two  months.  He 
then  returned  to  Philadelphia,  going  thence  to 
Cumberland,  Md.  At  the  latter -place  he  was  in 
the  employ  of  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  R.  R.  for 
a  year,  and  at  the  expiration  of  that  time,  came 
west  again,  locating  in  Amboy,  Illinois.  On 
April  2.  1856,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Illi- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


nois  Central,  at  Aniboy,  as  a  journeyman  ma- 
chinist, being  successively  promoted  to  night 
foreman,  then  day  foreman  of  the  round  house, 
from  there  to  general  foreman  of  the  machinery 
department,  and  on  the  24th  day  of  September 
1863,  to  master  mechanic  of  the  northern  division. 
All  of  these  promotions  being  in  less  than  seven 
and  one  half  years,  proved  not  only  the  esteem  in 
which  he  was  held  by  his  superiors,  but  the 
marked  ability  of  the  man,  which  characterized 
his  many  years  of  service. 

Mr.  Edams  held  the  position  of  master 
mechanic  uninterruptedly  from  September  24, 
1863,  until  April  i,  1893,  at  which  time  it  was 
'  decided  to  make  a  change  at  Amboy,  and  he  was 
offered  a  similar  position  to  the  one  he  held  at 
another  point  on  the  system.  On  account  of 
illness  in  his  family,  he  was  compelled  to  decline 
the  offer.  Since  retiring  from  the  service  Mr. 
Edams  has  been  engaged  in  domestic  persuits, 
taking  a  general  interest  in  the  city  of  Amboy, 
where  he  is  generally  known  and  has  lived  so 
long.  He  enjoys  the  best  of  health  and  is  as 
vigorous  and  active,  apparently,  as  at  any  time 
of  his  life. 


JB.  KEMP,  superintendent  of  the  Aber- 
deen division  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
O  was  born  at  Milford,  Delaware,  in 
1843,  anc'  was  reared  to  manhood  on 
the  eastern  shore  of  Maryland.  Mr.  Kemp's 
career  as  a  railroad  man  began  in  1867,  on  the 
Union  Pacific  Railroad.  He  entered  the  service 
of  the  Mississippi  Central,  (now  the  Illinois 
Central)  in  1869,  as  agent  at  Canton,  Mississippi. 
In  December  1875  he  was  appointed  superin- 
tendent of  the  Mississippi  division,  with  head- 
quarters at  Water  Valley,  Miss.  In  1877  he  re- 
signed from  the  employ  of  the  road,  and  in  1878 
re-entered  the  service  as  agent  at  Grenada,  Miss., 
and  remained  there  until  August  1884,  when  he 
was  promoted  to  the  office  of  superintendent 
of  the  Aberdeen  division.  In  December  1888 
IK  was  transferred  to  Memphis,  as  superintendent 


of  the  Memphis  division,  and  in  April  1898,  was 
again  placed  in  charge  of  the  Aberdeen  division, 
with  headquarters  at  Durant,  Miss.,  where  he 
i.-  now  located. 

As  an  official  of  the  Illinois  Central  Mr. 
Kemp  is  a  most  popular  man,  discharging  his 
duties  in  a  highly  satisfactory  manner. 


jtjtjtjtjtjt 


ILLIAM  HENRY  McGRAW,  de- 
ceased, was  an  old  and  popular 
engineer  on  the  Amboy  division  of 
the  Illinois  Central.  Mr.  McGraw 
was  born  on  April  19,  1831,  in  Schoharie  county, 
State  of  New  York,  and  was  the  son  of  John 
W.  and  Jane  (Chilson)  McGraw.  In  the  fall 
of  1856  Mr.  McGraw,  then  a  young  man  of 
twenty  five,  went -west  locating  in  Amboy,  111. 
He  at  once  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central  as  locomotive  fireman,  when  on  July  5, 
1859,  he  was  promoted  to  engineer  in  the  freight 
service.  Remaining  in  that  branch  of  the  service 
for  five  years,  he  was  then  promoted  to  the  pas- 
senger service,  and  for  over  twenty  one  years, 
was  continuously  in  that  position,  most  of  the 
time  on  the  same  engine,  No.  23.  His  untimely 
death  in  an  accident,  at  La  Salle,  Illinois,  Dec. 
23,  1885,  was  mourned  by  all,  but  most  by  his 
devoted  wife  who  still  survives  him. 


RANK  WESTCOTT,  a  retired  engineer 
residing    at    Amboy,    Illinois,    and    for 
many   years  a  trusted  employe  of  the 
Illinois   Central,   was  born   in   Catskill, 
Green  county,  New  York,  on  August  8,   1830. 
He  began  his  railroad  career  as  a  fireman,  on  the 
Boston  &  Fitchburg  Railroad,  where  he  served 
eighteen    months.       He    then    took    a    similar 
position    on    the    Troy    &    Boston    Railroad,    re- 
maining there  about  a  year.     In  1854  he  came  to 


544 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


the  west  and  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  stopping  at  Shippingsport,  until  the 
completion  of  the  bridge  over  the  Illinois  river. 
He  was  then  promoted  to  engineer  on  a  con- 
struction train  engaged  in  laying  track  between 
Clinton  and  Decatur,  Illinois.  When  that  branch 
was  completed  he  had  the  honor  of  taking  the 
first  freight  train  over  the  division,  between 
Wapella  and  Centralia,  Illinois.  In  1855  Mr. 
Westcott  was  promoted  to  the  passenger  service 
between  Amboy  and  Wapella,  Illinois,  where  he 
remained  continuously  for  thirty-six  years.  The 
manner  of  his  resignation  was  unique  and  in 
perfect  keeping  with  the  man.  He  took  a  lay- 
off for  a  fishing  trip  to  the  Rock  river  with  a 
number  of  the  boys  and  never  again  reported 
for  duty. 

Our  subject  is  the  only  living  member  of 
the  original  organization  of  the  Brotherhood  of 
the  Footboard,  at  Amboy,  receiving  the  orginal 
work  from  the  organization  at  Freeport,  in  1863. 
This  Order  was  afterward  known  as  the  Brother- 
hood of  Locomotive  Engineers,  in  which  Mr. 
Westcott  alwavs  takes  an  active  interest. 


DGAR  W.  DANA,  general  foreman  at 
Council  Bluffs,  comes  of  a  railroad 
family.  His  father,  E.  O.  Dana,  a 
sketch  of  whom  appears  elsewhere  in 
this  work,  has  for  years  been  prominent  in  the 
mechanical  department  of  the  Central.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Kankakee, 
.Illinois,  May  25,  1869,  and  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  Champaign.  He  entered  the  service 
of  the  Central  at  Freeport  in  1889  as  clerk  in  the 
office  of  the  master  mechanic  and  later  worked  for 
a  time  as  machinist  in  the  shops ;  later  he  became 
foreman  and  was  serving  as  chief  clerk  in  the 
master  mechanic's  office,  when  he  was  appointed, 
December  14,  1899,  general  foreman  of  the  shops 
at  Council  Bluffs  on  the  opening  of  the  Omaha 
division  to  traffic.  Since  1889  he  has  been  con- 
tinuously in  the  service  of  the  Central,  except 


a  twelvemonth  during  1892  and  '93,  when  he 
was  under  the  tutelage  of  a  private  teacher 
studying  higher  mathematics,  fitting  himself  for 
a  broader  field  in  his  chosen  calling. 

Mr.  Dana  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  ord.r, 
holding  membership  in  Excelsior  Lodge  No.  97, 
and  Chapter  No.  23,  at  Freeport,  Illinois.  He 
became  a  charter  member  of  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks  when  a  lodge  of  that 
order  was  instituted  at  Council  Bluffs.  With 
practical  experience  and  special  study,  Mr.  Dana 
has  laid  the  foundation  for  a  successful  career 
as  a  railroad  man. 


LWOOD  E.  BAER,  chief  clerk  in  the 
superintendent's  office  at  Cherokee, 
Iowa,  began  railroad  work  at  Newell, 
la.,  in  1887,  as  station  clerk.  Learn- 
ing telegraphy  he  served  for  a  short  time  as 
operator  on  the  Mason  City  &  Ft.  Dodge  R.  R., 
but  soon  returned  to  the  Illinois  Central  as  agent 
and  operator  at  Barnum,  where  he  served  one 
year  and  two  months.  Transferred  to  the 
superintendent's  operator  clerk  and  after  two 
years  and  nine  months  service  was  appointed 
stenographer,  having  learned  that  art.  April 
15,  1892,  he  was  appointed  chief  clerk  to  the 
superintendent  and  has  since  filled  that  important 
position  with  business  tact  and  judgment. 

Mr.  Baer  is  a  native  of  Elkhart  county,  Ind., 
born  January  28,  1864.  His  parents  shortly 
after  moved  to  Michigan  and  thence  to  Kansas, 
where  our  subject  received  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  Burlington.  On  attaining  his  ma- 
jority Mr.  Baer  engaged  in  stock  farming  for 
two  years  at  West  Plains,  Missouri,  and  then 
went  to  Iowa,  where  he  began  his  railroad  career 
on  the  date  above  mentioned. 

Mr.  Baer  was  married  in  Washington,  D. 
C.,  October  18,  1892,  to  Miss  Edith  E.  Meyer. 
One  son,  Francis  M.  has  been  born  of  this  union. 
Our  subject  is  a  member  of  Speculative  Lodge, 
Xo.  307,  A.  F.  and  A.  M.,  Burning  Bush 
Chapter,  No.  90,  R.  A.  M.,  Crusade  Commandery 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


545 


No.  39,  K.  T.,  all  of  Cherokee ;  and,  with  his  wife, 
is  a  member  of  the  Order  of  Eastern  Star.  He 
was  initiated  into  the  mysteries  of. the  Nobles  of 
the  Mystic  Shrine  in  Kaaba  Temple,  at  Daven- 
port ;  also  a  member  of  the  insurance  order 
Highland  Nobles,  of  Cherokee.  Mr.  Baer  has 
avoided  as  much  as  possible  all  political  prefer- 
ments, but  at  the  earnest  solicitations  of  his 
friends  he  consented  to  become  a  candidate  for 
the  position  of  treasurer  of  the  school  board,  to 
which  he  was  elected  by  a  handsome  majority. 


ENJAMIN  E.  HARRELL,  an  engineer 
on  the  Louisiana  division  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  entered  the  service  of  the 
company  in  1891.  He  began  railroad 
work  on  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  R.  R.  and 
was  afterward  with  the  Atchison,  Topeka  & 
Santa  Fe,  before  coming  to  the  Illinois  Central, 
where  he  now  has  a  run,  on  the  Louisiana  divi- 
sion, between  McComb  City,  and  Canton  Missis- 
sippi. Mr.  Harrell  was  born  on  January  21, 
1863.  in  Richmond,  Virginia.  He  was  united  to 
a  .Miss  Panky,  and  has  five  children.  Socially, 
he  is  member  of  Division  No.  196,  B.  of  L.  E., 
also  the  Elks  organization,  of  McComb  City, 
where  he  resides,  and  is  a  respected  citizen. 


jtjtjtjtjtjt 


OO.  BRICE,  a  young  and  rising  con- 
ductor in  the  freight  service  of  the 
]_l  Ho  mi110'5  Central,  on  the  Louisiana 
division,  was  born  in  Atlanta,  Ga. 
His  father  was  a  scene  painter,  by  profession, 
and  an  artist  of  great  merit,  who  had  studied 
abroad.  Mr.  Brice  began  his  career  on  the  Ala- 
bama &  G.  P.  R.  R.  where  he  was  for  two  years 
assistant  yard  master.  Going  to  Knoxville,  he 
was  appointed  chief  clerk  to  the  superin- 
tendent, working  in  that  capacity  three  years, 


and  from  there  to  the  Sea-board  Air  Line.  He 
then  came  to  McComb  City,  and  took  a  position 
as  clerk, .afterward  as  switchman,  then  as  brake- 
man,  and  in  November  1899,  was  promoted  to 
conductor,  where  he  is  now  serving.  Mr.  Brice 
married  Miss  Pettigrew,  of  Wesson,  Mississippi. 
They  have  one  child,  Bessie  Lee.  He  was  for- 
merly secretary  of  Pearl  River  Lodge,  No.  264, 
of  McComb  City,  and  has  kindly  furnished  the 
Historical  company  with  the  following  data: 

Pearl  River  Lodge,  No.  264,  was  organized 
on  August  28,  1888,  with  the  following  charter 
members ;  W.  W.  Spurlock,  Chief ;  J.  E.  Kelly, 
B.  T.  Brosiel,  Z.  T.  Marsalis,  J.  M.  Cousins,  E. 
D.  Iron,  H.  A.  Robinson,  G.  E.  McCann,  I.  T. 
Barnes,  and  J.  W.  Waddell.  The  Lodge  now 
has  one  hundred  members,  and  is  in  an  excel- 
lent condition,  paying  three  hundred  dollars 
monthly  to  the  Grand  Lodge.  The  officers  at 
the  present  time  are:  G.  E.  Benton,  Master;  B. 
A.  Rhodes,  Master  of  Finance ;  W.  H.  Davis, 
Conductor ;  T.  P.  Haddock,  Secretary,  and  H. 
O.  Brice,  Collector. 


JAMES  WOOD,  an  Illinois  Central  engi- 
neer, whose  home  is  in  Dubuque,  Iowa, 
has  been  employed  on  what  is  now  a  part, 
of  the  Illinois  Central  system  that  crosses 
Iowa,  longer  than  any  other  man  in  the  state. 
He  began  with  construction  work  in  December, 
1855,  under  Colonel  R.  D.  Mason,  when  he  was 
a  mere  boy,  doing  the  work  of  a  rodsman  under 
Civil  Engineer  Provost.  The  line  was  known 
then  as  the  Dubuque  &  Pacific  Railroad.  The 
road  was  completed  as  far  as  Julien  in  1856, 
but  the  track  was  not  laid  to  Independence  until 
the  year  1859.  In  1859  Mr.  Wood  began  firing, 
running  west  from  Dubuque,  but  after  eighteen 
months  of  this  kind  of  work  he  went  to  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  where  he  was  employed  by  the  Govern- 
ment as  engineer  during  the  war.  .  Soon  after 
this,  however,  he  was  taken  sick  and  returned 
to  Dubuque  where  he  spent  six  or  seven  years 
before  he  entirely  recovered.  When  he  again 


546 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


resumed  his  work,  his  run  was  on  the  divisions 
north  and  south  from  Centralia,  111.,  where  he 
was  employed  for  five  months.  Just  before  the 
Illinois  Central  company  leased  the  Dubuque  & 
Sioux  City  line,  Mr.  Place  wrote,-  our  subject 
to  join  him  at  Dubuque,  and  since  that  time  he 
has  been  with  the  Illinois  Central  company.  He 
has  been  identified  with  railroading  in  nearly 
every  stage  of  its  development.  He  has  seen 
strap  rails  in  Pennsylvania ;  he  began  firing  on  a 
wood  burner  and  brought  the  first  coal  burner 
into  the  state  of  Iowa. 


SLEECK  STEARNS,  engineer  of  a 
stationary  engine  at  Waterloo,  is  a  na- 
tive of  the  town  of  Castleton,  Rensse- 
laer  county,  N.  Y.  He  first  began  rail- 
roading with  the  New  York  Central  &  Hudson 
River  Railroad,  running  between  Albany  and 
Poughkeepsie.  Shortly  after  this,  however,  he 
was  engaged  on  the  river  boats  and  from  there 
transferred  to  the  California  trade.  In  1854, 
he  was  employed  as  engineer  of  the  famous 
"North  Star"  that  became  a  part  of  the  govern- 
ment fleet  during  the  Civil  war,  and  in  this  ca- 
pacity ran  between  New  York  and  Aspinwall 
for  about  six  months  and  was  in  port  when  the 
first  train  crossed  on  the  Isthmus  Railroad. 
Later  he  served  on  the  "Schuyler"  and  the 
"Anna",  boats  on  the  Hudson  river.  In  Janu- 
ary 1856,  Mr.  Stearns  married  and  moved  to 
Iowa  where  he  lived  on  a  farm  until  early  in 
1861,  and  was  serving  on  the  United  States  Grand 
Jury  when  the  Civil  war  broke  out.  In  July, 
of  the  same  year,  he  returned  to  New  York  and 
operated  the  engine  of  the  "Corning"  until  fall 
and  then  served  on  the  "Andrew  Harder"  until 
the  river  froze  over  in  December.  Mr.  Stearns 
then  sent  for  his  family  to  join  him  in  New 
York.  When  the  last  named  boat  was  leased 
to  the  government  our  subject  was  sent  with  it 
around  Hiltonhead,  and  subsequently  served  for 
a  short  time  on  the  "Ohio"  and  the  "Austin".  In 


1873  Mr.  Stearns  again  came  west  and  in 
August  of  that  year  began  work  on  the  Dubuque 
division  of  the  Dubuque  &  Sioux  City  RaLroad. 
Next  he  served  as  fireman  and  hostler  for  six 
years  in  the  round  house  at  Waterloo,  then 
seventeen  years  on  freight  and  passenger  runs. 
Mr.  Stearns  sat  on  the  right  side  of  the  engine 
that  pulled  the  first  passenger  train  on  the  Man- 
chester &  Cedar  Rapids  line,  but  later  took  a 
freight  run  from  Waterloo  to  Lyle.  December 
II,  1896,  owing  to  failing  vision,  he  retired  from 
the  line  and  ran  a  hoisting  engine  in  the  yards 
until  October  i,  1897,  and  since  this  date  has 
had  charge  of  the  stationary  engine  at  the  shops 
at  Waterloo.  Although  Mr.  Stearns  has  spent 
many  years  on  the  railroad  and  his  engine  has 
several  times  left  the  track  and  piled  up  in  the 
ditch,  he  never  met  with  a  serious  injury. 

Socially  our  subject  affiliates  with  Division 
No.  114,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Waterloo,  of  which  he 
has  been  a  member  since  1884. 

Mr.  Stearns  was  married  at  Castleton,  N. 
Y.,  to  Miss  Mary  Elizabeth  Munger,  and  to 
them  have  been  born  eight  children,  seven  of 
whom  are  living.  John  Graham,  whose  home  is 
at  Memphis,  Tenn. ;  Ida,  died  at  the  age  of  four 
weeks ;  Frederick  Henry,  an  engineer  on  the 
Waterloo  division;  Frank  P.,  at  Mitchell,  S. 
Dak. ;  Marian,  wife  of  George  Barrows,  of  Chi- 
cago; Bessie  M.,  wife  of  A.  W.  Gurnsey,  of  Chi- 
cago; Joseph,  living  in  Chicago;  and  Dollie,  who 
still  makes  her  home  under  the  parental  roof. 


IDNEY  J.  HARPER,  the  capable  and 
popular  foreman  of  the  Illinois  Central 
round  house,  at  McComb  City,  Miss., 
has  held  that  position  since  1897.  He 
entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  in  1887 
as  an  apprentice  in  the  McComb  City  shops, 
and  was  for  a  time  after  finishing,  in  the  employ 
of  the  Southern  Pacific  R.  R.  as  a  machinist  in 
Texas,  and  in  New  Orleans.  Mr.  Harper  was 
born  in  New  Orleans  on  May  22,  1869,  and  is  a 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


547 


son  of  John  Harper,  whose  biography  appears 
elsewhere  in  this  work.  Miss  Mildred  Burton 
of  Greensburg,  Louisiana,  became  the  wife  of 
Mr.  Harper,  and  two  children  have  been  born  to 
them ;  Russell  and  Sidney.  Both  Mr.  Harper 
and  his  wife  are  adherents  of  the  Presbyterian 
church.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  Order,  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  Knights  of  Honor,  and 
Modern  Woodmen  of  the  World. 

A  force  of  seventy-five  men  are  under  the 
supervision  of  Mr.  Harper,  keeping  him  busy. 
He  is  serving  in  his  present  capacity  with  the 
best  results,  and  is  discharging  his  duties  with 
fidelity  and  promptness. 


S.  EARNIST,  conductor  on  the  Am- 
boy  division,  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road,  was  born  in  Delphi,  Carroll 
county,  Indiana,  March  17,  1854. 
He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Butler  county, 
Iowa,  whither  the  family  had  moved  in  1857, 
working  on  his  father's  farm  in  summer  and  at- 
tending school  in  winter.  In  1875  ne  entered  the 
service  of  the  B.  C.  R.  &  N.  R.  R.  as  a  laborer 
on  a  section  where  he  remained  one  year.  In 
1880  he  began  braking  on  the  same  road,  remain- 
ing in  that  position  until  the  spring  of  1882  when 
he  went  to  Wadina,  Minnesota,  and  was  con- 
nected with  the  Northern  Pacific  Elevator  Co. 
for  two  years.  In  the  spring  of  1884,  Mr. 
Earnist  began  braking  for  the  Northern  Pacific 
and  in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year  was  promoted 
tc  conductor,  and  remained  with  the  company 
until  March  1889,  when  he  went  to  Chadron, 
Nebraska,  and  in  September  accepted  a  position 
as  brakeman  on  the  F.  E.  &  M.  V.  R.  R.  of  the 
Northwestern  R.  R.  system,  but  at  the  end  of 
sixty  days  his  ability  was  recognized  by  promo- 
tion to  conductor  which  position  he  continued 
tn  hold  until  July  1892.  His  service  with  the 
I.  C.  R.  R.  began  in  March  1893,  when  he  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  brakeman  at  Freeport,  and 
in.  the  following  November,  was  promoted  to 


conductor,  where  he  remains  to  date.  On  the 
26th  of  March,  1899,  Mr.  Earnist  met  with  an 
accident  in  which  he  had  a  narrow  escape  from 
death.  While  at  Dixon,  111.,  he  stepped  in  front 
oi'  a  moving  train,  and  fell  between  the  rails, 
three  trucks  passing  over  him  without  injury. 
July  n,  1874,  Mr.  Earnist  was  married  to 
Miss  Maggie  Northfoss,  of  Greene,  Iowa.  Mrs. 
Earnist  was  born  October  8,  1854.  By  her  union 
with  Mr.  Earnist  she  is  the  mother  of  three  chil- 
dren :  William  W.,  born  April  5,  1875,  is  a  con- 
ductor on  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  residing  in  Freeport; 
Lester  L.,  born  December  17,  1876,  at  home,  is 
also  a  conductor  on  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  and  makes 
his  home  in  Freeport ;  Marie  V.,  born  June  19, 
1881,  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  is 
now  living  at  home  engaged  in  teaching  music. 
The  family  are  regular  attendants  of  the  First 
Baptist  church  of  Freeport.  Mr.  Earnist  has 
been  a  member  of  the  O.  R.  C.  since  1887  and  has 
served  as  an  officer  several  times,  is  also  a 
member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  votes  the  Re- 
publican ticket. 


JAMES  E.  LIPSEY,  conductor  on  the 
Memphis  division,  has  been  in  railroad 
service  since  his  boyhood  and  has  never 
been  occupied  in  any  other  field  of 
labor.  His  birth  occurred  in  Lafayette  county, 
Mississippi,  May  4,  1854.  He  is  a  son  of  A.  G. 
and  L.  B.  (Marquette)  Lipsey,  the  latter  of  whom 
is  residing  at  Water  Valley,  Mississippi,  while 
the  former  died  a  short  time  after  the  boy  was 
born.  After  attending  the  schools  of  Water  Val- 
ley, Mr.  Lipsey  entered  the  employ  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi Central  office  as  office  boy  and  attending 
to  the  mail.  When  older  he  secured  a  place  in 
a  foundry  and  for  eighteen  months  was  employed 
in  that  department.  Securing  a  position  as 
brakeman  he  ran  between  Canton,  Mississippi, 
and  Jackson,  Tennessee,  three  years  and  eight 
months  under  Conductor  J.  W.  Rust.  On  pro- 
motion he  was  given  the  same  run  for  eleven 
years  before  being  transferred  to  Memphis,  on 


548 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


which  division  he  ran  three  years  and  was  then 
promoted  to  the  passenger  service  in  which  he 
has,  at  the  present  time  been  engaged  over  ten 
years.  October  16,  1883  is  the  date  of  the  wed- 
ding of  Mr.  Lipsey  to  Miss  Augusta  Hoke  who 
is  a  native  of  Pittsboro,  Mississippit-and  was  a 
resident  of  Water  Valley  at  the  time  of  the  wed- 
ding. They  are  the  parents  of  three  children, 
James  E.,  Wiley  Hoke  and  Ray  Gates.  The 
family  attend  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
Mr.  Lipsey  is  a  member  of  Memphis  Divi- 
sion No.  175,  O.  R.  C.  In  his  nearly  thirty  years 
in  the  operative  department  of  the  railroad  and 
over  thirty  years  of  service  of  all  kinds,  he  has 
shown  himself  efficient  in  every  station  in  which 
he  has  been  placed  and  his  steady  rise  and  long 
continuance  in  the  train  service  show  that  he 
is  a  man  to  be  trusted  wherever  he  may  be 
placed. 


McCOURT,  superintendent  of  the 
Chicago  division  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
LQ  tral,  began  his  railroad  career  in  May 
1881,  as  a  track  man  at  Williams, 
In  1882  he  went  to  Fort  Dodge  and  se- 
cured a  position  as  brakeman  which  he  retained 
until  the  fall  of  the  following  year  when  he  was 
promoted  to  the  position  of  conductor.  During 
the  following  seven  years  he  was  in  charge  of 
freight  trains  in  all  parts  of  the  Iowa  division, 
and  incidentally  took  an  occasional  extra  pas- 
senger run.  During  the  winter  of  1887-8  and 
the  following  spring  he  did  construction  work 
on  the  Sioux  Falls  branch. 

In  1890  Mr.  McCourt  was  made  agent  at 
Cherokee,  Iowa,  and  later  was  appointed  train 
master  of  the  two  branches  that  radiate  from  the 
main  line,  at  that  point,  and  in  April,  1892,  was 
transferred  to  the  main  line.  Early  in  1896  he 
was  appointed  superintendent  of  the  Amboy 
division  and  located  in  the  city  of  Amboy,  but 
in  April  of  the  same  year,  was  again  transferred 
to  Carbondale,  111.,  where  he  remained  as  super- 
intendent until  his  promotion  to  the  Chicago 
division  in  the  spring  of  1900. 


Iowa. 


Mr.  McCourt  was  born  in  Glasgow, 
Scotland,  but  came  to  America  with  his  parents 
when  he  was  quite  small.  He  was  united  in 
marriage,  at  Newell,  Iowa,  to  Miss  Eva  I.  Lee, 
of  that  city,  and  four  children,  Grace,  Lee  T., 
Jennie  and  Everett,  have  been  born  to  them. 
Socially  Mr.  McCourt  affiliates  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  holding  his  membership  in  Lodge  No. 
38,  and  has  attained  the  Knight  Templar  degree. 


ILLIAM  ALFRED  KELLOXD, 
assistant  general  passenger  agent 
of  the  southern  lines  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Company,  and 
oi"  the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  Railroad  Com- 
pany, with  headquarters  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  was 
born  at  Montreal,  Canada,  in  1854  and  is  a  son 
of  Robert  Kellond,  who  is  still  a  resident  of  that 
city;  entered  the  railroad  service  in  March  1870 
in  the  audit  office  of  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway 
at  Montreal,  Canada ;  was  subsequently  trans- 
ferred to  the  mechanical  department  of  the  same 
line,  where  he  remained  until  Oct.  1880,  when 
he  was  chief  clerk  of  the  mechanical  department 
on  the  Western  division  with  office  at  Stratford, 
Ontario ;  resigned  to  accept  position  in  the  law 
department  of  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  Rail 
road  Company,  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  in  which  he 
acted  as  secretary  to  chief  attorney,  and  sub- 
sequently as  chief  clerk  of  the  law  department 
until  February  i,  1885,  when  he  became  chief 
clerk  of  the  general  manager's  office,  same  line ; 
was  appointed  assistant  to  general  manager 
March  31,  1887;  resigned  this  position  June  i, 
1887,  to  become  general  manager  of  the  pig  iron 
business  of  Geo.  H.  Hull  &  Co.,  Louisville :  re- 
turned to  service  of  Louisville  &  Nashville  Rail- 
road Co.,  January  i,  1888,  as  assistant  to  vice- 
president,  a  year  later  was  re-appointed  assistant 
to  general  manager,  and  on  November  i,  1890, 
became  chief  clerk  of  the  second  vice-president's 
office  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company, 
at  Chicago:  July  i.  1895.  appointed  to  his  present 


6" 

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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


SSI 


position,  assistant  general  passenger  agent 
Southern  Lines,  same  company  and  of  the  Yazoo 
&  Mississippi  Valley  Railroad  Company,  with 
headquarters  at  New  Orleans.  On  the  acquisi- 
tion of  the  Chesapeake,  Ohio  &  Southwestern 
R.  R.,  by  the  Illinois  Central,  the  office  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  present  headquarters  at  Louisville, 
Ky.  Under  the  jurisdiction  of  Mr.  Kellond  there 
are  three  division  passenger  agents,  located  re- 
spectively at  Cincinnati,  Memphis  and  New  Or- 
leans, with  a  force  of  five  city  passenger  agents 
located  at  different  points  in  the  South,  and  seven 
traveling  passenger  agents.  Mr.  Kellond,  as 
assistant  general  passenger  agent,  reports  to  Mr. 
A.  II.  Hanson,  general  passenger  agent  of  the 
Illinois  Central  system,  whose  headquarters  are 
in  Chicago. 

Mr.  Kellond  was  married  in  1875  to  Miss 
Fannie  J.  Lapham,  of  Montreal,  and  has  six  sons 
and  one  daughter.  While  in  Montreal  Mr. 
Kellond  was  prominent  in  Odd  Fellow  circles 
and  held  the  position  of  grand  secretary  of  the 
Lodge  of  Quebec,  which  body  he  was  instrumen- 
tal in  forming. 


W.  REEVES,  one  of  the  most 
interesting  suburban  conductors  on 
the  Illinois  Central,  began  rail- 
roading on  the  Toledo,  Ann  Arbor 
&  Northern  Michigan  in  1886.  He  first  began 
as  a  section  hand  at  Toledo,  under  roadmaster 
Henry  Smith,  remaining  in  that  service  one  year, 
after  which  he  went  into  road  service  as  freight 
brakeman,  running  from  Toledo  to  Ann  Arbor, 
continuing  in  that  capacity  the  same  length 
of  time. 

He  then  gave  up  railroading  for  three  yeans 
but  in  1891  he  accepted  a  position  on  the  Illinois 
Central  as  brakeman  in  the  suburban  service, 
which  he  retained  for  ten  months,  when  he 
received  a  promotion,  as  all  faithful  workers  will, 
to  baggageman ;  he  remained  in  that  capacity 

30 


for  one  year,  then  for  the  following  year 
he  served  as  collector,  when  he  was  promoted 
tc  conductor,  which  position  he  now  holds.  In 
1896  an  accident  occured  which  laid  him  up  for 
nine  weeks  with  three  broken  ribs.  He  belongs 
to  Division  No.  i,  O.  R.  C.  Mr.  Reeves  married 
Miss  Mary  E.  McClintock,  of  Lebanon,  Ohio. 


LEXANDER  BLODGETT,  conductor 
in  the  freight  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  began  his  railroad  career  at 
Van  Home,  Iowa,  with  the  Chicago, 
Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  line,  as  brakeman,  in 
January  1882,  remaining  in  that  service  ten  and 
a  half  years,  the  latter  three  years  as  conductor. 
In  August  1892  he  joined  the  forces  of  the 
Union  Pacific,  braking  in  the  freight  service  eight 
months  and  for  the  three  following  months  was 
in  the  same  capacity  with  the  Chicago  &  Great 
Western.  After  a  short  experience  in  the  dray 
business  at  Perry,  Iowa,  he  again  entered  upon 
a  railroad  career  at  Moberly,  Missouri,  with  the 
Wabash,  and  eight  months  later  purchased  a 
lunch  counter  at  New  Franklin,  Missouri,  which 
he  conducted  for  a  few  months.  To  a  railroad 
man  another  career  is  irksome  and  August  4, 
1894,  Mr.  Blodgett  entered  the  service  of  the 
Illinois  Central.  After  only  ten  days  service  as 
brakeman  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  train  and 
since  the  fall  of  1894  he  has  had  the  local  run 
between  Chicago  and  Bloomington,  one  of  the 
hardest  runs  on  the  line. 

Mr.  Blodgett  was  born  at  Montour,  Tama 
county,  Iowa,  June  3,  1862,  and  was  married 
April  18,  1887,  at  Perry,  Iowa,  to  Miss  Lillie 
A.  Woodward.  They  are  the  parents  of  two 
children,  Zera  and  Avelle.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  order,  having  passed  through  the 
degrees  of  the  Blue  Lodge,  Mystic  Star,  No. 
758  and  Valley  Consistory  of  Chicago.  He  holds 
membership  in  Amigo  Lodge  No.  482,  Knights 


552 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


of  Pythias  and  Division  No.  i,  O.  R.  C.  Mr. 
I'.lodgett  is  a  typical  railroad  man,  alert  and 
active,  with  a  keen  sense  of  his  responsibilities 
and  a  determination  to  do  his  duty  as  he  sees  it. 


OENRY  A.  KNOWLTON,  better  known 
among  railroad  employes  as  "Hank" 
]_[  \\  Knowlton,  is  an  Illinois  Central  engi- 
neer and  makes  his  home  in  Dnbuque, 
Iowa.  He  first  began  firing  at  Dubuque  August 
5.  1869,  on  a  switch  engine,  and  first  ran  on  the 
road  with  Ben  Wattles  for  his  engineer  on  No. 
132.  August  1  6,  1872,  he  was  set  up  to  engineer 
of  a  switch  engine  which,  with  the  exception 
of  an  occassional  run  on  the  line  with  engine 
No.  143,  occupied  his  attention  during  the  fol- 
lowing winter.  During  the  summer  of  1873, 
Mr.  Knowlton  was  given  a  freight  run  which  he 
held  until  1885,  when  he  accepted  his  present 
passenger  run  from  Waterloo  to  Dubuque.  Mr. 
Knowlton's  railroad  career  has  been  remark- 
ably free  from  wrecks.  Once,  however,  in  May 
1896,  his  engine  left  the  track  and  ran  into  the 
ditch,  but  the  engineer  fortunately  escaped  with- 
out injury. 

August  14,  1897,  Mr.  Knowlton  was  mar- 
ried in  Waterloo,  to  Miss  Isabella  Saunders. 
Socially  he  affiliates  with  Waterloo  Division,  No. 
114,  B.  of  L.  E. 


rj=x\RANK  B.  HARRIMAN,  superintendent 
r=<^      of  the  Dubuque  division  of  the  Illinois 
J_[  Central,  began  a  railroad  career  Feb. 

12,  1879,  when  he  became  an  appren- 
tice in  the  civil  engineering  and  bridge  depart- 
ments, serving  until  February  1883.  From  the 
hitter  date  to  July  1886  he  served  as  assistant 
mad-master  and  then  became  transit-man  and 
resident  engineer  of  the  Chicago,  Madison  & 
Northern  during  the  construction  of  that  branch. 
In  September  1887  he  was  appointed  assistant 


engineer  on  construction  of  the  Cherokee  and 
Dakota  road  filling  that  position  until  December, 
following.  Until  January  i,  1890,  he  was  road 
supervisor  of  the  Dubuque  division,  the  follow- 
ing year  served  as  trainmaster  of  the  Cherokee 
&  Dakota  branch  and  the  next  year  in  the  sai in- 
capacity on  the  Freeport  division.  From  the 
first  of  January  to  the  first  of  August  1892  Mr. 
1  larriman  served  as  secretary  to  the  superinten- 
dent of  the  Freeport  division.  Promoted  to  the 
superintendency  of  the  division  he  served  in 
that  capacity  until  January  I,  1895,  when  the 
Dubuque  division  was  added  to  his  jurisdiction. 
October  i,  1895  the  divisions  were  separated 
and  Mr.  Harriman  assigned  to  the  Dubuque  divi- 
sion which  has  since  been  his  field  of  labor.  He 
has  had  extensive  experience  in  several  depart- 
ments of  operative  railroading,  well  fitting  him 
for  the  duties  he  is  called  upon  to  perform. 


H.  FENNER,  engineer  at  Jackson 
Tenn.,  has  been  engaged  in  rail- 
O  road  work  since  the  spring  of  1882, 
"when  he  entered  the  shops  of  the 
Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans  road  at  Jack- 
son, Tenn.,  remaining  eighteen  months,  going 
thence  to  Cairo  he  worked  in  the  shops  there, 
fired  for  a  time  and  ran  a  switch  engine  in  the 
yards,  and  the  engine  on  the  bridge  incline. 
After  six  months  on  the  left  side  of  the  cab  be- 
tween Jackson  to  East  Cairo  in  freight  service, 
hr  was  examined  at  Water  Valley  and  promoted 
in  the  fall  of  1886  and  was  assigned  to  the  main 
line  north  from  Jackson.  In  the  spring  of 
1896  he  was  given  a  preferred  freight  run  which 
has  been  his  field  of  labor  ever  since  except  when 
in  extra  passenger  service.  He  had  the  distinc- 
tion of  handling  the  first  consolidated  engine, 
No.  603,  that  was  run  south  of  the  Ohio  on  the 
Central,  on  which  occasion  he  pulled  many  offi- 
cials of  the  road.  His  only  serious  accident 
was  received  in  the  spring  of  1896,  by  jumping 
to  save  himself  in  a  wreck  near  Wickliffc,  Ky. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


553 


Mr.  Fenner  is  a  native  of  Tennessee.  He 
\\as  married  at  East  Cairo,  to  Miss  Florence 
McDonald.  Their  four  children  are:  Dixey 
( )scar,  Fantine,  Vivian  May  and  Richard  Jones. 

Mr.  Fenner  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
93,  l'>.  of  L.  E. ;  the  Knights  of  Honor  and  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  of  Jackson,  Term.  Mr. 
Fcnner  lives  in  a  comfortable  home  at  No.  149 
West  Deadric  street,  which  he  built  in  1897. 


JOHN  J.  GAVEN,  the  efficient  trainmas- 
ter of  the  St.  Louis,  Brooklyn  and  Eldo- 
rado districts  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
entered  the  service  of  the  company  at 
Mcndota,  111.,  in  1872,  as  a  messenger  boy  and 
in  June  1873  was  made  night  operator,  holding 
that  position  one  year  when  he  was  sent  to  Am- 
boy  as  day  operator  in  the  dispatcher's  office, 
continuing  there  eight  months  when  he  was  pro- 
moted to  dispatcher  where  he  served  one  year. 
He  was  then  sent  to  Champaign  where  he 
served  in  the  same  capacity  for  one  year;  the 
following  two  years  were  spent  in  Chicago  as 
dispatcher,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was  sent 
to  Centralia.  In  1880  he  left  the  I.  C.  and  ac- 
cepted a  position  with  the  M.  K.  &  T.  Ry.  re- 
maining there  until  1894  when  he  returned  to 
the  I.  C.  as  chief  train  dispatcher  at  Amboy, 
where  he  began  work  as  a  dispatcher.  He  re- 
mained in  Amboy  until  July  1896  when  he  was 
sent  to  the  St.  Louis  division  as  chief  train  dis- 
patcher, but  at  the  end  of  two  weeks  was  given 
his  present  position.  While  in  the  service  of 
tin  M.  K.  &  T.  at  Denison  and  Houston,  Texas, 
he  served  as  chief  train  dispatcher  and  train- 
inaster.  Up  to  the  time  he  left  the  I.  C.  in  1880 
he  had  run  trains  on  all  divisions  owned  by  the 
road  in  Illinois.  Mr.  Gaven  was  born  at  Men- 
dota.  111.,  and  married  Miss  Dora  Riddell. 
I  hey  have  one  son,  John  J.  Jr.,  aged  eleven 
years.  ( )ur  subject  is  a  charter  member  of  the 
Train  Dispatchers'  Association  which  was  or- 
ganized at  Louisville,  Ky.,  in  1884. 


T.  GARRETT,  freight  conductor  at 
Jackson,  Term.,  has  had  but  a  short 
LQ  railroad  career,  but  his  rise  has  been 
rapid.  He  entered  the  service  of 
the  Central  October  28,  1889,  as  a  laborer  on 
the  section  at  Lamar,  Miss.,  and  nine  months 
later  was  made  foreman  at  which  he  was  em- 
ployed fifteen  months.  Coming  to  Jackson,  he 
secured  a  place  as  brakeman  on  the  Jackson  dis- 
trict under  John  C.  Muse,  in  the  freight  service. 
Three  and  a  half  years  later  he  was  promoted 
to  conductor  and  for  a  year  ran  an  extra.  His 
first  regular  car  was  No.  28246  on  which  he 
ran  three  years  and  then  was  changed  to  No. 
98210,  his  home  on  wheels.  All  his  service  has 
been  on  the  Jackson  district. 

Mr.  Garrett's  nativity  was  at  Toone,  Tenn., 
and  it  was  here  he  was  married  to  Miss  Nannie 
Hill.  Their  one  child,  Robert  was  born  in  1890. 
Mr.  Garrett  has  been  successful  in  his  work  and 
frugal,  laying  away  something  for  a  rainy  day. 
He  erected  a  fine  home  in  1893,  at  No.  286 
West  Chester  street.  The  only  serious  injury 
sustained  by  Mr.  Garrett  was  on  January  21, 
1895,  when  he  was  thrown  from  a  car  on  a 
trestle,  breaking  his  ankle  from  which  he  was 
confined  ninety-five  days.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Jackson  Division  No.  149,  O.  R.  C. 


W.  ROOKER,  freight  conductor 
residing  at  Jackson,  Tennessee, 
Q  has  been  a  railroad  man  since 
1880.  That  year  he  secured  a 
situation  on  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  as  brake- 
man running  between  Memphis  and  Paris,  Tenn., 
and  later  as  switchman  in  the  Memphis  yards 
until  January  1881.  Entering  the  service  of  the 
Mobile  &  Ohio  Railroad  in  February  following 
he  served  as  brakeman  nearly  a  year,  the  last 
few  weeks  on  passenger  trains,  and  then  was 
promoted  to  freight  conductor  until  December 
1883.  Coming  to  Jackson,  Tenn.,  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  and  was  em- 


554 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ployed  as  a  switchman,  conductor  and  yard- 
master  until  1885,  excepting  three  months  he 
was  with  the  Iron  Mountain  road  running  be- 
tween Little  Rock  and  Texarkana.  On  return 
to  the  Central  he  served  as  yardmaster  until 
promotion  to  extra  freight  conductor  in  Decem- 
ber 1888,  and  in  August  following  was  assigned 
a  regular  car  in  the  preferred  service  and  has 
filled  that  position  since.  Mr.  Rooker  was  born 
in  Madison  county  and  reared  in  Crockett  Co., 
Tennessee.  He  comes  from  a  railroad  family. 
His  brothers  Andrew  J.  and  Jesse  P.  Rooker 
are  conductors  on  the  Louisville  &  Nashville 
road. 

The  wife  of  Mr.  Rooker  was  Miss  Annie 
A.  James,  of  Jackson,  and  has  borne  him  four 
children :  Elnora,  William  Wiggins,  Jesse  Carl, 
and  Mary  Janie.  Mr.  Rooker  is  a  member  of 
Jackson  Division,  No.  149,  O.  R.  C.  He  has 
always  been  a  very  successful  man  both  as  an 
an  operative  and  in  a  financial  way.  He  is  the 
owiier  of  a  comfortable  home  at  290  Clinton 
street. 


JAMES  A.  WOLF,  conductor  on  the 
Louisiana  division  of  the  Central,  has 
been  railroading  for  upwards  of  thirty 
years.  He  began  in  1869,  entering  the 
service  of  the  New  Orleans,  Jackson  &  Great 
Northern  as  brakeman  running  between  Can- 
ton and  the  southern  terminus.  After  four 
years  as  brakeman  he  served  as  baggageman 
one  year  before  promotion  to  conductor  in  the 
freight  service  at  which  he  was  engaged  until 
the  road  changed  hands  in  1883.  Going  to 
Texas  he  became  brakeman  on  the  Texas  & 
Pacific  road  for  one  month,  before  being  pro- 
moted to  conductor  which  he  held  for  one  year, 
resigning  on  account  of  ill  health.  Returning 
to  New  Orleans  he  took  charge  of  a  baggage 
car  on  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  between  the  Crescent 
City  and  Baton  Rouge  and  was  soon  after  pro- 
moted to  be  conductor  and  brought  the  first 
train  out  of  Vicksburg  after  the  road  was  de- 


livered to  the  company  from  the  hands  of  tl 
contractors.  After  a  year's  service  here  he  r 
turned  to  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central 
August  1885,  and  after  braking  for  a  short  tin 
he  was  promoted  to  the  freight  service  in  whk 
he  is  at  present  engaged. 

Mr.  Wolf  is  a  native  of  St.  Helena  Paris 
La.,  born  February  15,  1853.  His  fathe 
Moses  Wolf,  a  merchant,  died  in  1897  while  tl 
mother,  Sabrina  Moore  in  maidenhood,  died 
1865.  Mr:  Wolf  was  educated  in  the  schoo 
of  Amite  and  Greensburg,  La.  He  is  a  mer 
her  of  lodge  No.  304  O.  R.  C. 


J.  CONRATH,  foreman  of  the  boil 
shops  at  Waterloo,  Iowa,  is  a  nati' 
Q  of  Rheinish  Prussia,  Germ'y,  whe 
he  was  born  November  25,  1862,  b 
was  brought  to  America  by  his  parents  in  in  fa: 
cy.  He  began  his  trade  by  serving  an  appre: 
ticeship  of  two  and  a  half  years  with  the  Amei 
can  Boiler  Works,  at  Chicago,  and  two  yea 
more  with  the  New  York,  Chicago  &  St.  Lou 
Kailroad  under  C.  W.  Miller.  Subsequent 
Mr.  Conrath  was  employed  two  years  in  tl 
Wabash  shops,  six  months  with  the  Filer  Boil 
Works  in  Chicago,  after  which  he  returned 
the  American  Boiler  Works  for  a  short  tim 
His  next  venture  was  with  the  Missouri  Vall< 
Boiler  Works  at  Leavenworth,  Kan.,  where  1 
remained  seven  or  eight  months ;  then  with  tl 
C.  R.  I.  &  P.  Railroad  at  Chicago  for  five  year 
with  Swift  &  Company,  Chicago,  at  the  sto< 
yards  for  a  short  time ;  one  year  and  a  ha 
with  the  American  Boiler  Company,  of  Chicag< 
with  Porter  &  Jackson,  South  Chicago,  for 
short  time;  with  the  Western  Indiana  Railroa 
Eighty-third  street,  Chicago,  for  a  year  and 
half;  with  the  Texas  Pacific,  near  Pine  Blui 
Ark.,  for  about  nine  months ;  after  which  1 
returned  to  Chicago  and  spent  one  summer  i 
the  shops  of  the  Architectural  Iron  Works  Con 
I'.any.  March  4,  1894,  Mr.  Conrath  was  en 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


555 


ployed  by  the  Illinois  Central  Company  as  assis- 
tant foreman  at  the  shops  at  Burnsicle,  Chicago, 
am!  March  i,  1899,  he  was  sent  to  Waterloo, 
Iowa,  to  take  charge  of  the  boiler  shops  at  that 
place. 

November  15,  1895,  Mr.  Conrath  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Thien,  a  native 
of  Chicago,  and  their  home  has  been  made  happy 
by  the  presence  of  a  daughter,  Viola.  Frater- 
nally, our  subject  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
( )rdor  of  Foresters. 


AMUEL  P.  JONES,  an  engineer  on  the 
Y.  &  M.  V.  R.  R.  has  been  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  company  ten  years.  He 
first  began  as  a  fireman  under  En- 
gineer William  Fritz  and  was  engaged  in  that 
capacity  for  four  years.  He  then  served  as 
hostler  for  one  year,  at  the  end  of  which  time 
ht  was  examined  and  promoted  to  engineer  and 
for  the  following  year  ran  a  switch  engine  in 
the  yards  at  Memphis.  He  then  entered  the 
freight  service  and  now  has  a  regular  run  be- 
tween Memphis  and  Vicksburg  on  the  Y.  & 
M.  V.  Ry.  Mr.  Jones  is  a  native  of  Vicksburg, 
Miss.,  where  he  was  born  September  6,  1872,  a 
son  of  Rev.  John  W.  Jones.  (See  sketch  of 
Carey  Jones  on  another  page  of  this  volume.) 
Our  subject  has  never  had  any  wrecks  nor  has 
he  ever  been  injured.  He  is  a  member  of  Divi- 
sion No.  283,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Vicksburg.  He 
makes  his  home  at  821  Main  street,  Memphis. 


].     COUGHLIN,     former     station 
agent   for  the   I.   C.   at   Kankakee, 
began   his   railroad  career  in    1877 
as  an  assistant  to  the  station  agent 
at  Tolono,  and  remained  there  until  1878,  when 
he  was   removed  on   account  of  his   age.     He 


then  went  with  the  American  Express  Company 
as  messenger  between  Tolono  and  Decatur,  but 
in  July  of  the  same  year  returned  to  the  I.  C.- 
at  Tolono,  where  he  remained  until  February 
1880,  when  he  began  braking  on  the  Wabash; 
but  at  the  end  of  six  weeks  he  returned  to  his 
old  place,  remaining  until  1884,  when  he  was 
sent  to  Kankakee  as  cashier.  In  January  1888, 
he  went  to  Effingham  as  agent;  in  January  1889, 
to  Kensington  and  February  9,  1889,  back  to 
Kankakee  as  relief.  In  April  1891  he  was  sent 
to  Centralia  as  agent,  August  1891,  to  Cham- 
paign ;  and  in  October  1892  returned  to  Kanka- 
kee as  agent  and  remained  there  until  he  re- 
signed from  the  service  of  the  road  in  1899 
to  engage  in  business.  Our  subject  was  born 
in  Tolono,  111.,  in  1858  and  is  the  father  of  an 
interesting  family  of  six  children. 


LLENDER  R.  BRECKENRIDGE, 
foreman  of  the  machine  shops  at 
Waterloo,  Iowa,  began  his  railroad 
career  in  the  employ  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Company  in  the  capacity  of 
office  boy  in  the  office  of  T.  W.  Place,  master 
mechanic,  at  Waterloo,  Iowa,  February  4,  1888. 
His  father,  Allender  I.  Breckenridge,  had  pre- 
viously served  in  the  capacity  of  time-keeper, 
and  was  thus  employed  fourteen  years.  Sub- 
sequently he  entered  the  machine  shop  at 
Waterloo,  as  machinist  apprentice  until  Septem- 
ber 10,  '93,  served  as  journeyman  machinist  for 
three  months  and  January  i,  1894,  he  was  made 
gang  foreman.  October  i,  1895,  he  was  pro- 
moted to  his  present  position  of  foreman  of  the 
machine  shops.  Mr.  Breckenridge  is  a  man  of 
more  than  ordinary  ability  both  as  a  machinist 
and  a  leader  as  may  be  deduced  from  the  above 
record.  He  is  intelligent,  thorough  in  all  of  his 
work,  rules  those  over  whom  he  has  authority 
without  friction  and  grasps  every  opportunity 
to  improve  his  methods  of  operation  and  also 
improve  his  situation  in  life.  Socially  Mr. 


556 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Breckenridge  affiliates  with  the  Masonic  Fra- 
ternity in  which  he  has  taken  the  following  de- 
grees: Waterloo  Lodge  No.  105,  F.  &  A.  M. ; 
Tabernacle  Chapter  No.  52 ;  Ascalon  Comman- 
dcry  No.  25 ;  and  El  Kahir  Temple,  Nobles  of 
the  Mystic  Shrine,  at  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  Waterloo  Lodge  No.  290, 
Helmet  Lodge  No.  89,  Knights  of  Pythias, 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and 
also  a  member  of  the  Columbia  club  of  Water- 
loo, an  organization  of  the  prominent  men  of 
the  city,  which  has  done  much  to  promote 
the  growth,  and  prosperity  of  the  city.  He  was 
born  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  September  10,  1872. 
His  brother,  Walter  W.  Breckenridge,  is  also 
a  machinist  in  the  Waterloo  round  house;  his 
father  was  formerly  an  employe  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  as  previously  stated ;  and  his 
grandfather,  J.  C.  Breckenridge,  was  superinten- 
dent of  the  Meriden  Cutlery  Company,  of  Meri- 
clen,  Conn.,  until  his  death. 


AREY  JONES,  the  well  known  pas- 
senger engineer  on  the  Y.  &  M.  V. 
R.  R.  has  been  with  the  company 
since  1884,  beginning  work  as  a 
watchman  in  Leland,  Miss.,  where  he  remained 
one  year.  He  then  began  as  fireman  with  the 
well  known  engineer,  "Shorty"  Erskins,  and 
after  firing  for  about  four  years  was  promoted 
to  engineer  and  began  on  the  old  Clinton  &  Ft. 
Hickey  Ry.  in  Louisiana  (the  oldest  railroad  in 
that  state).  He  worked  there  four  months  and 
then  came  to  the  Vicksburg  division  of  the  Y. 
&  M.  V.  R.  R.-and  took  charge  of  an  engine  on 
a  work  train  and  was  also  in  the  freight  service 
from  1889  to  1898,  when  he  was  put  on  a  passen- 
ger engine  and  since  that  time  has  been  in  the 
regular  passenger  service  now  having  a  run  be- 
tween Memphis  and  Vicksburg.  He  is  a  native 
of  Yazoo  county  and  was  born  March  4,  1864, 
a  son  of  Rev.  John  W.  Jones,  who  was  an  M.  E. 
minister,  and  who  also  served  as  a  major  in  the 


civil  war,  taking  part  in  all  the  battles  through 
out  Mississippi.  He  is  now  deceased.  Oui 
subject  has  a  brother  who  is  now  foreman  on  th< 
V.  S.  &  P.  Ry.  Mr.  Jones  is  unmarried  am 
makes  his  home  at  No.  821  Main  street,  Mem 
phis.  He  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  281 
B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Vicksburg,  Miss.  He  is  a  char 
ter  member  of  Leland  Lodge  No.  77,  K.  of  P.,  o 
Leland,  Miss.  He  has  never  been  in  any  seri 
ous  wrecks  while  in  the  employ  of  the  I.  C.  an< 
has  never  been  injured  in  any  way. 


W.  CRUMM,  chief  train  dispatche 
at  Jackson,  Miss.,  has  had  man 
'Q  years  experience  in  railroad  work 
He  first  began  as  operator  for  th 
Illinois  Central  at  Rosetta,  Miss.,  serving  fiv 
months  when  he  was  transferred  to  Hays,  in  th 
same  state,  as  agent,  remaining  two  years.  Fol 
lowing  this,  he  served  at  Rockwell,  Miss.,  an 
Baton  Rouge,  La.  Severing  his  connectio 
with  the  Central  he  accepted  a  position  as  tn'iu 
master  at  Blacksburg,  South  Carolina,  and  late 
was  made  train  dispatcher  at  Charleston,  fror 
which  point  he  was  transferred  to  Knoxvilh 
Tenn.,  as  chief  train  dispatcher.  Returning  1 
the  Central  he  served  as  night  operator  at  Rol 
ling  Fork,  Miss.,  for  a  short  time  and  then  re 
turned  to  Charleston  where  after  a  short  time  a 
operator  he  was  made  chief  train  dispatcher,  i 
which  capacity  he  served  four  years.  Agai: 
entering  the  employ  of  the  Central  he  served  a 
night  operator  at  Leland,  Miss.,  three  month 
and  three  months  as  dispatcher  at  Vicksburj 
when  in  1898  he  was  assigned  his  present  posi 
tion  as  chief  train  dispatcher  at  Jackson. 

Mr.  Crumm,  a  native  of  Blosser,  Miss 
was  born  May  n,  1869,  a  son  of  John  Crumn 
a  farmer  now  residing  near  Dayton,  Miss.  -Mi 
Crumm  was  married  to  Miss  Ha  McGee,  o 
Florence,  South  Carolina.  They  now  reside  a 
No.  no  Clifton  Terrace,  in  Jackson. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


557 


JAMES  S.  MADDUX,  locomotive  engi- 
neer, has  been  with  the  I.  C.  Railroad 
Company  since  September  9,  1890,  when 
lie  began  as  a  machinist  in  the  shops 
at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  and  worked  in  that  position 
until  October  26,  1894,  and  then  began  as  fire- 
man 011  extras  serving  with  Engineers  P.  S. 
Law,  C.  J.  Barnett,  Mr.  Shipman  and  others 
until  September  5,  1897.  He  was  then  examined 
and  promoted  to  engineer  and  took  charge  of 
engine  No.  82  on  the  Yazoo  division.  He  has 
since  run  both  freight  and  passenger  trains  be- 
tween Memphis  and  Canton,  Miss.,  and  Mem- 
phis and  Paducah,  Ky.,  and  now  runs  regular 
between  Memphis  and  Grenada  in  the  freight 
and  passenger  service.  Our  subject  was  born 
in  Tate  county,  Miss.,  March  23,  1873.  He  is  a 
son  of  Cicero  H.  Maddux,  who  was  a  farmer 
of  Tate  county,  but  who  is  now  deceased.  Mr. 
Maddux  resides  with  his  mother  and  two  sisters 
at  No.  253  Rayburn  ave.,  Memphis.  He  is  a 
member  of  William  Renshaw  Division  No.  23, 
B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Memphis.  Although  young,  our 
subject  is  a  prominent  and  faithful  employe  of 
the  Illinois  Central. 


DAM  R.  BIGLEBEN,  a  very  promi- 
nent locomotive  engineer,  with  a  pas- 
senger run  between  Memphis  and 
New  Orleans,  dates  his  connection 
with  the  company  from  August  1883.  He  be- 
gan his  railroad  career  in  1872  as  a  fireman  on 
the  Louisville  &  Nashville  R.  R.  on  the  old  style 
"Dicky  North"  engine  and  helped  lay  track  with 
the  same.  After  a  service  of  five  years  as  fire- 
man he  was  promoted  to  engineer,  serving  as 
such  four  years  when  he  came  to  Memphis  and 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  Ry.  and 
was  given  a  passenger  run  between  Memphis  and 
New  Orleans,  where  he  is  serving  at  the  present 
time,  running  into  Memphis  every  fourth  day. 
?ilr.  Bigleben  was  born  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  Aug. 
4,  1853,  a  son  of  S.  Bigleben,  a  molder  by  trade 
who  died  when  our  subject  was  young. 


Mr.  Bigleben  married  Miss  Josephine  Roh- 
nier,  of  Bowling  Green,  Ky.,  and  to  them  have 
been  born  ten  children,  five  of  whom  are  living, 
Frank,  John,  Joe,  Mary  and  Christine.  Those 
deceased  are,  Henry,  Paul,  Louise,  Gertrude  and 
Lawrence.  The  family  has  a  pleasant  home  in 
Leland,  Miss.  Our  subject  owns  considerable 
valuable  property  in  Memphis.  Socially  he  is  a 
member  of  Division  No.  281,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of 
Vicksburg.  He  was  in  a  large  wreck  at  White 
Oakville,  Miss.,  but  has  never  been  injured. 


A.  REED,  general  yardmaster  at 
Freeport,  111.,  was  born  at  Lockport, 
O  in  that  state,  November  25,  1856. 
His  father,  Samuel  Reed  was  an  old 
railroad  man  having  served  from  1858  to  1885 
as  baggagemaster  and  check  clerk  at  Sandoval. 
111.,  for  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad.  He 
was  born  in  Indiana  in  1824,  followed  farming 
in  early  life  and  since  his  retirement  has  been 
living  at  Ramsay,  111.  His  wife,  Jenica  E.  But- 
ler, was  born  at  Utica,  New  York,  in  1826,  and 
died  in  1888.  Of  their  family  nearly  all  are  con- 
nected with  railroad  work.  The  first  of  the 
family  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch ;  the  second 
is  J.  Edward,  station  agent  for  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral at  Ramsey,  Charles  E.,  a  twin  brother  of 
Edward,  was  formerly  in  the  employ  of  the  Cen- 
tral at  Sandoval ;  Nettie  L.  married  Fred  F.  Rine- 
hart  and  died  in  1889 ;  Harry  is  train  dispatcher 
for  the  Central  at  Clinton,  111. ;  Jennie  B.,  died 
in  1894.  F.  A.  Reed  attended  the  public  schools 
at  Sandoval,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  secured 
a  place  as  messenger  boy  in  the  service  of  the 
Ohio  &  Mississippi  road  and  during  the  two 
years  of  his  service  in  that  capacity  learned 
telegraphy.  He  served  in  various  capacities  — 
operator,  baggageman,  brakeman,  at  Sandoval, 
until  1880,  when  he  was  appointed  agent  at 
Trenton  remaining  in  the  service  six  months. 
January  i,  1881  he  entered  the  service  of  the 
Illinois  Central  as  operator  at  Macon,  111.,  and  a 


558 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


year  later  was  transferred  to  Ramsay  as  station 
agent  where  he  remained  a  like  period.  His 
next  appointment  was  as  train  dispatcher  at 
Clinton,  111.,  •  remaining  two  years  and  eight 
months.  Because  of  all  night  work  he  resigned 
and  accepted  a  position  of  extra  conductor  until 
May  i,  1886,  when  he  was  made  train  dispatcher 
at  Amhoy,  111.  Here  he  remained  until  in  Jnne 
1889,  the  date  of  his  transfer  to  Chicago  as  dis- 
patcher on  that  division.  In  October  1892,  he 
left  the  service  of  the  Central  to  accept  the  super- 
intendency  of  the  St.  Louis,  Chicago  &  St.  Paul 
road  at  Alton,  and  in  March  1893  became  the 
general  yardmaster  for  the  road  at  the  same 
point.  In  April  1896  he  removed  to  Blooming- 
ton  accepting  a  situation  with  the  Chicago  & 
Alton  as  night  train  master.  In  January  1897. 
Mr.  Reed  returned  to  the  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central  as  yardmaster  at  Centralia  and  in  October 
following  was  transferred  to  Rockford  in  the 
same  capacity.  He  was  appointed  general  yard- 
master  at  Freeport  in  August  1899. 

Mr.  Reed  was  married  on  March  21,  1877, 
to  Miss  Leonora  F.  Weldon,  of  Sandoval.  She 
was  born  April  22,  1858  and  died  at  Alton,  in 
1895.  Two  daughters  were  born  to  them,  Clara 
M.,  and  Jane  Ruth. 

Mr.  Reed  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity having  attained  the  degree  of  Royal 
Arch  Mason,  and  he  is  also  an  Odd  Fellow. 
He  is  republican  in  politics. 


LEX.  M.  STEWART,  a  locomotive  en- 
gineer in  the  employ  of  the  Y.  &  M. 
V.  Ry.  began  railroading  in  Scotland 
as  a  wiper  in  the  engine  house,  later 
was  fireman  and  afterward  promoted  to  engi- 
neer. In  1887  he  came  to  America  and  began 
work  as  engineer  on  the  Canadian  Pacific  Ry. 
later  going  to  the  M.  K.  &  T.  Ry.  where  he 
served  three  years  as  engineer.  He  then  came 
to  the  I.  C.  and  began  work  as  hostler  in  the 
shops  in  Chicago,  but  at  the  end  of  fourteen 


months  was  transferred  to  the  Y.  &  M.  V.,  at 
Yicksburg  in  October  1896.  He  has  since  re- 
sided in  Yicksburg  running  freight  and  now  has 
a  regular  run  on  engine  No.  41  between  Vicks- 
burg  and  Wilson,  La.  Mr.  Stewart  is  a  native 
of  Scotland  where  he  was  born  in  November 
1859,  a  son  of  Thomas  Stewart,  who  was  a  car- 
penter by  trade  and  who  died  there.  The  re- 
mainder of  our  subject's  relatives  reside  in  Scot- 
land. Mr.  Stewart  married  Miss  Ella  McEwen 
and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  eight  chil- 
dren, five  of  whom  are  now  living.  Socially 
he  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  281,  B.  of  L.  E., 
of  Vicksburg.  He  has  a  comfortable  home  at 
No.  1108  Washington  street,  Vicksburg.  Mr. 
Stewart  is  a  man  of  decided  literary  tastes  and 
is  a  frequent  contributer  to  magazines,  papers, 
etc. 


OWARD  COVINGTON,  freight  en- 
gineer on  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  R.  R.  be- 
gan his  railroad  career  with  the  Texas 
Pacific  R.  R.  and  gradually  worked 
himself  up  to  engineer.  He  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  R.  R.  in  1890  and  since  that 
time  has  been  in  the  regular  freight  service  run- 
ning between  Vicksburg  and  New  Orleans.  He 
is  one  of  the  faithful  and  reliable  employes  of  the 
road.  He  resides  at  No.  723  S.  Mulberry  street, 
Vicksburg,  Miss. 


ORACE  BAKER,  superintendent  of  the 
Amboy  division,  is  a  native  of  St. 
Louis,  Missouri,  born  October  u, 
1859.  He  began  his  railroad  career 
in  1878  as  clerk  in  the  supply  department  of  the 
Missouri  Pacific  line,  filling  various  subordinate 
positions  with  the  road  until  October  1885,  when 
he  accepted  the  position  of  treasurer  and  pay- 
master of  the  Havana,  Rantoul  &  Western,  serv- 
ing until  February  1887.  From  the  latter  date 


PATRICK  KEENAN. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


561 


until  December  1890  he  served  as  chief  clerk 
to  the  general  superintendent  of  the  Illinois 
Central  and  while  here  received  the  appointment 
of  trainmaster  of  the  Chicago  district.  In  Sep- 
tember 1891  he  was  appointed  local  freight  agent 
at  Chicago  and  in  December  following  was  ap- 
pointed superintendent  of  the  Chicago  division . 
hi  the  spring  of  1900  he  was  transferred  to  the 
Amboy  division  with  headquarters  at  Clinton, 
111.  Mr.  Baker  is  a  thoroughgoing  railroad  man 
ami  has  won  his  advancement  by  hard  work  and 
giving  close  atention  to  details. 


he  was  put  in  the  suburban  service  where  he  has 
remained  up  to  the  present  time,  on  engine  No. 
210,  now  No.  1410.  In  all  his  service  he  has 
never  suffered  an  injury. 

Mr.  Keenan  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Mc- 
Kenna  and  they  had  seven  children,  four  of  whom 
are  living,  Patrick,  now  in  the  freight  office  de- 
partment, Frederick,  Robert  Emmet,  who  is  the 
champion  seven  year  old  cake  walker  of  Chicago, 
and  Gladys.  He  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
10,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Burnside. 


***'.'*-  ^  .**-.'* 


ATR1CK  KEENAN  is  a  native  of  Ire- 
land. He  began  railroading  in  1873 
on  the  Great  Northern  Railroad  of  Ire- 
land as  an  office  boy  in  the  machinery 
department  at  Dundalk,  County  Louth,  where  he 
remained  about  ten  months  and  then  went  in 
the  shops  and  served  three  years  as  an  appren- 
tice, then  he  was  sent  to  Bundoran  as  foreman  of 
a  branch  road.  He  remained  there  ten  months 
when,  owing  to  his  desire  for  the  road  and  his 
failure  on  account  of  age  to  secure  a  position  on 
the  ( Ireat  Northern  he  resigned  and  went  to  Scot- 
land, where  he  secured  a  position  on  the  Cale- 
donian Railroad  as  a  fireman,  where  he  remained 
ten  months  when  he  returned  to  the  Great 
Northern,  where  he  fired  five  years. 

On  June  i,  1882  he  came' to  this  country 
and  by  June  iQth  of  the  same  year  began  on  the 
Illinois  Central  as  a  fireman  in  yard  service  for 
George  Holmes  and  continued  in  that  service 
two  years  and  then  was  on  the  road  firing  a 
freight  for  Sid  Hinckley  about  a  year  and  Dennis 
Canney  for  about  one  year.  In  September  1886 
he  was  promoted  to  engineer  and  his  first  five 
days  running  was  done  in  the  yards  at  Chicago, 
on  the  old  five  spot.  When  he  was  examined  for 
engineer  he  stood  number  one  in  a  class  of  twen- 
ty-two. 

He  then  went  in  freight  service  in  the  Chi- 
cago and  Middle  division  for  fifteen  months  when 


H.  MOALES,  a  conductor  on  the 
Louisiana  division  of  the  Illinois 
Q  Central,  was  born  in  New  Or- 
leans, December  31,  1863,  a  son 
of  W.  H.  and  Salina  Moales.  The  father  was 
a  contractor  and  at  one  time  served  as  sheriff 
of  Mobile.  The  father  died  in  1863  while  the 
mother  passed  away  December  25,  1874.  Mr. 
Moales  attended  the  public  schools  of  New  Or- 
leans until  the  age  of  fourteen  when  he  secured 
a  place  as  messenger  boy  in  the  service  of  the 
American  District  Telegraph  Company  at  New 
Orleans  remaining  one  year.  For  five  years  he 
was  collector  on  the  French  Market  ferry, 
second  district  ferry,  and  then  accompanied  Cap- 
tain Rundlet  to  Morgan  City,  La.,  on  the 
Southern  Pacific  road,  later  he  spent  some  time 
carrying  the  mail  with  a  brother  between  New 
Iberia  and  Abbeville.  Going  to  Texas  he  was 
engaged  some  six  months  in  the  lumber  camps 
and  then  in  1880  began  railroad  work  in  Orange 
county,  Texas,  on  the  L.  &  W.  Railroad  as  sec- 
tion man  a  short  time  and  then  was  given  a 
situation  in  the  round  house  at  Orange.  With- 
in a  short  time  he  was  given  a  place  on  the  left 
side  of  a  cab  of  a  switch  engine  and  soon  after 
was  sent  over  the  line  in  the  freight  service. 
The  malarial  climate  giving  him  the  ague  Mr. 
Moales  was  compelled  to  resign  and  returned 
home.  Securing  a  place  in  the  service  of  the 
Central  he  fired  for  a  short  time  between  New 


562 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Orleans  and  McComb  City  when  illness  com- 
pelled him  to  resign.  He  later  became  brake- 
man  in  the  same  service  and  was  promoted  in 
1886,  and  has  since  been  in  charge  of  freight 
trains. 

December  20,  1887,  Mr.  Moales  married 
Miss  Harnie  Manbell  of  New  Orleans,  who  died 
December  16,  1890.  April  I,  1892  he  married 
Miss  Alma  Eastley  of  Friendship,  La.,  to  whom 
have  been  born  four  children :  William,  Charles, 
Hazel  and  Chester  B. 

Mr.  Moales  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
108,  O.  R.  C.,  of  New  Orleans.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church  and  a 
Democrat  in  politics. 


A.  SMITH,  conductor  on  the 
Louisiana  division,  of  the  Central.. 
LQ  is  a  native  of  the  Crescent  City, 
his  birth  occurring  September  17, 
1864.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of  New 
Orleans  until  his  sixteenth  year  when  he  went 
to  Texas  and  became  clerk  in  one  of  the  leading 
hotels  of  Sherman,  for  one  year.  In  1881  he 
entered  the  service  of  the  Texas  &  Pacific  road  as 
brakeman  running  between  Sherman  and  Tex- 
arkana  about  three  years,  receiving  promotion  to 
conductor  during  the  latter  three  months  of  this 
time.  Retiring  from  railroading  he  accepted  a 
position  as  commercial  traveller  for  a  Galveston 
house  which  he  held  some  two  years  resigning 
to  accept  a  position  in  the  exposition  building  of 
the.  Cotton  Exposition  at  New  Orleans.  At  the 
close  of  the  exposition  he  returned  to  the  service 
of  the  Texas  &  Pacific  road  in  the  capacity  of 
brakeman  remaining  some  six  months.  In  1887 
he  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  as 
brakeman,  running  between  Canton,  Miss.,  and 
New  Orleans,  receiving  a  promotion  to  conduc- 
tor within  eighteen  months.  Since  that  date  he 
has  had  charge  of  trains  in  the  freight  service 
between  the  two  points  above  named. 


On  the  twenty-fifth  of  July  1889,  Mr.  Smitl 
was  married  to  Miss  Alice  Kornbeck,  of  Ne\ 
Orleans,  the  place  of  her  nativity.  Two  chil 
dren  have  been  born  to  them,  Mark  C.  am 
Alwyn. 

Mr.  Smith  is  a  member  of  Crescent  Cit 
Division  No.  108,  O.  R.  C.  He  is  a  member  o 
the  Presbyterian  church,  and  in  politics,  ; 
Democrat. 


N.  ARNOLD,  a  conductor  in  th 
passenger  service  of  the  Louisian 

LQ  division,  was  born  near  Hammonc 

La.,  May  25,  1855.  Educated  in  th 
public  schools,  he  soon  began  doing  for  himsel 
ir  the  lumber  woods  and  afterwards  was  eti 
gaged  in  the  making  of  cotton-gins  and  pressei 
In  July  1875  he  entered  the  service  of  the  111: 
nois  Central  on  the  section  and  on  October  8t 
began  braking  on  the  Louisiana  division.  Thre 
years  later  he  was  promoted  to  the  freight  sei 
vice,  running  part  of  the-  time  on  the  grave 
train.  His  promotion  to  the  passenger  servic 
dates  from  1891  since  which  time  he  has  bee 
running  on  the  Louisiana  division. 

On  April  16,  1879,  the  marriage  of  Mi 
Arnold  was  celebrated*  at  Amite  City,  La.,  Mis 
Florence  A.  Goodrich  becoming  his  bride.  Si 
children  have  been  born  to  them. 

Mr.  Arnold  is  a  Mason  an  Odd  Fellow  an 
a  Knight  of  Pythias  and  is  a  member  of  th 
Order  of  Railway  Conductors. 


JA.   MORRIS,  passenger  conductor  o 
the  New  Orleans  division  of  the  Y.  < 
O    M.  V.,  was  born  in  Atlanta,  Ga.,  Apr 
3,  1858,  a  son  of  Rev.  G.  W.  and  Mar 
J.    (Atkins)    Morris   both   of   whom   are   livin; 
and  now  reside  at  Conley,  Ga.     The  father  is 
minister  of  the  Methodist  Protestant  church  hav 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


563 


ing  been  a  very  prominent  member  of  the  Geor- 
gia conference  for  many  years,  over  which  he 
has  presided  four  terms.  J.  A.  Morris  was  edu- 
cated in  the  district  schools  of  his  native  state 
working  on  farms  until  the  age  of  eighteen, 
when  he  bought  a  half  interest  in  a  sawmill  in 
DeKalb  county  and  was  engaged  in  making 
lumber  for  the  market  for  a  period  of  five  years. 
In  1882  he  accepted  a  position  on  the  Georgia 
Pacific  as  brakeman  running  between  Atlanta 
and  Birmingham,  Ala.  Within  five  months  he 
was  promoted  to  freight  conductor  and  filled  that 
"position  until  1886.  Coming  west  Mr.  Morris 
entered  the  employ  of  the  L.,  N.  O.  &  T.,  now 
the  Y.  &  M.  V.,  beginning  again  at  the  foot  of 
the  ladder.  In  two  weeks  he  was  promoted, 
running  in  the  freight  service  on  the  Vicksburg 
division  for  one  year  when  he  was  transferred 
to  the  New  Orleans  division  as  conductor  of 
local  freight  and  remained  in  that  service  until 
September  1889.  On  that  date  he  was  promoted 
t.  the  passenger  service  and  has  since  had  a  run 
north  from  New  Orleans  making  the  latter  city 
his  home. 

On  the  2Oth  of  May,  1889,  Mr.  Morris  and 
Miss  Cora  Maxwell  were  married  at  McDonough, 
Ga.,  the  place  of  her  nativity.  One  son  was 
born  to  them,  Gurley,  his  birth  occurring  Janu- 
ary 12,  1892. 

Mr.  Morris  is  a  member  of  Vicksburg  Di- 
vision No.  231,  O.  R.  C.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Protestant  church  and  in  politics  is 
a  Democrat. 


G.  LEVY,  ticket  agent  for  the  Illi- 
nois Central  at  Effingham,  111.,  en- 
Q  tered  the  service  of  the  company  in 
1880  as  a  helper  at  the  station  at 
Rantoul,  during  which  time  he  learned  telegra- 
phy. In  1883  he  went  to  Cobden,  111.,  as  agent 
and  operator.  He  later  served  as  agent  and 
operator  at  various  stations  along  the  line  until 


1889,  when  he  was  made  ticket  and  freight  agent 
at  Effingham.  At  the  expiration  of  four  years 
a  freight  agent  was  appointed  to  Effingham, 
since  which  time  he  has  served  as  ticket  agent. 
He  is  accommodating  and  courteous  to  all  and 
has  the  respect  and  confidence  of  those  with 
whom  he  comes  in  contact.  Mr.  Levy  is  a  na- 
tive of  Alabama  and  was  married  in  Cobden, 
111.,  in  1887. 


L.  WILLIAMS,  a  conductor  on  the 
New  Orleans  division  of  the  Y.  & 
LQ  M.  V.  road  was  born  in  Franklin 
county,  Ga.,  July  27,  1860,  a  son  of 
Johnson  and  Sarah  (Turner)  Williams  who 
died  in  1870  and  '71  respectively.  A.  L.  Wil- 
liams attended  the  private  schools  of  his  native 
county  and  worked  on  his  father's  farm  until 
twenty-two  years  of  age.  In  1882  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  Georgia  Pacific  Railroad  at 
Austell,  Ga.,  as  time-keeper  and  assistant  fore- 
man and  part  of  the  time  ran  a  work  train. 
After  four  months  he  became  foreman  of  a 
gang  clearing  off  the  right  of  way  for  a  road 
bed.  Following  this  he  became  laborer  on  the 
section  and  then  secured  a  place  as  brakeman 
in  the  freight  service  between  Anderson,  Ala., 
and  Atlanta,  Ga.,  and  later  had  his  run  extended 
to  Birmingham.  In  March  1883  he  secured  a 
similar  position  on  the  Richmond  &  Danville 
road  and  received  promotion  to  a  freight  con- 
ductorship  in  the  fall  of  that  year,  running  be- 
tween Atlanta  and  Charlotte,  N.  C.,  for  five 
years.  In  1887  he  entered  the  service  of  the 
F.  R.  &  N.  as  freight  conductor  running  be- 
tween Fernandina  and  Tavares,  Fla.,  where  for 
six  months  he  served  through  the  yellow  fever 
epidemic.  He  then  joined  the  forces  of  the  E. 
T.  V.  &  G.  road,  running '  a  freight  between 
Macon  and  Rome,  Ga.,  until  1889,  at  which  time 
he  returned  to  the  service  of  the  Richmond  & 
Danville  line  in  the  freight  service.  In  Septem- 
ber 1889  he  entered  the  service  of  the  L.  N.  O. 


564 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


&  T.  as  freight  conductor  between  Vicksburg 
and  New  Orleans  until  June  1899,  serving  part 
of  the  time  as  extra  passenger  conductor.  On 
the  last  mentioned  date,  he  was  promoted  to 
the  passenger  service  running  between  New  Or- 
leans and  Vicksburg. 

Mr.  Williams  was  married  December  24, 
1896,  to  Miss  Kate  Duncan,  a  native  of  Mobile, 
Ala.  He  is  a  Mason,  having  received  the  de- 
grees of  the  chapter  and  commanclery,  is  a 
Knight  of  Pythias  and  a  Modern  Woodman  of 
the  World.  He  belongs  to  Division  No.  231, 
O.  R.  C. 


tion  at  Vicksburg,  becoming  travelling  car-in- 
spector on  the  lines  between  Memphis  and  New 
Orleans  having  jurisdiction  over  455  miles. 

Mr.  Winder  was  married  September  7, 
1899,  to  Miss  Ida  Vandenberg,  of  Vicksburg. 
Mr.  Winder  is  a  member  of  Washington  Lodge 
No.  4,  K.  of  P.,  and  the  Modern  Woodmen, 
both  of  Vicksburg.  In  religion  he  is  of  the 
Catholic  faith  and  is  independent  in  politics. 


JA.  WINDER,  travelling  car  inspector 
of  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  line,  is  a  native  of 
Q  Kingston,  Out.,  a  son  of  James  and 
Mary  (Burke)  Winder.  Attending 
the  public  schools  until  the  age  of  twelve 
he  entered  the  shops  of  the  Weer  Piano 
Company  as  an  apprentice  in  the  cabinet  shops. 
After  serving  his  four  years  apprenticeship  he 
went  to  Detroit  and  secured  a  place  in  the  shops 
of  Gibson  Brothers,  carpenters  and  builders. 
Coming  to  Chicago,  he  entered  the  service  of 
the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  road  in  the  car 
shops  and  three  years  later  went  to  McComb 
City,  Miss.,  in  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
remaining  seven  years.  Accepting  a  position  on 
the  L.  N.  O.  &  T.,  at  Vicksburg,  he  continued 
with  the  new  management  when  the  road  was 
transferred.  He  was  sent  to  the  shops  at  New 
Orleans  as  foreman  in  the  car  department  and 
two  years  later  was  transferred  to  the  Memphis 
shops  in  the  same  capacity,  remaining  there  two 
years.  At  this  time  he  was  appointed  joint  car- 
inspector  for  all  the  branches  of  the  system  run- 
ning into  New  Orleans  and  remained  there  two 
years  when  he  was  made  travelling  car-inspec- 
tor and  transferred  to  Vicksburg.  Two  months 
later  he  resigned  to  accept  a  position  on  the 
Mexican  National  road  at  Laredo,  Texas, 
but  four  months  later  returned  to  his  old  posi- 


JW.  MORRISON,  former  general  yard- 
master  at  New  Orleans,  is  a  native  of 
O  the  Crescent  City,  born  April  i,  1861. 
His  father,  Miles  Morrison,  served  the 
Central  as  round  house  foreman  and  in  other  ca- 
pacities until  his  death  August  9,  1898.  The 
mother,  who  was  Margaret  Muldoon,  died  Janu- 
ary 1 6,  1885.  After  the  usual  number  of  years 
ir.  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city  Mr.  Mor- 
rison began  his  railroad  career  February  22,, 
1879,  as  flag  boy  in  the  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central  in  the  New  Orleans  yards.  He  was 
soon  made  switchman  and  before  the  year  was 
out  was  promoted  to  foremanship  of  engines  in 
the  yards.  In  1881  he  resigned  and  accepted 
the  position  of  night  yardmaster  for  the  L.  & 
N.  and  in  nineteen  months  was  promoted  to 
be  general  yardmaster  which  position  he  filled 
until  1884.  During  the  exposition  Mr.  Morri- 
son had  charge  of  the  Central's  terminals  on 
the  grounds  and  in  1885  became  general  yard- 
master  for  the  Central,  holding  that  position  un- 
til 1889.  The  following  year  he  served  as  assis- 
tant yardmaster  for  the  Tennessee  &  Pacific  and 
then  returned  to  his  former  position  on  the  Cen- 
tral which  he  held  until  1891.  Going  to  Charles- 
ton, he  secured  a  place  as  engine  dispatcher  on 
the  South  Carolina  Railroad,  the  oldest  in  the 
western  continent,  remaining  some  eighteen 
months.  The  climate  disagreeing  with  his  fami- 
ly he  returned  to  New  Orleans  and  on  March  4, 
1894,  was  appointed  general  yardmaster  of  all 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


567 


the  terminals  of  the  Central  in  the  city,  resign- 
ing- January  17,  1900. 

On  the  29th  of  December  1884,  Mr.  Mor- 
rison was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  Kelly,  of 
New  Orleans.  Their  children  are :  Gertrude, 
Miles,  John  T.  and  Mary.  Mr.  Morrison  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  the  World  and  of  the  O.  R.  C. 
Division  No.  108  and  is  president  of  the  O.  R. 
C.  social  club. 


JOHN  CRONES,  who  is  a  native  of  Trier, 
Germany,  came  to  the  United  States 
when  he  was  twenty-four  years  old ;  he  at 
once  began  work  on  the  Illinois  Central, 
in  the  machine  shops  at  Weldon,  in  1879,  worked 
there  two  years  and  then  served  as  hostler  about 
a  year  and  then  began  firing  on  the  road  in  the 
freight  and  passenger  service.  His  first  engineer 
was  William  McManman  but  he  later  fired  for 
Bill  Perry,  Frank  Cook  and  Sam  Edgerly.  He 
was  promoted  in  1889  and  was  given  switch 
engine  No.  104,  a  new  engine  at  that  time.  For 
the  past  two  years  he  has  run  engine  No.  158  in 
the  passenger  yards.  In  1886  he  was  seriously 
injured  in  a  collision  at  South  Lawn  (now 
Harvey)  and  was  laid  up  four  months. 

Socially  our  subject  is  a  member  of  Division 
No.  10,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Burnside. 

Mr.  Crones  was  married  to  Miss  Ernest 
and  has  two  children,  Lucy  and  John.  Prior  to 
his  emigration  to  this  country,  Mr.  Crones 
served  four  years  in  the  cavalry  of  the  German 
army. 


EORGE  E.  PETERS,  locomotive 
engineer,  was  born  in  Chicago.  He 
commenced  his  service  in  1884  as  an 
elevator  boy  in  the  general  offices  and 
later  in  the  office  of  Mr.  Russ,  having  charge  of 
telephone  and  quoting  freight  rates  to  the  patrons. 


He  remained  there  until  June  4,  1886,  then  re- 
signed and  began  firing,  first  on  a  switch  engine 
number  15,  for  A.  Pickart;  he  continued  in  that 
service  about  one  year,  and  then  was  on  the  road 
in  the  freight  service  for  William  Fluck,  now  on 
the  Centralia  division.  He  fired  a  freight  and 
passenger  until  he  was  promoted  July  I5th,  1896, 
and  then  went  into  yard  service  on  engine  No. 
713;  he  ran  this  engine  several  months,  then 
several  others,  until  he  was  given  his  present 
engine,  No.  144,  which  he  has  had  since  1898. 

Our  subject  has  never  had  a  serious  injury 
and  belongs  to  Division  No.  10,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of 
Burnside. 

Mr.  Peters  married  Miss  Mary  Breit,  and 
they  have  one  child.  Our  subject  owns  a  fine 
residence,  a  two  story  flat,  at  6717  Rhodes  Ave. 
Chicago,  111.  • 


EOF.  W.  COLE,  a  conductor  on  the 
Grenada  division,  is  a  native  of 
Bowling  Green,  Todd  county,  Ken- 
tucky, born  November  18,  1863. 
His  father,  Hudson  Cole,  was  a  farmer  and  died 
in  1866  from  wounds  received  in  the  Confeder- 
ate service  during  the  Civil  war.  The  mother 
died  two  years  later  leaving  the  boy  to  be  reared 
by  strangers.  He  attended  the  public  schools 
at  Elkton  and  in  August  1884  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  road  as  brake- 
man,  serving  in  that  capacity  until  promotion, 
when  he  was  given  charge  of  a  train  in  the 
freight  service.  He  remained  thirteen  and  a 
half  years  with  the  road  and  in  1898  entered  the 
service  of  the  Illinois  Central  at  Memphis,  was 
appointed  conductor  on  the  Grenada  division 
and  has  been  employed  there  since. 

Mr.  Cole  was  married  September  20,  1889 
to  Miss  Lena  Coleman,  of  Bowling  Green,  Ken- 
tucky. To  them  were  born  four  children :  Nan- 
nie Belle,  Nettie  J.,  James  K.,  and  Robert  S. 
The  family  are  of  the  Baptist  faith  and  Mr.  Cole 
is,  politically,  a  democrat.  He  is  a  member  of 


568 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


the  Knights  of  Pythias  order  in  which  he  has 
taken  the  endowment  rank.  As  a  railroad  man 
lie  is  thoroughly  posted  on  all  that  pertains 
to  the  duties  of  the  department  in  which  he  is 
engaged  and  competent  .at  any  time  to  fill  a 
place  higher  in  the  line  as  soon  as  an  opening  is 
offered  for  his  promotion. 


J15.    WOODCOCK,    conductor    on    the 
Springfield     division     of    the     Illinois 
O    Central,    began    railroading    in     i88o; 
when  he  entered  the  service  of  the  I. 

B.  &  W.  Ry.  as  brakeman.     He  was  later  pro- 
moted to  conductor  and  was  retained  in  the  same 
capacity  when  the  road  was  purchased  by  the  I. 

C.  in  1885.     He  now  has  a  run  between  Cham- 
paign  and   Clinton   and   Champaign   and   Deca- 
tur.        Mr.    Woodcock   is   a   native   of   Canada, 
having  been   born   in    St.   John's,    New    Bruns- 
wick.    He   is   married   and   has   two   daughters 
and  one  son.     The  family  resides  in  a  pleasant 
home  on  West  Hill  street,  Champaign.     Social- 
ly our  subject  is  a  member  of  Division  No.   I, 
O.  R.  C.,  of  Chicago,  also  a  member  of  Lodge 
Xo.  240,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Chapter,  Commandery 
and  Eastern  Star,  all  of  Champaign. 


JOHN    F.    CROWLEY,    locomotive   engi- 
neer on  the  Illinois  Central,  is  a  native 
of  Amboy,  where  he  was  born  December 
23,    1858.     His    father,    Timothy   Crow- 
a  native  of  Ireland,  was  a  painter  by  trade 
was    for   many   years   employed   bv   the   I. 
C.  in  the  paint  shop  at  Amboy,  where  he  died., 
The   mother,   who   in   her   girlhood   was   Rosey 
Golegly,  was  a  native  of  Ireland.     She  came  to 
America  when  young  and  was  afterwards  mar- 
ried.    She   and   her   husband    were   among   the 


ky. 
and 


first  settlers  of  Amboy.  In  their  family  were 
the  following  children :  Katie,  Subject,  Mary, 
Daniel,  an  engineer  on  the  I.  C.,  Patrick,  Sadie, 
Julia  and  Timothy.  Our  subject  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  Amboy.  At  the  age 
of  thirteen  he  began  to  earn  his  own  living,  go- 
ing to  school  in  the  winter  and  working  on  a 
farm  in  the  summer.  He  continued  thus  em- 
ployed until  1 88 1  when  he  went  to  work  in  the 
car  department  of  the  I.  C.  where  he  remained 
until  November  9,  1887,  when  he  began  firing  a 
locomotive  on  the  road  and  where  he  continued 
until  February  20,  1895,  when  he  was  promoted 
to  the  right  side  and  has  since  been  employed  in 
that  capacity.  He  is  very  popular  among  the 
boys  and  is  considered  absolutely  trustworthy 
by  his  superior  officers.  He  fired  for  a  long  time 
for  F.  H.  Schermerhorn,  one  of  the  old  time 
engineers  of  the  system.  Mr.  Crowley  was  a 
member  of  Amboy  Division  No.  35,  B.  of  L.  F., 
and  when  promoted  joined  Division  No.  27,  B. 
of  L.  E. 


M.    EDWARDS,    a   prominent   loco- 
motive engineer  in  the  passenger  ser- 

Q    vice  of  the  Illinois  Central,  between 

Centralia  and  Cairo  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  the  company  November  9,  1879,  as  a  fire- 
man on  the  Centralia  district.  He  was  pro- 
moted to  engineer  February  19,  1883  and  after 
working  in  the  freight  service  for  twelve  years, 
was,  in  1895,  promoted  to  the  passenger  service 
where  he  has  since  been  employed.  He  is  a 
member  of  Division  No.  24,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of 
Centralia.  Our  subject  was  born  in  Tennessee 
but  was  brought  to  Illinois  when  only  two  and 
one-half  years  of  age.  He  owns  a  fine  home  on 
South  Poplar  street,  Centralia :  is  married  and 
has  a  family  of  whom  he  is  justly  proud.  His 
eldest  son,  Walter,  is  in  the  train  service  of  the 
I.  C.  on  the  Chicago  division.  James  H.,  the 
second  son,  was  for  some  time  in  the  employ  of 
the  I.  C.  first  in  the  office  of  the  division  superin- 
tendent and  afterwards  in  the  freight  office  at 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


569 


Centralia.  He  then  entered  a  business  college 
in  St.  Louis  where  he  learned  short  hand  and 
typewriting.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Spanish- 
American  war  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the 
regular  army  at  St.  Louis.  It  was  soon  learned 
by  the  officials  that  he  was  an  efficient  steno- 
grapher and  he  was  made  clerk  at  regimental 
headquarters.  He  then  secured  his  release  from 
the  regiment  and  entered  actively  into  the  duties 
of  clerk  and  stenographer,  in  which  he  has  made 
wonderful  progress.  He  was  detailed  as  clerk 
and  stenographer  to  the  inspector  of  the  depart- 
ment of  the  East,  and  in  that  capacity  visited 
every  station  owned  by  the  government  between 
Maine  and  South  Carolina,  forts,  navy  yards, 
arsenals  and  all  government  works.  After  Gen. 
Shafter  returned  from  Cuba  Mr.  Edwards  was 
made  his  private  aid  and  correspondence  clerk 
and  copied  in  type  written  form  all  of  the 
General's  Cuban  reports.  He  then  accompanied 
Gen.  Shafter  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco, 
i;;  the  General's  private  car,  as  private  clerk  and 
stenographer.  He  was  sent  from  there  to  Ma- 
nila, where  he  is  at  present  chief  manifest  clerk 
ir  the  customs  office. 


RANK  McCOSH,  one  of  the  oldest 
locomotive  engineers,  in  actual  ser- 
vice, on  the  Centralia  district  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  entered  the  employ 
of  the  company  in  1873  as  a  fireman,  being  pro- 
moted to  the  right  side  of  the  cab  in  1877.  He 
was  engaged  in  pulling  freight  until  1883,  when 
IK  was  promoted  to  the  passenger  service  be- 
tween Centralia  and  Cairo,  where  he  is  serving 
at  the  present  time.  During  his  long  and  faith- 
ful service  with  the  company  he  has  only  lost 
six  months.  He  has  been  successful  in  his 
chosen  calling  and  now  owns  a  comfortable 
country  home,  southwest  of  Centralia.  He  is  a 
member  of  Division  No.  24,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Cen- 
tralia. 


M.  YOUNG,  who  has  been  in  the 
employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  Com- 
pany  for  nearly  thirty  years,  entered 
the  employ  of  the  company  in  1871  as 
a  fireman,  making  his  trip  as  such  on  the  main 
line  from  Centralia  to  Wapella.  He  was  pro- 
moted to  engineer  August  27,  1879,  on  the  Cen- 
tralia district  and  was  given  his  present  run  on 
the  "local"  from  Centralia  to  Du  Quoin  in 
July  1897.  Mr.  Young  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  is 
married  and  has  a  pleasant  home  in  Centralia, 
where  he  is  well  and  favorably  known.  He 
was  a  charter  member  of  the  Firemen's  Union, 
also  a  charter  member  of  the  B.  of  L.  F.  and  has 
been  a  member  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.  since  1880. 


ERBERT  B.  WATSON,  agent  for  the 
I.  C.  at  Burlington,  111.,  was  bom 
at  Perryville,  111.,  January  28,  1866. 
His  parents,  Samuel  and  Susanna  J. 
(Sharp)  Watson,  were  both  natives  of  England. 
In  their  family  were  the  following  children : 
Walter,  a  carpenter  of  Greene,  la.,  Mary  M. 
wife  of  Dr.  F.  Wylie  Nash,  of  Big  Rock,  111., 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  James  L.  McEvoy,  an  insur- 
ance agent  of  Ottawa,  111.,  William,  a  farmer 
residing  at  Waterville,  Kan.,  Homer  D.,  a 
blacksmith,  of  Winslow,  111.,  Herbert  B.  our 
subject,  Amon  C.,  a  farmer,  and  Samuel  N.,  a 
farmer. 

Our  subject  received  his  education  in  the 
country  schools  near  his  home,  starting  at  the 
age  of  seven  years.  As  soon  as  he  was  able, 
in  order  to  secure  a  good  education  and  assist 
a  widowed  mother  to  support  a  large  family, 
he  worked  during  the  summers  and  attended 
school  during  the  winters  until  he  was  fifteen 
years  old,  when  he  began  working  by  the  month 
on  a  farm  giving  his  entire  wages  to  his  mother 
until  he  was  twenty-one,  she  buying  his  clothes. 
Then  desiring  to  learn  the  art  of  telegraphy 
he  worked  out  during  the  summer  on  a  farm  at 
twenty-two  dollars  a  month,  giving  his  note  in 


570 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


the  fall  to  his  sister  for  $100,  which  in  addition 
to  his  savings  he  used  in  attending  a  school  of 
telegraphy  in  Chicago  for  three  months.  This 
school  proved  of  but  little  account  and  in  order 
to  finish  his  education  he  worked  for  his  board, 
walking  three  miles  night  and  morning  to  the 
railroad  office  in  Perryville,  where  under  the 
instruction  of  C.  W.  Johnson  he  finished  his 
course,  his  first  position  being  for  the  Illinois 
Central  at  Perryville,  while  Mr.  Johnson  was  on 
a  leave  of  absence.  During  the  remainder  of 
the  summer  of  1889  he  worked  as  relief  agent  at 
several  places  on  the  Freeport  division.  Taking 
charge  at  Charter  Grove  in  December  1889 
he  remained  there  until  August  20,  1891,  when 
he  was  sent  to  Perryville,  where  he  remained 
until  March  24,  1893,  at  which  time  he  was 
transferred  to  his  present  position. 

Mr.  Watson  was  married  February  11,  1891, 
to  Miss  Nora  Dean,  of  Sycamore,  111.,  who  was 
born  August  4,  1867.  They  have  one  daughter,. 
Daphine,  born  January  6,  1896.  Our  subject 
joined  Cherry  Valley  Lodge,  No.  173,  A.  F.  and 
A.  M.,  in  January  1893,  taking  his  demit  to 
Hampshire  Lodge,  No.  443,  in  July  1899. 


JG.  CARNEY,  passenger  conductor  on 
the  Cedar  Rapids  branch  began  his 
Q  railroad  career  in  the  service  of  the 
Central  as  brakeman  at  Dubuque  in 
the  spring  of  1881.  Running  west  out  of  Dubu- 
que for  four  years  he  was  promoted  to  conduc- 
tor and  for  nearly  six  years  ran  freight  between 
the  river  and  Waterloo  or  Fort  Dodge.  After 
his  promotion  to  the  passenger  service  he  ran 
on  the  main  line  for  several  years  and  in  April 
1898  was  assigned  to  his  present  run  between 
Manchester  and  Cedar  Rapids.  Mr.  Carney 
comes  of  a  railroad  family.  His  brother  Frank, 
formerly  a  conductor  on  the  Central  is  now  hold- 
ing office  in  the  city  of  Dubuque;  another 
brother,  Michael,  is  employed  in  the  yards  of  the 


same  company,  in  the  same  city.  Their  fathe 
P.  A.  Carney  moved  from  the  Empire  state  t 
the  west  while  the  boys  were  quite  young. 

J.  15.  Carney  was  born  in  Montgomer 
county,  N.  Y.  He  was  married  in  Dubuque  i 
December  1877,  to  Miss  Minnie  Redman.  Thei 
children  are :  Lester,  Bessie,  Hazel  and  Hattii 
Mr.  Carney  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  6j 
O.  R.  C.,  of  Waterloo,  and  of  Howland  Lodg 
No.  274,  Ancient  Order  of  LTnited  Workmei 
also  of  Waterloo. 


JF.  DUNSMORE,  supervisor  of  watc 
supply  at  Waterloo,  la.,  is  a  native  c 
Q  Scotland,  his  birth  occurring  in  183* 
Coming  to  America  at  the  age  of  si> 
teen  he  worked  for  a  time  as  a  miner  and  as 
stationary  engineer.--  His  first  employment  wit 
the  Central  was  in  1858,  at  work  digging  a  tut 
nel  at  LaSalle  under  John  Newell  with  whom  li 
remained  five  years  constructing  water-work: 
For  two  years  Mr.  Dunsmore  served  as  superii 
tendent  of  a  mine  at  Peru,  111.,  and  then  re-er 
tered  the  service  of  the  Central  April  8,  186; 
on  the  water-works  at  LaSalle  and  for  five  year 
IK  had  charge  of  the  water  supply  between  Cer 
tralia  and  East  Dubuque.  In  1870  he  was  trans 
ferred  to  the  west  end  and  making  headquarter 
at  Waterloo,  had  charge  of  the  water  suppl 
between  Dubuque,  Fort  Dodge,  Lyle  and  Ceda 
Rapids.  He  has  a  thorough  knowledge  of  a 
that  pertains  to  water  supply,  and  his  long  ten 
of  continuous  service,  over  a  third  of  a  centur 
with  one  employer,  testifies  to  his  faithfulness  t 
the  duty  he  has  to  perform. 

Mr.  Dunsmore  was  married  at  LaSalle  t 
Miss  Catherine  McDonald  a  native  of  Syracus* 
\\-\v  York.  Of  the  six  children  born  to  ther 
the  following  is  the  record :  George,  served  a 
first  lieutenant  in  the  3rd  Kansas  Voluntee 
Regiment  through  the  Cuban  war ;  Charles. 
conductor  on  the  west  end,  makes  his  home  a 
Cherokee ;  John,  foreman  for  the  Bell  Telephon 


C.  W.  STEELMAN. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


573 


Company  at  Waterloo,  served  as  corporal  during 
the  Spanish  war ;  Mary,  wife  of  Edward  Croke, 
a  shoe  dealer  at  Waterloo;  Nettie,  money  order 
clerk  in  the  Waterloo  post  office;  Maggie,  the 
youngest,  residing  with  her  parents. 

Mr.  Dunsmore  is  a  member  of  the  Legion 
Q{  Honor  and  Rowland  Lodge  No.  274,  A.  O. 
U.  W.,  of  Waterloo. 


his  parents  to  Memphis,  Tenn.,  and  about  a  year 
later  moved  to  Humbolt,  Tenn.  The  father, 
Joseph  Steelman,  was  a  carriage  maker.  Our 
subject  was  married  in  Jackson  to  Miss  Maggie 
Shelton,  of  that  city,  and  of  the  three  children 
that  have  been  born  to  them,  only  one  is  now  liv- 
ing, Mabel  N.  Myrtle  B.  died  in  1892,  and 
Charles  B.  died  in  1895.  Socially  our  subject 
affiliates  with  Division  No.  93,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of 
Jackson,  Tenn. 


W.  STEELMAN,  engineer  at  Jack- 
son, Term.,  began  his  railroad  career 
'Q  June  22,  1882,  in  Jackson,  as  fire- 
man under  Thomas  Tate,  foreman. 
Soon  after,  however,  he  secured  a  position  as 
fireman  on  a  switch  engine,  worked  in  the  yards 
about  a  month,  and  was  then  given  a  regular  run 
on  engine  No.  296,  a  Rogers.  Six  months  later, 
or  in  February  1883,  he  severed  his  connection 
with  the  Illinois  Central  company,  and  for  the 
following  five  years  served  the  Mobile  &  Ohio 
Railroad  company  as  a  fireman.  In  1888  he 
returned  to  the  Illinois  Central  company  and 
worked  as  a  fireman  until  September  of  the  same 
year,  when  he  was  set  up  as  engineer.  After 
his  promotion  our  subject  was  transferred  to 
Water  Valley,  and  for  the  following  three 
months  ran  both  north  and  south  out  of  that  city, 
returned  to  Jackson  later,  and  accepted  a  run 
north  from  the  latter  city.  Mr.  Steelman's  first 
regular  engine  was  No.  754,  a  Weldon  mogul,  but 
after  having  control  of  it  about  nine  months  he 
was  set  back  to  extra  work  for  two  years. 
His  next  regular  machine  was  No.  616,  a  mogul 
consolidated  engine.  In  1892-93,  Mr.  Steelman 
worked  between  Jackson  and  Martin,  and  in 
1894  he  was  in  the  passenger  service  between 
Cairo  and  Fulton  for  a  short  time.  He  also 
served  in  the  chain  gang  prior  to  May  22,  1899, 
and  since  that  date  has  served  on  the  local  be- 
tween Jackson  and  Martin.  Mr.  Steelman  has 
never  been  injured  in  any  way  since  being  on 
the  road.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born 
in  Madison,  Ind.,  and  made  his  home  in  that 
place  until  six  years  of  age,  when  he  moved  with 


JF.  WHELAN,  conductor  residing  at 
Cedar  Rapids,  began  in  the  service  of 
O  Central  in  the  fall  of  1871  at  Water- 
loo, Iowa,  as  brakeman  between  that 
place  and  Dubuque.  Six  years  later  he  was 
promoted  and  ran  over  the  same  part  of  the 
line  until  resigning  to  enter  the  wholesale  grocery 
business  at  Dubuque.  In  1890  he  re-entered 
the  service  of  the  Central  with  a  run  between 
Dubuque  and  Fort  Dodge  which  he  held  eight 
years  and  was  then  assigned  his  present  run 
between  Manchester  and  Cedar  Rapids.  Mr. 
Whelan  was  born  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  a  son  of 
Daniel  and  Ella  (McGrath)  Whelan,  natives  of 
Ireland.  The  father  was  a  marble  cutter  by 
trade  but  entered  the  service  of  the  Central  and 
was  for  years  foreman  of  the  section  at  East 
Dubuque.  J.  F.,  our  subject  is  the  oldest  of 
the  family.  Of  his  pther  children  the  following 
is  the  record :  John,  a  contractor  of  Dubuque ; 
William,  a  grocer  of  Dubuque ;  Frank,  associated 
with  William ;  Thomas,  employed  in  a  coffee 
house  at  Chicago ;  Lawrence,  hardware  dealer 
in  Dubuque ;  Mary,  superior  of  a  convent  at 
Cedar  Rapids. 

J.  F.  Whelan  was  married  in  1880  to  Miss 
Kate  Kane,  of  Dubuque.  Their  children  are : 
Genevieve,  Mary,  Sadie,  Daniel  J.  and  Bernar- 
dine.  In  early  life  Mr.  Whelan  learned  the 
tinners  trade.  He  is  a  member  of  Waterloo 
Division  No.  67,  O.  R.  C.  Socially  he  affili- 
ates with  Central  Lodge  No.  185,  A.  O.  U.  W., 
of  Dubuque. 


574 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


JAMES  W.  McNAMARA,  an  engineer  in 
the  freight  service,  began  his  railroad 
career  on  the  Louisville  &  Nashville 
road  in  1881  as  fireman  and  later  se- 
cured employment  in  the  same  capacity  on  the 
Chesapeake,  Ohio  &  Southwestern,  now  a  part 
of  the  Illinois  Central,  firing  in  the  Louisville 
and  Paducah  run.  On  his  promotion  to  engi- 
neer in  1888  he  was  assigned  to  engine  No. 
550,  succeeded  by  other  engines  until  his  present 
assignment  was  made,  a  new  Brooks  engine 
No.  20  on  the  Memphis  run.  Mr.  McNamara 
has  always  taken  an  interest  in  younger  men 
working  to  better  themselves  and  has  turned 
out  a  number  of  fine  engineers  who  were  fire- 
men under  his  instruction.  Our  subject  was 
born  at  Clarksville,  Tenn.,  January  18,  1863. 
Of  his  marriage  to  Lona  T.  Smith  three  children 
were  born,  Neve,  Joel  and  Mary.  He  built  a 
comfortable  home  on  Ninth  street,  Paducah, 
where  a  hearty  hospitality  is  dispensed.  Mr. 
McNamara  has  made  his  own  way  in  life,  hav- 
ing started  out  when  a  youth  to  earn  his  own 
living.  He  drove  a  team  during  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Paducah  and  Elizabethtown  road  and 
later  worked  in  a  coal  mine.  Any  honest  work 
was  acceptable  to  him  in  his  earnest  endeavor 
to  get  along.  He  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
225,  B.  of  L.  E.,-of  Paducah. 


JOHN  E.   SHEGOG,  locomotive  engineer 
on  the  Louisville  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central,    began    railroading    when    only 
fourteen   years  of  age  as  a   pumper  at 
Water  Creek.     At  that  time  the  pump  was  run 
by  horse  power  but  was  afterwards  changed  to 
steam    power.     He    remained    here    two    years 
when  he  was  promoted  to  the  yards  at  Central 
City  in  the  train  service  and  as  hostler.     After 
working  in  this  capacity  for  two  years  he  began 
firing  with  engineer  Warren  Gray  and  fired  for 
various  engineers  up  to  1896,  when  he  was  pro- 
moted to  engineer  and  placed  in  charge  of  en- 


gine No.  282.  His  present  engine  is  No.  24, 
one  of  the  new  Brooks,  which  he  is  now  using 
011  local  freight.  Our  subject  has  never  been 
injured  but  had  a  narrow  escape  while  running 
a  fast  freight.  As  he  was  rounding  a  sharp 
curve  he  ran  into  a  train  with  no  flag  out,  de- 
molishing the  caboose  and  several  cars,  but  for- 
tunately no  one  was  injured.  Mr.  Shegog  was 
born  in  Hardin  county,  Ky.,  a  son  of  R.  W. 
Shegog,  who  is  now  connected  with  the  I.  C.  at 
Central  City.  Our  subject  is  a  member  of  Divi- 
sion No.  225,  B.  of  L.  E.  and  also  of  Division 
No.  239,  B.  of  L.  F.  He  is  one  of  the  youngest 
engineers  on  the  road. 


P.  McCORMICK,  engineer  at  Water- 
loo, Iowa,  began  working  for  the 
Illinois  Central  Company  at  Water- 
loo, November  25,  1881.  His  first 
work  was  that  of  fireman  on  a  switch  engine 
iu  the  Dubuque  yards,  where  he  spent  fifteen 
months  and  then  after  spending  fifteen  months 
with  Engineer  D.  H.  Knowlton  on  a  freight 
engine  on  the  main  line,  he  was  promoted,  Janu- 
ary 31,  1885,  and  took  charge  of  a  switch  engine 
in  the  Dubuque  yards.  Two  and  a  half  years 
later,  he  was  sent  to  Waterloo  where  he  was 
engaged  in  extra  road  service  until  1891. 
Since  this  date  he  has  had  a  regular  run  be- 
tween Waterloo  and  Dubuque.  Mr.  McCor- 
mick  is  a  native  of  Dubuque,  and  a  son  of  Henry 
and  Ella  P.  McConnick.  The  father  was  a 
contractor  and  teamster  by  occupation  during  his 
life,  but  died  in  1864,  leaving  a  family  of  four 
children,  as  follows :  John  J.,  deceased ;  J.  H., 
of  Dubuque;  Sarah  and  T.  P.,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  After  the  death  of  the  father,  the 
mother  was  married  to  Michael  Lavin. 

Our  subject  located  in  Waterloo,  Septem- 
ber 7,  1882.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Manic 
Whippo,  of  Galena,  111.,  and  they  have  become 
the  parents  of  a  family  of  four  children  upon 
whom  thev  have  seen  fit  to  bestow  the  follow- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


575 


ing  names :  Leslie  L.,  Irene  H.,  Harry  and 
Albert.  Mr.  McCormick  has  an  excellent  record 
on  the  Illinois  Central  Company's  books,  be- 
ing a  competent  workman  and  throughout,  his 
career  he  has  met  with  no  serious  accident. 
Socially  he  affiliates  with  Division  114,  B. 
of.  L.  E.  of  which  he  is  one  of  the  most  zealous 
members.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Howland 
Lodge  No.  274,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  of  Waterloo. 


E.  HARVEY,  a  popular  young  con- 
ductor on  the  Louisville  division  of 
Q  the  Illinois  Central,  began  his  rail- 
road career  in  1889  on  the  Richmond 
&  Danville  railroad  as  a  flagman,  and  received 
his  promotion  to  conductor  in  1892.  He  re- 
mained with  the  R.  &  D.  Railroad  until  1898, 
when  he  came  to  Paducah  and  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Illinois  Central  as  a  conductor  in 
the  through  freight  service.  His  crew  consists 
of  B.  Britton  and  James  Price.  He  has  been 
fourtunate  in  having  no  accidents  or  injuries 
during  his  railroading.  Our  subject  was  born 
in  Virginia  and  is  a  son  of  G.  E.  Harvey,  a 
farmer.  He  has  a  brother  who  is  a  passenger 
conductor  in  the  service  of  the  Southern  Rail- 
road. Mr.  Harvey  is  a  member  of  Division 
No  279,  O.  R.  C,  of  Water  Valley,  and  is  also 
a  member  of  Danville  Lodge  No.  162,  K.  of  P. 
He  makes  his  home  at  1006  Jefferson  street, 
Paducah,  Ky. 


JS.  FULMER,  a  conductor  at  McComb 
City,  was  born  at  Bowling  Green,  Ky., 
Q    February  11,  1872.     His  father,  Jacob 
Fulmer,    residing   at   Tomotla,    N.    C., 
was  for  years  in  the  employ  of  the  I.  C.  between 
Cairo  and   Jackson,    Tenn.        The   mother   died 
when  J.  S.  was  only  three  years  old.     Mr.  Ful- 
mer   was   educated    in   the   schools   of   Jackson, 


Tenn.,  and  Asheville,  N.  C.  He  began  his  railroad 
career  on  the  Western  North  Carolina  road  in 
1889  as  call  boy  and  later  worked  six  months 
in  the  machine  shops.  After  firing  an  engine 
three  and  a  half  years  he  went  to  Birmingham, 
Ala.,  and  secured  a  position  on  the  Georgia 
Pacific  as  brakeman  running  on  that  line  during 
1893  and  '94.  In  that  year  he  was  promoted  to 
a  conductorship  and  continued  at  that  until  he 
resigned  in  1898.  May  24th  of  that  year  he 
entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  as 
brakeman  and  served  in  that  capacity  until  his 
promotion  June  26,  1899,  to  through  freight  run 
on  a  caboose  No.  98,640. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Fulmer  occurred  at 
Birmingham,  Ala.,  to  a  daughter  of  Mr.  J.  L. 
Lee  of  Helena,  Ala.  One  daughter  has  been 
born  to  them,  Helen  Louise. 

Mr.  Fulmer  was  severely  injured  at  Bloss- 
burg,  Ala.,  by  being  crushed  between  a  car  and 
a  wall.  His  recovery  has  been  complete.  He 
was  for  four  and  a  half  years  a  member  of  the 
P.,  of  L.  F. 


JT.  COULTER,  freight  conductor  on  the 
Aberdeen  division,  is  an  native  of 
Q  Kansas  City  whence  his  parents  moved 
to  Tennessee  while  the  boy  was  quite 
small.  The  father  is  at  present  in  the  grocery 
business  at  Martin,  Tennessee ;  the  mother  is  de- 
ceased. Our  subject  was  educated  in  McKensit 
college  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  secured  a  place 
in  the  dry  goods  store  of  Abe  Ruble  &  Com- 
pany, at  Aberdeen,  and  remained  in  their  em- 
ploy four  years.  In  1895  he  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Illinois  Central  as  brakeman  running 
out  of  Aberdeen  with  Conductor  Stacey.  Next 
he  ran  baggage  for  six  months  and  then  was 
assigned  as  brakeman  on  the  local  freight  until 
May  21,  1898,  when  he  was  promoted  and  now 
has  a  freight  run  on  the  Aberdeen  division. 
His  caboose  is  No.  98,611.  Mr.  Coulter  was 
seriously  injured  in  1896  by  jumping  to  the 


576 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ground  in  a  wreck.     He  also  sustained  injuries 
in  another  wreck  in  going  over  a  trestle. 

Mr.  Coulter  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
304,  O.  R.  C.  and  also  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
of  Aberdeen. 


O.  BUTLER,  a  conductor  on  the 
Aberdeen  division,  was  born  in 
Q  the  state  of  Mississippi.  His 
father,  M.  R.  Butler,  was  one  of 
the  leading  attorneys  at  Starkville,  Miss.,  for  a 
period  of  fifteen  years  and  for  twelve  years  of 
that  time  served  his  county  as  prosecuting  at- 
torney. His  death  occurred  December  15,  1891. 
The  mother  is  living  and  is  a  resident  of  Stark- 
ville. W.  O.  Butler  attended  the  Starkville 
Academy  and  when  of  suitable  age  secured  a 
place  as  brakeman  on  the  Central.  After  serv- 
ing duly  in  that  capacity  he  was  examined  and 
promoted  May  7,  1898,  and  assigned  to  duty  on 
the  work  train. 

Mr.  Butler  was  married  at  Starkville  to 
Miss  Maude  Staunton  to  whom  one  child  has 
been  born.  Mr.  Butler  is  a  member  of  Division 
No.  304,  O.  R.  C.,  of  Canton.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  affiliating 
with  the  lodge  at  Durant  where  he  resides. 


W.  KNIGHT,  station  agent  for  the 
Illinois  Central  at  Dyersville,  Iowa, 
LQ  has  been  in  the  service  of  the  com- 
pany since  the  spring  of  1887,  when 
he  opened  the  station  at  Cheltenham  Beach  on 
the  completion  of  the  South  Chicago  branch. 
He  was  soon  after  given  appointment  at 
Madison,  Wis.,  where  he  remained  but  a  short 
time  before  he  was  transferred  to  Alden,  Iowa, 
and  then  to  Manchester  and  Storm  Lake,  Iowa, 
followed  by  Galena,  111.,  and  in  the  fall  of  1889 
he  was  transferred  to  Dyersville,  as  operator, 


and  five  years  later  was  made  station  agent  at 
that  place  which  position  he  has  since  credit- 
ably filled.  Mr.  Knight  is  a  native  of  Fairport, 
N.  Y.,  and  is  a  son  of  Edward  and  Elizabeth 
Knight,  natives  of  London,  England,  who  came 
to  America  with  their  parents  in  childhood. 
They  settled  in  Laporte  county,  Indiana,  on  a 
farm.  Both  are  now  deceased.  Until  the  local 
lodge  became  extinct  Mr.  Knight  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 


J.  PATZEN,  general  foreman  of  the 
freight  house  at  East  St.  Louis,  be- 
Q  gan  railroading  in  1875  at  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.,  on  the  New  York,  Lake  Erie 
&  Western,  now  the  Erie  line,  in  the  lake  freight 
department.  Some  four  months  later  he  was 
given  a  more  responsible  position  and  in  less  than 
a  year  was  made  tally-man,  or  as  it  is  now  known, 
check  clerk.  A  year  later  he  was  given  full 
charge  of  the  down  freight,  employing  about 
twenty  men.  For  seven  years  he  held  this  posi- 
tion, hiring  and  discharging  the  men  under  his 
charge.  Resigning  he  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Lehigh  Coal  and  Iron  Company  at  West  Su- 
perior, Wis.,  as  foreman  and  weigher,  and  time- 
keeper for  a  gang  of  135  men,  retaining  that 
position  until  the  spring  of  1887,  when  he  re- 
signed and  went  into  the  employ  of  the  Western 
Minnesota  road  at  the  same  place,  first  as  check 
clerk  and  later  as  foreman  over  200  men  load- 
ing and  unloading  vessels  during  the  naviga- 
tion season.  During  the  winter  he  had  charge 
of  the  flour  warehouses.  He  was  thus  employed 
until  1889  when  he  was  appointed  assistant  coun- 
ty clerk  of  Douglas  county  for  a  term  of 
two  years.  Three  months  later  he  resigned  to 
accept  a  position  in  the  public  works  department 
of  the  city  government.  A  change  of  admini- 
stration caused  the  loss  of  his  place  so  he  re- 
turned to  the  Western  Minnesota  road  in  his 
old  position  where  he  remained  until  the  spring  of 
1891  when  he  resigned.  Coming  to  Chicago  he 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


579 


secured  a  position  in  the  freight  house  of  the 
Illinois  Central  where  in  time  he  was  promoted 
to  a  foremanship  which  he  held  until  transferred 
to  East  St.  Louis,  November  15,  1896  as  general 
foreman  of  the  warehouse  and  yards.  Mr. 
Patzen  was  born  at  Buffalo,  New  York,  in  1861. 
lie  married  Miss  Mary  Schneller  who  is  the 
mother  of  one  child  Arthur  J. 

Mr.  Patzen  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen,  the  National  Union 
and  the  Railway  and  Telegraphers'  Political 
League  of  Illinois,  of  which  he  was  a  delegate 
to  the  convention  held  in  1899  at  Chicago. 


25,  1887,  and  ran  extra  freight  engine  until  April 
'88  when  he  was  transferred  to  Centralia,  remain- 
ing there  a  month,  then  to  Champaign,  where 
he  remained  until  the  middle  of  August  '88,  then 
to  Chicago  division,  running  between  Champaign 
and  Oilman  six  weeks,  and  then  back  to  his  old 
place  .where  he  has  continued  up  to  the  present 
time.  During  the  summer  of  '93,  he  had  engine 
No.  1329;  was  then  given  No.  305.  After  that 
he  had  No.  962  in  the  through  passenger  service, 
between  Chicago  and  Champaign,  for  ten  months. 
His  present  engine  is  No.  461  in  the  freight  ser- 
vice between  Chicago  and  Kankakee. 

Mr.  Barker  married  Mrs.  Maggie  Smythe, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Maggie  Rudowsky,  of 
Omaha.  He  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  10, 
B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Burnside. 


E.  BARKER,  who  stands  among 
the  best  known  boys  on  the  road, 
Q  is  a  native  of  Lexington,  Mo.,  was 
raised  in  Lexington,  111.,  and  re- 
moved to  Chicago  Sept.  10,  1880.  His  service 
with  the  Illinois  Central  began  Jan.  I,  1882,  as 
fireman  in  the  yards  at  Randolph  street,  on  en- 
gine No.  209,  with  Engineer  John  Wanzer. 
Thomas  Ames  was  also  one  of  his  engineers.  At 
the  end  of  six  months  he  went  into  the  surbur-- 
ban  service  with  Conrad  Englebrect,  on  No.  223, 
and  fired  for  him  six  months.  Then  for  a  year 
and  eight  months  was  firing  for  Chas.  Draper 
on  No.  34,  in  the  passenger  service,  on  the  Chi- 
cago division,  then  on  through  freight  with 
Richard  jOrmsby,  three  months,»on  No.  243,  and 
then  with  H.  L.  Seaver  on  No.  200  for  three 
months.  In  August  1885  he  was  examined, 
and  the  following  September  began  running. 
.His  first  day  was  on  switch  engine  No.  74  in  the 
Randolph  street  yards,  and  continued  on  that 
engine  about  one  month.  After  running  No. 
249  at  night  for  a  month,  he  took  No.  62,  now 
No.  216,  in  the  suburban  service  for  nine  months. 
His  next  step  was  into  freight  service  on  the 
Chicago  division,  on  No.  402,  which  he  had  three 
months.  Owing  to  an  accident  he  was  laid  off 
Sept.  10,  1887;  he  began  again  at  Waterloo,  Dec. 


L.  CROSSETT,  a  locomotive  engi- 
neer, began  railroading  August  16, 
1891,  on  the  Illinois  Central  as  a  fire- 
man on  the  Chicago  division  in  yard 
service  for  M.  J.  Huber,  and  continued  there 
about  nine  months,  when  he  was  put  on  the 
through  freight  and  fired  for  Frank  Bellows, 
continuing  until  the  spring  of  1893,  when  he  went 
on  through  passenger  to  Champaign  firing  for 
James  Moran,  and  Larry  Burns,  the  latter  most 
of  the  time;  remaining  there  until  December  i, 
and  then  went  back  on  the  freight  until  January 
1896,  when  he  was  examined  and  promoted  to 
engineer  and  ran  extra  and  fired  until  August, 
when  he  got  switch  engine  No.  104  in  the  Fordam 
yards.  He  now  runs  engine  No.  305  in  the 
freight  service.  During  his  railroad  career  of 
nine  years,  he  has  never  been  injured.  Mr  Cros- 
sett  married  Miss  Anna  Cawrey,  and  they  have 
become  the  parents  of  three  children. 


580 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


F.  WELDON,  engineer  at  Jackson, 
Tenn.,  began  railroading  on  the  Chi- 
cago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  road  at 
Aurora,  111.,  in  1880  as  fireman. 
After  five  years  on  the  left  side  he  was  examined 
and  set  up  to  engineer  running  on  all  of  the 
divisions  east  of  the  Mississippi  river.  He  had 
previously  served  as  engineer,  but  owing  {p 
slack  times  was  set  back  to  firing.  In  1888  he 
resigned  and  in  November  of  that  year  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  and  was  sent 
tc  Water  Valley,  Miss.,  and  soon  after  to  Jack- 
son, Tenn.,  running  north  from  that  point.  The 
first  regular  engine  to  which  he  was  assigned 
was  No.  327,  followed  by  614.  After  handling 
various  engines  he  was  given  No.  621,  his 
present  charge. 

Mr.  Weldon  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
93,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Jackson.  His  first  member- 
ship was  in  No.  32,  of  Aurora,  which  he  joined 
soon  after  his  promotion  to  the  right  side  of 
the  cab.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Jackson 
Lodge  of  Elks,  No.  192,  and  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  of  the  same  place. 


A.  CLARKE  the  ranking  engineer  at 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  has  been  in  railroad 
Q  service  for  over  thirty-five  years,  hav- 
ing begun  as  an  apprentice  in  the 
shops  of  the  Western  &  Atlantic  Railroad  at 
Atlanta,  Georgia.  After  four  years  in  the  shops 
he  was  sent  out  over  the  line,  and  in  1869  was 
given  a  regular  run  between  Atlanta  and  Chat- 
tanooga, where  he  remained  until  the  fall  of 
1875.  September  i2th  of  that  year  he  came  to 
Jackson  and  entered  the  service  of  the  New  Or- 
leans, St.  Louis  &  Chicago  which  was  later 
known  as  the  Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans 
prior  to  its  becoming  a  part  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral system,  and  was  promoted  to  the  passenger 
service  July  4,  1880.  His  first  work  under  the 
new  management  was  on  January  1st  running 
between  Jackson  and  East  Cairo  and  later  in  the 


freight  service  between  Cairo  and  Fillmore,  K\ . 
He  was  also  employed  on  construction,  laying 
track,  and  ran  the  first  engine  on  the  incline  be- 
tween East  Cairo  and  Grand  Junction  when  tin- 
bridge  was  built.  Mr.  Clarke  is  a  native  of  Chat- 
tehoochee,  Florida.  His  marriage  occurred  in 
1879,  Miss  Emily  Lee,  of  the  Cherokee  Nation 
becoming  his  bride.  They  are  the  parents  of  five 
daughters,  as  follows :  Mary,  Sarah,  Lucy,  Addie 
and  Emily.  Walter,  a  twin  of  Lucy,  died  in 
1891.  Mr.  Clarke  has  experienced  the  excite- 
ment of  a  hold-up  by  train  robbers,  the  incident 
having  occurred  in  1892  at  Bradwell,  Ky.,  when 
three  bandits  secured  some  two  thousand  dol- 
lars from  the  passengers  who  escaped  personal 
violence.  The  only  serious  injury  received  by 
Mr.  Clarke  during  his  railroad  career  was  at 
Sharon,  Tenn.,  where  his  left  shoulder  was 
severely  injured  retiring  him  from  service  some 
two  months. 

Prominent  in  the  B.  of  L.  E.,  Mr.  Clarke 
has  been  connected  with  this  order  since  March 
1871,  and  is  now  filling  the  office  of  third  engi- 
neer in  Division  No.  93  at  Jackson.  He  is  on 
the  board  of  adjustment  at  present  having  filled 
other  offices  during  the  many  years  of  his  mem- 
bership. He  is  a  member  of  Madison  Lodge 
No.  16,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Lodge  No.  192,  B.  P.  O.  E., 
the  A.  O.  U.  W.  and  the  Knights  of  Honor,  all 
of  Jackson.  He  has  never  been  the  cause  of 
injury  to  a  passenger,  nor  suffered  an  hour's 
suspension  for  neglect  of  duty. 


JC.     STALEY,     engineer    at     Jackson, 
Tenn.,  struck  his  first  lick  in  railroad 
Q    work  during  the   fall   of    1888   in   the 
shops    of    the    Colorado    Midland,    at 
Colorado    City,    and    nineteen    months    later    he 
began   shovelling   coal    on   a    run    between    that 
point  and  Leadville.       He  was  in  this   service 
until   December   1894.     In   the   fall   of   1895   he 
came  to  Jackson  and  secured  a  situation  as  fire- 
man on  the  Central  running  north   from  Jack- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


581 


s  HI.  August  28th,  1890,,  he  was  examined 
;uiil  promoted,  his  first  run  being  between 
Jackson  and  Martin.  He  is  now  on  the  extra 
list  awaiting  his  turn  for  a  regular  run.  Mr. 
Staley  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  N.  C.,  but 
was  reared  in  Cass  county,  Missouri.  He  was 
married  at  Fulton,  Ky.,  to  Miss  Adaline  Collins 
of  that  place.  One  son  has  been  born  to  them, 
I  >uvid  Leroy.  Mr.  Staley  is  a  member  of  Divi- 
sion No.  20,  B.  of  L.  F.,  of  Jackson. 


'Wilson. 


EORGE  E.  THOMPSON,  a  well 
known  engineer  on  the  Omaha  divi- 
sion entered  the  service  of  the  Cen- 
tral in  1887,  across  the  cab  from  Sam 
In  his  freight  service  on  the  road  he 
was  for  four  years  under  the  instruction  of  John 
H.  Fox  and  he  fired  in  the  passenger  service 
two  years  under  D.  J.  Culton.  Returning  to 
the  freight  service,  he  was  shortly  after  ex- 
amined October  28,  1895,  and  set  up  as  engi- 
neer. Making  Cherokee,  Iowa,  his  home,  Mr. 
Thompson  was  engaged  at  that  end  of  the  linei 
until  1900  excepting  two  winters  he  was  assigned 
to  duty  in  the  south  with  headquarters  at  Vicks- 
bnrg,  Miss.  On  January  26,  1900,  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Omaha  division  moving  his  family 
to  Fort  Dodge  the  summer  following  and  is 
now  making  that  city  his  home.  Mr.  Thompson 
was  born  at  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  February  13, 
1860,  during  one  of  the  many  migrations  of  the 
family  across  the  plains,  and  during  his  child- 
hood crossed  the  continent  three  times  and  made 
two  trips  by  water,  once  coming  around  by  way 
of  Cape  Horn.  His  father,  James  Thompson, 
was  a  Forty-niner  and  became  heavily  interested 
in  mines  in  the  west.  The  grandfather,  James 
Thompson, "Sr.,  was  an  old  Scotchman  very  much 
set  in  his  ways  and  when  he  was  denied  the  privi- 
lege of  taking  some  of  his  unnecessary  belong- 
ings in  the  wagon,  he  bought  a  wheel-barrow  and 
trudged  after  the  ox  team  all  the  way  from 
\\  aterloo,  Wisconsin,  to  their  destination  in 


Nevada.  Our  subject  secured  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  Wisconsin  which  was  the  home  of 
the  family  when  not  in  the  west  or  crossing  the 
plains.  His  marriage  occurred  in  August  1889 
at  Cherokee,  Iowa,  to  Miss  Dora  P.  Ruge, 
daughter  of  Joachim  Rnge,  of  Aurelia,  Iowa. 
Four  children  have  been  oorn  to  them,  Francis, 
Lindsey,  Imo  and  Clare. 

Mr.  Thompson  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
226,  R.  of  L.  E.,  at  Fort  Dodge,  and  of  Lodge 
No.  197,  A.  O.  U.  W.  and  Tent  No.  27,  K.  O. 
T.  M. 


JOHN  MULVOY,  supervisor  of  bridges 
and  buildings  on  the  New  Orleans  divi- 
sion, is  a  native  of  Wheeling,  West  Va., 
born  Oct.  17,  1859.  The  father,  Mar- 
tin Mulvoy,  a  stone  mason,  died  about  1879,  the 
mother,  in  maidenhood  Miss  Margaret  Mc- 
Darrah,  is  now  a  resident  of  Jackson,  Tennessee. 
Mr.  Mulvoy  attended  the  public  schools  of  Nash- 
ville, Tenn.,  and  vicinity  whither  the  family  had 
moved  during  his  childhood:  In  1872  the 
family  moved  to  Jackson  and  the  following  year 
the  boy  entered  the  service  of  the  Mississippi 
Central,  now  the  Illinois  Central,  as  waterboy 
serving  the  track  layers.  The  next  year  lie 
worked  as  laborer  on  a  bridge  gang  between 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  Cairo,  111.,  occupying  the 
space  of  a  year.  During  the  year  of  1875  he 
served  as  engineer  on  the  pile  driver  operating 
at  East  Cairo,  111.,  and  Birds  Point,  Mo.  The 
year  1876  was  spent  on  the  various  sections  of 
that  division  and  in  1877  he  became  a  member  of 
the  bridge  and  building  department  and  re- 
mained in  that  service  about  six  years.  On 
January  i,  1883,  Mr.  Mulvoy  entered  the  service 
of  the  Cotton  Belt  Line  as  bridge  carpenter  and 
remained  in  the  service  nine  months  when  he 
returned  to  his  former  employers  on  the  Can- 
ton, Aberdeen  and  Nashville  division  as  build- 
ing carpenter.  November  i,  1884  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  main  line  as  engineer  on  the  pile 
driver  and  assistant  bridge  foreman.  He  later 


582 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


resigned  and  entered  the  service  of  the  L.  N. 
().  &  T.,  now  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  road,  in  the 
capacity  of  conductor  and  foreman  of  bridge 
train,  working  between  New  Orleans  and  Vicks- 
burg  until  July  i,  1889,  when  he  returned  to 
the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  on  the  Missis- 
sippi division  in  the  same  capacity  until  Septem- 
ber 15,  1896,  the  date  of  his  appointment  to 
road  supervisor  of  the  Cairo  district  with  head- 
quarters at  Fulton,  Ky.  February  15,  1899,  he 
was  transferred  to  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  as  supervi- 
sor of  bridges  and  buildings  of  the  New  Orleans 
division.  His  jurisdiction  embraces  235  miles 
on  the  main  line  and  ninety-eight  miles  in  the 
Natchez  district,  and  forty-two  miles  of  the 
Woodville  branch  and  eight  miles  of  the  Clinton 
branch  in  all  383  miles. 

On  October  26,  1881,  Mr.  Mulvoy  was 
married  to  Miss  Ella  Roach,  of  Ballard  county, 
Ky.,  who  was  born  at  Lincoln,  111.  The  chil- 
dren born  to  them  are  as  follows :  Martin,  de- 
ceased ;  Stella,  William  Hi,  John  Floyd,  Mary 
and  Marjorie. 

Mr.  Mulvoy  is  a  member  of  the  Jackson 
Lodge,  No.  13,  Knights  of  Pythias  and  of  the 
Knights  of  Honor  of  the  same  city.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Catholic  church  and  in  politics 
is  a  Democrat. 


D.  KELLY,  one  of  the  younger  en- 
gineers, was  born  in  Grundy  coun- 
LQ  ty,  Tennessee,  June  22,  1868,  a  son 
of  John  Kelly  who  in  his  lifetime 
was  a  blacksmith  of  that  county.  Our  subject 
began  his  service  on  the  Central  in  1887,  firing 
under  the  instruction  of  James  Wamble,  working 
in  the  yards  most  of  the  time.  In  1891  he  was 
examined  and  promoted  to  engineer  and  was 
given  a  run  out  on  the  line  as  extra  engineer. 
In  1893  he  was  dismissed  from  the  service,  with 
thirteen  others,  on  account  of  slack  work.  Dur- 
ing that  time  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Queen 
&  Crescent,  the  old  Cincinnati  Southern.  He  was 
reinstated  and  is  in  the  general  service  as  engi- 


neer of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  Mr.  Kelly  was  married 
in  Somerset,  Kentucky,  Miss  Mattie  Elliott  be- 
ing his  helpmate.  They  now  reside  at  348  Iowa 
avenue,  Memphis,  Tenn.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  Lodge  No.  in,  at  Somerset,  Kentucky, 
and  of  the  P>rotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers, 
Division  No.  218  at  Vicksburg. 


LISHA  B.  RUSSELL,  trainmaster  at 
Jackson,  Tennessee,  has  filled  that 
position  since  the  spring  of  1900. 
He  began  railroading  at  the  age  of 
twelve,  in  the  offices  at  Jackson  under  his  brother, 
Charles  F.  Russell,  who  was  agent  there  and  who 
died  while  on  duty,  during  an  epidemic  of  yel- 
low fever.  Mr.  Russell  of  this  sketch  learned 
telegraphy  and  was  sent  to  Canton  as  clerk  in 
the  offices  there.  Later  he  was  appointed  agent 
and  served  in  that  capacity  until  1898  when  he 
was  transferred  to  Fulton,  succeeding  Mr.  A.  L. 
Foster  and  remained  until  appointed  to  his 
present  position. 

Mr.  Russell,  a  native  of  Jackson,  Miss.,  born 
in  August  1873,  is  married  and  is  the  father  of 
seven  children.  He  is  a  member  of  several 
fraternal  orders  and  a  general  favorite  with  his 
fellow  townsmen. 


,  ETER  O'ROURKE,  a  conductor  on  the 
Amboy  division,  was  born  at  Amboy, 
July  29,  1874,  a  son  of  Patrick  and 
Katherine  (Lutrell)  O'Rourke,  na- 
tives of  Ireland  who  emigrated  to  America  prior 
to  their  marriage  and  settled  at  Amboy.  Two 
sons  and  four  daughters  were  born  to  them, 
all  of  whom  are  living.  Peter  O'Rourke  at- 
tended the  public  schools  of  Amboy  and  when 
old  enough  to  work  acted  as  his  father's  helper 
at  the  masons  trade.  He  was  then  engaged  in 
the  oil  business  until  July  29,  1893,  when  he 


GEORGE   LEMON. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


585 


entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  as 
brakeman  on  the  Anihoy  division  and  continued 
at  that  work  until  November  21,  1897  the  date 
of  his  promotion  and  since  that  time  he  has  been 
in  the  freight  service. 

Mr.  O'Rourke  was  married  June  21,  1899 
to  Miss  Katherine  La  veil  of  Amboy,  who  comes 
of  a  railroad  family,  a  number  of  brothers  hav- 
ing been  in  the  employ  of  the  Central. 


EORGE  LEMON,  a  prominent  and 
wealthy  citizen  of  Jackson,  Mississip- 
pi, now  living  a  retired  life  in  that 
city,  is  a  former  employe  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  well  known  to  all  old  railroad  men. 
Mr.  Lemon  was  .born  in  Belfast,  Ireland,  on 
March  29,  1830,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and  Mary 
Lemon.  Mr.  Lemon  -Sr.  was  a  rope-maker  by 
trade,  following  that  occupation  in  his  native1 
country.  He  was  a  resident  of  Jackson,  for  a 
long  time,  and  departed  this  life  at  the  home  of 
his  son,  in  that  city,  having  reached  the  age  of 
eighty-seven  years. 

George  Lemon  was  but  sixteen  years  old, 
when  his  parents  came  to  America,  and  on  arriv- 
ing, at  once  secured  employment  in  the  Long 
Island  rope  factories,  where  he  remained  until 
January  1853.  Going  to  New  Orleans  in  that 
year,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  old  Opelousas 
Railroad,  and  after  working  there  for  some 
time,  as  fireman,  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
and  was  in  the  service  of  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi 
R.  R.  (now  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio)  as  fireman 
and  conductor,  respectively,  in  the  freight  and 
construction  departments.  He  then  went  to  the 
Iron  Mountain  R.  R.  working  there  for  a  time, 
as  baggagemaster,  and  later  as  conductor,  in  the 
passenger  service.  Retiring  from  that  company, 
lie  returned  to  the  Opelousas  road,  at  New  Or- 
leans, but  was  there  but  a  short  time. 

The  Illinois  Central,  then  known  as  the  New 
Orleans,  Jackson  &  Great  Northern,  was  his  next 
objective  point,  and  T.  S.  Williams,  then  Super- 
intendent of  the  Louisiana  division,  appointed 


him  yardmaster  at  New  Orleans,  which  position 
he  filled  until  1862.  He  was  in  that  year,  trans- 
ferred to  Jackson,  Mississippi,  as  yardmaster, 
and  held  the  appointment  until  1865,  when  he 
retired  from  the  service  to  engage  in  the  general 
merchandising  business.  From  1865  to  1890,  he 
was  thus  engaged,  and  in  the  latter  year  retired 
to  private  life,  on  a  well  earned  competency.  Mr. 
Lemon  married  Miss  Ann  Kirkpatrick  of  Olney, 
Illinois,  and  there  has  been  born  to  them  a  family 
of  seven  children :  Mary,  wife  of  G.  Lewis,  a 
merchant  of  Jackson,  also  supervisor;  William 
and  George,  deceased ;  George  William,  who  re- 
sides in  Chicago,  and  is  in  the  wholesale  grocery 
business ;  James  K.,  a  commercial  traveler  resid- 
ing at  Memphis,  Term. ;  Elizabeth  J.,  wife  of 
L.  E.  Sugg.,  a  messenger  in  the  service  of  the 
American  Express  company,  and  Annie  Kirk- 
patrick, who  lives  at  home  with  her  parents. 
In  1899  Mr.  Lemon  started  a  nephew  in 
the  business  of  manufacturing  brick  in  Jackson, 
Miss.,  in  which  he  is  a  silent  partner,  and  up  to 
the  present  time  they  have  turned  out  about  a 
million  of  brick.  Mr.  Lemon  belongs  to  the 
Knights  of  Honor,  and  is  a  Mason  of  high  stand- 
ing. He  takes  an  active  interest  in  politics,  be- 
ing a  staunch  Democrat.  The  esteem  in  which 
he  is  held  by  his  fellow  citizens  is  testified  to 
by  the  fact  that  he  was  for  eleven  years  elected 
alderman  of  the  city.  He  held  the  position  of 
notary  for  a  long  time,  and  declined  reappoint- 
ment.  He  is  a  director  of  the  Jackson  bank, 
one  of  the  solid  institutions  of  the  state.  Mr. 
Lemon  resides  with  his  family  in  a  spacious 
home  in  West  Jackson,  where  he  is  highly  re- 
spected, and  the  measure  of  his  influence  can 
hardly  be  estimated. 


ILLIAM  M.  SCOTT,  one  of  the 
conductors  of  the  Springfield  divi- 
sion living  at  Clinton,  111.,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Plainfield,  Will  county,  Illi- 
nois born  September  6,  1866.  He  attended  the 
public  schools  until  the  usual  age  for  boys  to 
begin  doing  for  themselves  and  until  twenty- 


586 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


three  years  of  age  was  engaged  in  various  kinds 
of  employment  his  hands  found  to  do. 

He  entered  railroad  service  as  brakeman  on 
the  Springfield  division  in  August  1889,  and  for 
five  years  was  thus  employed  gaining  the  ex- 
perience necessary  to  the  duties  of  conductorship 
to  which  he  was  promoted  in  1894.  Since  that 
date  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  freight  service 
and  at  present  is  running  between  Chicago  and 
Springfield. 

Mr.  Scott  was  married  in  April  1890  and 
is  the  father  of  a  daughter.  He  is  a  member  of 
State  Center  Lodge  No.  41,  Brotherhood  of 
Railway  Trainmen. 


transferred  to  the  Louisiana  division  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  with  headquarters  at  McComb  City. 

Mr.  Love  was  born  at  Columbia,  S.  C, 
November  13,  1865,  a  son  of  William  E.  Love 
a  planter  and  stock  raiser  now  residing  in  Boul- 
ton,  Texas 

Mr.  Love,  of  this  sketch  is  a  member  of  the 
McComb  City  division  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, also  affiliating  with  lodge  No.  402,  of 
Houston,  Texas. 


JC.  LOVE,  an  engineer  on  the  southern 
end  of  the  Illinois  Central  has  been  but 
O  a  short  time  with  this  road  although  he 
is  an  old  railroad  man.  He  began  his 
railroad  career  in  the  service  of  the  Santa  Fe 
road  in  the  Topeka  shops  -from  which  he  went 
into  the  train  service  on  the  left  side  of  the  cab 
running  between  Wellington,  Kan.,  and  Pan 
Handle  City,  Texas,  remaining  one  and  a  half 
years.  Joining  the  forces  of  the  Fort  Worth 
and  Denver  road  he  was  engaged  some  eighteen 
months  in  the  shops  and  firing.  His  next  em- 
ployment was  at  San  Antonio,  Texas,  on  the 
Southern  Pacific,  where  he  began  as  fireman  and 
was  set  up  November  13,  1890.  Until  1897  he 
ran  in  the  freight  service  of  that  road,  leaving 
to  accept  a  position  at  Albuquerque,  N.  M.,  on 
the  Santa  Fe  Pacific  for  which  he  had  been  work- 
ing about  four  months  when  he  quit  railroading 
to  become  one  of  a  company  that  intended  to 
mine  for  gold  in  the  Klondike  country.  Pro- 
ceeding as  far  as  the  Canadian  Northwest  the 
company  disbanded  and  Mr.  Love  returned 
to  the  States  and  secured  a  place  as  engineer 
on  the  A.  &  V.  road  at  New  Orleans  and  a  few 
months  later  entered  the  service  of  the  Y.  &  M. 
V.  road  at  Vicksburg,  and  in  November  was 


ILLIAM  E.  FARNUM,  conductor 
on  the  Central  living  at  Freeport,  is 
a  native  of  Fulton,  Illinois,  born 
June  10,  1868.  He  is  a  son  of 
James  and  Bridget  (Kane)  Farnum,  the  latter 
of  whom  died  in  1896.  The  father,  a  native  of 
Ireland  lived  for  a  time  at  Kingston,  New  York, 
removing  thence  to  Fulton, "111.,  and  from  there 
to  Freeport,  where  he  is  in  the  employ  of  the 
Central  as  car  repairer.  Thirteen  children  were 
born  to  them  of  whom  six  are  deceased.  The 
living  are :  Mary,  wife  of  Patrick  Burns,  George 
W.,  a  conductor  on  the  Central ;  Elizabeth,  wife 
of  John  Smith ;  James  H.,  a  brakeman  on  the 
Central ;  Annie,  wife  of  John  Coleman ;  William 
E.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Mr.  Farnum  was  educated  in  St.  Mary's 
parochial  school  in  Freeport,  and  at  the  age  of 
fourteen  began  working  for  the  Central  in  the 
Freeport  yards.  Two  years  later  he  secured 
a  place  in  the  train  service  braking  until  1888 
when  he  was  promoted  and  has  since  been  run- 
ning freight  and  mixed  trains. 

October  31,  1896,  Mr.  Farnum  was  married 
in  Freeport  to  Miss  Catharine  Cahill  who  was 
born  February  16,  1868  and  died  November  2, 
1897. 

Mr.  Farnum  is  a  member  of  the  Order  of 
Railway  Conductors,  is  a  Catholic  in  religion 
and  in  politics  is  a  Democrat, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


587 


H.  DAVIS,  an  engineer  living  at 
Freeport,  is  a  native  of  McDonough 
Q  county,  Illinois,  born  December  14, 
1857.  He  is  a  son  of  William  and 
Susan  (Wolgamot)  Davis,  the  latter  of  whom 
died  in  1896.  The  father,  now  living  retired  in 
Freeport,  was  for  many  years  a  prominent  citi- 
zen of  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  serving  as 
assessor  thirteen  years  and  three  years  as  tax 
collector. 

Our  subject  attended  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  county  working  on  his  father's  farm 
until  attaining  his  majority,  when  he  began 
farming  for  himself  and  continued-  at  that  oc- 
cupation until  1890  the  date  of  his  entrance  into 
railroad  work.  Securing  a  place  as  fireman  on 
the  Freeport  division  under  Engineer  Ingraham, 
he  occupied  the  left  side  of  the  cab  until  Febru- 
ary 27,  1896,  the  date  of  his  promotion  after  a 
severe  examination.  His  first  trip  on  the  right 
side  was  on  engine  No.  486,  and  he  has  since  his 
promotion  been  running  regularly  on  the  Free- 
port  division. 

February  13,  1887,  Mr.  Davis  was  married 
to  Miss  Emma  E.  Smith  of  Chicago,  a  native  of 
the  vicinity  of  Marshall,  Michigan.  One  child 
has  been  born  to  them  Mary  Estelle,  whose 
birthday  is  November  4,  1896. 

Mr.  Davis  is  a  member  of  Division  No.  27, 
B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Freeport. 


J.  HUBER,  an  engineer  in  the  yard 
service,  entered  railroad  service  in 
LQ  the  Weldon  shops  of  the  Illinois 
Central  in  1883,  in  the  machinery 
department,  working  there  a  year  and  a  half, 
firing  extra  in  the  yards  when  his  services  were 
necessary.  Becoming  a  regular  fireman,  after 
a  week  on  a  switch  engine,  he  was  assigned  to 
the  ca'b  of  No.  226,  under  Engineer  John  Glover, 
in  the  suburban  service.  A  year  later  he  was 
sent  over  the  line  on  the  Chicago  division  in  the 
freight  service,  under  Frank  Sweeney  and  Dennis 


Kennedy  and  later  with  A.  Sanderson,  on  engine 
No.  185  in  the  passenger  service.  In  1888  Mr. 
Huber  was  examined  and  set  up  to  engineer  and 
assigned  to  the  yard  service,  first  on  engine  No. 
24  and  at  present  on  No.  112  running  between 
Fordham  and  Blue  Island.  Mr.  Huber  was 
never  injured  in  a  wreck,  but  being  mistaken  for 
an  engineer  who  had  been  instrumental  in  the 
death  of  an  Italian  water  boy  was  assaulted  and 
knocked  down  with  a  rock  which  retired  him 
from  business  three  weeks. 

Mr.  Huber  was  born  at  Coopers  Grove. 
A  brother,  Albert  Huber,  is  in  the  employ  of  the 
Central  working  nights  at  the  round  house.  The 
marriage  of  Mr.  Huber  occurred  at  Chicago, 
Miss  Minnie  Morray  becoming  his  bride.  Three 
children  have  been  born  to  them :  Willard,  Alfred 
and  Marvin. 


JOB  RANDALL,  an  engineer  on  the  Louis- 
ville division,  is  a  descendant  of  old 
colonial  stock  that  first  landed  in  this 
country  in  the  Mayflower.  A  great 
uncle  was  an  officer  in  the  Revoluntionary  war 
and  has  handed  down  in  the  family  to  our  sub- 
ject, a  sword  he  captured  in  a  personal  encounter 
at  the  battle  of  Long  Island  with  an  officer  of 
General  Howe's  army.  The  grand  father  was 
a  sea  captain  owning  a  line  of  vessels  running 
out  of  Providence,  and  served  for  a  time  as 
internal  collector  at  the  port  of  New  York.  He 
died  in  Ohio  at  the  house  of  his  son  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  ninety-two.  Mr.  Randall  the 
father  of  our  subject  came  to  Athens  county, 
Ohio,  in  1837  where  his  family  was  reared.  The 
family  belonged  to  the  nobility  and  in  old  Eng- 
land whence  they  came  were  granted  a  coat  of 
arms  as  far  back  as  1 527. 

Job  Randall  was  born  in  Athens  county, 
Ohio,  and  there  grew  to  manhood.  He  began  his 
railroad  career  on  the  P.  F.  W.  C.  road  as  brake- 
man  and  later  was  employed  on  the  B.  O.  &  S.  W. 
in  1871.  He  secured-  a  place  as  fireman  on  the 
road  where  he  first  began  and  later  on  the  Grand 


588 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Rapids  &  Indiana  line,  a  part  of  the  Pennsylva- 
nia system  where  he  was  soon  promoted  and  was 
employed  about  seven  years.  His  services  were 
secured  by  the  Monon  route  on  which  he  pulled 
the  fast  passenger  train.  In  1883  Mr.  Randall 
resigned  his  position  and  coming  south  of  the 
Ohio  river  with  Master  Mechanic  McDaniels, 
and  was  given  a  run  out  of  Paducah.  At  present 
he  has  one  of  the  choicest  runs  between  Paducah 
and  Memphis. 

Mr.  Randall  married  Miss  Goodes  of  Michi- 
gan. Their  two  sons,  Charles  B.  and  Job,  Jr., 
are  in  the  service  of  the  Central. 

In  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engi- 
neers Mr.  Randall  holds  a  prominent  place  hav- 
ing filled  all  of  the  official  chairs  and  is  at  present 
chairman  of  the  Local  Adjustment  Board,  and 
was  on  the  legislative  board  four  years.  He  is 
well  up  in  masonry,  being  a  member  of  lodge 
No.  449,  Chapter  No.  30  and  Commandery  No. 
n,  of  Paducah.  He  has  always  taken  a  great 
interest  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  city  where  he 
lives  and  is  a  prominent  shareholder  in  a  build- 
ing and  loan  association.  He  assisted  in  rais- 
ing $140,000  to  encourage  new  enterprises  to 
come  to  the  city.  He  materially  assisted  in  se- 
curing funds  to  build  a  $75,000  Methodist  church 
of  which  he  is  steward. 

When  a  boy  he  raised  garden  truck  to  secure 
money  to  pay  for  his  education  at  the  Ohio  LTni- 
versity  and  assisted  through  the  same  institution 
his  younger  brother,  now  an  employe  on  the  Illi- 
nois Central.  Mr.  Randall  is  president  of  the 
State  Political  League  and  has  refused  the  nomi- 
nation of  his  party  for  representative  in  the  legis- 
lature. 


DWARD  A.  WRIGHT,  prominent  lo- 
comotive  engineer  in  the  employ  of 
the  Illinois  Central,  started  in  the 
shops  at  Chicago  to  learn  the  trade, 
in  October  1884,  and  worked  there  one  year  and 
a  half  when  he  began  firing  as  extra,  on  engine 
No.  39,  for  Engineer  Steward  Hazlett;  later  on 
engine  No.  34  with  Frank  Rugg;  also  fired  in 


the  suburban  service  for  Engineer  Roley  Roger- 
son  for  a  year  and  a  half,  and  then  in  August 
1890,  took  charge  as  engineer  (car  works)  of 
engine  No.  17,  but  at  the  end  of  one  week  went 
into  the  road  service  on  engine  No.  330,  his 
present  engine.  With  the  exception  of  two  years 
in  the  suburban  service,  he  has  since  had  a  run 
between  Chicago  and  Champaign.  He  has  been 
in  several  small  wrecks  and  was  badly  scalded 
in  one  of  them. 

Mr.  Wright  was  born  July  28,  1865,  at 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  a  son  of  Edward  H.,  and 
Elizabeth  (Everly)  Wright,  the  latter  of  whom 
is  deceased  while  the  father  resides  in  Burnside. 
Mr.  Wright  was  married  December  n,  1888, 
to  Miss  Mabel  Clark,  a  native  of  McLean  coun- 
ty, 111.,  and  a  daughter  of  John  W.  and  Ella 
(Evans)  Clark,  both  of  whom  reside  with  our 
subject.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wright  have  two  daugh- 
ters, Nettie  May  and  Dottie  Elizabeth.  The 
family  reside  at  No.  1707  Eighty-ninth  place, 
Chicago. 

Socially  our  subject  is  identified  with  Divi- 
sion No.  10.  B.  of  L.  E.,  of  Burnside. 


ILLIAM  J.  HARAHAN,  superin- 
tendent of  the  Louisville  division, 
has  demonstrated  by  his  rapid  rise 
in  railway  management  his  fitness 
for  executive  positions.  Born  at  Nashville, 
Tennessee,  December  22,  1867,  he  attended  the 
schools  of  his  native  place  and  later  at  New 
Orleans,  an  excellent  technical  school,  fitting 
himself  properly  in  the  ground-work  of  a  suc- 
cessful railroad  career.  He  first  entered  rail- 
way service  as  clerk  and  messenger  in  the  super- 
intendent's office  of -the  Louisville  &  Nashville 
road  at  New  Orleans  for  some  three  years  and 
then  entered  the  shops  as  an  apprentice,  learning 
the  construction  of  locomotives  and  cars.  For 
two  years  he  served  in  the  engineering  depart- 
ment beginning  at  the  lowest  and  finally  had 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


591 


charge  of  the  surveying  force  laying  out  a  line 
of  road.  During  1889  and  '90  Mr.  Harahan 
'  held  the  position  of  engineer  of  maintenance  of 
way  on  the  Cincinnati  division  of  the  Chesapeake 
&  Ohio  and  from  that  date  until  1892  was  in 
charge  of  structures  for  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio 
Southwestern.  Severing  his  connection  with 
that  road  Mr.  Harahan  entered  the  service  of  the 
Illinois  Central  March  1892  as  road  and  train- 
master of  the  Pontiac  district  and  remained  in 
that  position  until  April  1895.  From  April  to 
October  of  that  year  he  served  as  assistant  super- 
intendent of  the  Freeport  division  and  as  super- 
intendent until  transferred  to  the  Louisville  divi- 
sion August  i,  1896,  where  he  has  since  been 
employed. 

He  was  married  June  10,  1890  to  Miss  Susan 
M.  Smith  at  Nashville,  Tennessee,  and  has  five 
children. 


T.  MORGAN,  a  conductor  in  the 
freight  service  of  the  111.  Central, 
in  the  Grenada  district,  on  the 
Memphis  division,  was  born  at  Red 
River,  Tenn.,  on  December  20,  1860.  Richard 
Morgan,  his  father,  now  retired,  and  residing 
at  Earlington,  Ky.,  was  a  section  foreman  and 
supervisor  in  the  employ  of  the  Louisville  & 
Nashville  R.  R.  A  brother  of  our  subject, 
Richard  Morgan  Jr.,  is  a  trainmaster  in  the  I. 
C.  service  at  Memphis,  Tenn.  M.  T.  Morgan 
was  educated  in  a  private  school  at  Guthrie, 
Ky.,  and  in  1878,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years, 
went  to  the  service  of  the  St.  Louis  &  South- 
eastern R.  R.  (now  the  L.  &  N.)  as  flagman, 
for  his  brother  Richard,  who  was  then  a  conduc- 
tor on  that  road  between  St.  Louis  and  Evans- 
ville,  Ind.  He  was  at  that  time  the  youngest 
man  holding  such  a  position  on  the  road.  After 
serving  there  eight  months,  he  went  with  Conduc- 
tor Willis,  in  a  similar  capacity,  where  he  was 
for  five  months.  Going  to  Pueblo,  Colo.,  he  be- 
came flagman  on  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  R. 
R.,  between  Pueblo  and  Salida,  and  later  took 


charge  of  a  steam  shovel,  having  three  engines, 
and  engaged  in  filling  the  Pueblo  yards.  Re- 
turning to  Earlington,  Ky.,  on  a  visit,  he  decided 
to  remain,  and  entered  the  service  of  the  Ohio 
Valley  R.  R.  as  conductor,  between  Henderson 
and  Princeton,  Ky.,  remaining  nine  months  in 
that  position.  His  next  work  was  as  night  yard- 
master  for  the  L.  &  N.  Railroad  at  Earlington, 
where  he  served  five  months.  He  then  went  to 
Idaho,  where  he  worked  for  nine  months  as  con- 
ductor, on  the  Short  Line  of  the  Union  Pacific 
R.  R.,  and  from  there  to  Needles,  Cal.,  where 
he  worked  as  flagman  and  conductor  on  the  At- 
lantjc  &  Pacific  R.  R.  for  nine  months.  A  visit 
of  some  months  to  his  Kentucky  home,  was  fol- 
lowed by  his  return  to  California  and  his  old  posi- 
tion. He  finally  returned  east,  and  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Chesapeake,  Ohio  &  Southwestern 
(now  the  Illinois  Central)  and  took  a  position 
as  conductor  between  Louisville  and  Paducah. 
remaining  there  five  years.  He  was  then  trans- 
ferred to  the  Grenada  district,  where  he  is  em- 
ployed at  the  present  time.  Mr.  Morgan  was 
united  in  marriage  on  Oct.  6,  1897,  to  Miss  Ella 
Conley,  who  was  born  in  1870,  at  Kelly's  Station, 
Ky.  Socially,  he  is  connected  with  the  O.  R. 
C.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Catholic 
church.  Politically  he  is  a  staunch  Democrat. 


JOHN  H.  LANE,  an  engineer  in  the  freight 
service  of  the   Illinois   Central,   residing 
at  Vickburg,  Miss.,  was  born  in  New  Or- 
leans, La.,  and  is  the  son  of  Enos  T. 
Lane,  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  who  departed  this 
life  in  1878. 

Mr.  Lane  entered  the  service  of  the  Louis- 
ville, New  Orleans  &  Texas  Railroad  in  1887,  as 
a  wiper  in  the  New  Orleans  shops,  and  was  there 
for  two  years.  He  then  entered  the  road  service 
as  fireman,  on  a  freight  engine  between  New  Or- 
leans and  Wilson,  La.,  with  Engineer  Christmas. 
Serving  in  the  capacity  of  fireman  until  Septem- 
ber 1894,  he  was  then  examined  for  promotion, 


592 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


and  passing  a  highly  creditable  examination,  was 
given  charge  of  an  engine.  He  has  since  had 
a  regular  run  in  the  freight  service  between 
Vicksburg  and  New  Orleans,  where  he  is  serving 
with  great  credit.  Mr.  Lane  was  in  a  "tail  end'' 
collision  near  the  Mississippi  and  Louisiana  state 
line,  on  August  9,  1899,  in  which  the  conductor 
was  badly  injured,  but  he  escaped  injury.  Miss 
Jane  Kennedy  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Lane,  and 
one  child,  Anna,  was  born  to  them  on  March  12, 
1897.  Mr.  Lane  belongs  to  Division  No.  281, 
B.  of  L.  E.,  and  also  Division  No.  399,  B.  of  L. 
F.,  of  Vicksburg.  He  resides  in  that  city,  on 
South  Mulberry  street,  where  he  is  comfortably 
located,  and  is  a  respected  citizen  of  the  place. 


tion  April  i,  1900,  having  charge  of  all  the  bag- 
gage coming  into  or  going  out  of  the  Union 
Station  at  Sioux  City. 

Mr.  Swartwood  was  married  at  Silver 
Creek,  Nevada,  in  1879,  to  Miss  Martha  Yeo- 
man. Their  children  are :  Homer  Owens,  Beu- 
lah  Annetto  and  William  Ray. 

Mr.  Swartwood  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fratenity,  Lone  Tree  Lodge  No.  36,  at  Central 
City,  Nebraska  and  of  Utah  Chapter,  No.  4  and 
of  the  Royal  Arcanum,  all  of  Salt  Lake  City. 


UGH  C.  SWARTWOOD,  baggage 
agent  at  Sioux  City,  is  a  native  of 
Wheeling,  West  Virginia,  born  Janu- 
ary 16,  1857.  After  passing  through 
the  public  schools,  he  attended  the  Normal 
school,  at  Spencer,  Indiana,  and  the  State 
University  of  the  same  state.  After  teaching 
two  terms  in  Indiana  and  four  in  Nebraska, 
he  began  railroading  at  Evanston,  Wyoming, 
on  the  Union  Pacific  as  brakeman  and  was  pro- 
moted to  be  extra  conductor.  November  1887 
he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  baggage  car  run- 
ning between  Ogden  and  Cheyenne,  and  between 
the  former  point  and  Denver  until  August  1890. 
Placed  in  charge  of  the  baggage  room  at 
Cheyenne  he  remained  on  duty  there  nearly  two 
years.  When  the  Ogden  Short  Line  was  separ- 
ated from  the  Union  Pacific,  Mr.  Swartwood 
was  transferred  to  the  station  at  Salt  Lake  and 
remained  until  March  1897,  when  he  was  ap- 
]x)inted  baggage  agent  of  the  Ogden  and  Salt 
Lake  road.  In  September  1898  he  resigned  to 
enter  actively  into  mining  industries  in  which  he 
had  investments  but  of  which  he  shortly  dis- 
posed. Securing  a  position  on  the  Kansas  City 
Belt  Line  in  February  1899,  he  remained  in  that 
service  until  his  appointment  to  his  present  posi- 


JOHN  ADOLPH  ANDERSON,  foreman 
painter  at  the  Waterloo  shops  is  a  native 
of  Stockholm,  Sweden,  his  birth  having 
occurred  August  9,  1853.  At  the  age  of 
sixteen  he  came  alone  to  the  new  world,  sailing 
from  Stockholm  and  landing  at  New  York.  He 
came  direct  to  Chicago  and  soon  secured  a  place 
in  a  large  carriage  shop  where  he  learned  the 
painters'  trade  and  worked  six  years.  In  1875 
he  secured  employment  with  the  Illinois  Central 
at  the  Weldon  shops  and  in  1880  was  trans- 
ferred to  Waterloo  where  he  remained  about  one 
year.  For  the  following  five  years  he  was  em- 
ployed in  the  shops  of  the  C.  St.  P.  M.  &  O.  at 
Sioux  City  and  in  1886  returned  to  the  service 
of  the  Central  at  Waterloo  and  has  been  in  its 
employ  ever  since.  On  the  death  of  Mr.  Turner 
in  April  1900,  Mr.  Anderson  was  acting  foreman 
until  June  following,  when  he  was  regularly  ap- 
pointed foreman  of  the  paint  department  at  the 
shops  there. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  married  in  Waterloo,  to 
Miss  Carrie  Adrian,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
one  daughter,  Lillie. 

In  the  fatherland  Mr.  Anderson  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  athletic  and  singing  societies  but  has 
not  affiliated  with  any  lodge  or  society  since 
coming  to  America. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


593 


ILLIAM  A.  HEATH,  freight  agent 
at  Sioux  City,  was  born  in  the  town 
of  Grattan,  in  Vermont,  September 
1 6,  1852.  He  was  reared  on  the 
farm,  attending  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
count}-.  Coming  west  he  secured  a  place  as  clerk 
and  night  ticket  agent  at  Waterloo  and  was  later 
made  regular  ticket  agent.  In  October  1887  he 
was  transferred  to  Sioux  City  as  cashier  in  the 
offices  serving  eleven  years  as  cashier  and  chief 
clerk.  He  was  appointed  depot  ticket  agent  serv- 
ing nineteen  months  and  was  then  appointed 
April  I,  1900  to  his  present  position,  having 
charge  of  all  in  and  out  freight. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Heath  occurred  at 
Osage,  Iowa,  to  Miss  Jane  E.  Hilton.  In  the 
social  orders  Mr.  Heath  has  taken  a  great  in- 
terest. He  is  a  member  of  Theron  Lodge,  No. 
508,  Sioux  City  Chapter,  No.  26,  and  Colum- 
bian Commandery  No.  18,  all  of  Sioux  City,  and 
of  Kaaba  Temple,  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  of 
Davenport.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
( )nler  of  United  Workmen  and  of  the  Woodmen 
of  the  World,  of  Sioux  City. 


HARLES  E.  ROBERTS,  a  conductor 
in  the  suburban  service  at  Chicago, 
began  his  railroad  life  in  December 
.1874,  as  a  fireman  in  the  freight  ser- 
vice of  the  Michigan  Central  running  between 
Chicago  and  Michigan  City,  Indiana.  After  one 
year  in  this  service  he  fired  a  yard  engine  two 
years  and  then  at  the  age  of  eighteen  was  made 
engineer  and  ran  a  switch  engine  some  six  years, 
resigning  the  position  in  December  1882.  In 
the  summer  of  the  following  year  he  secured  a 
place  on  the  Chicago  &  Alton  running  six  months 
as  extra  engineer.  Early  in  1883  he  entered  the 
service  of  the  Illinois  Central  and  after  one  week 
as  fireman  was  transferred  to  the  other  end  of  the 
train  and  became  brakeman  in  the  suburban  ser- 
vice with  Conductor  Ed.  Collins.  Serving  in 


this  capacity  for  a  year  and  a  half,  he  was  pro- 
moted and  served  as  baggageman  and  collector 
for  four  years  under  Conductor  Loomis.  On 
August  12,  1890,  Mr.  Roberts  was  promoted  and 
has  been  serving  as  suburban  conductor  ever 
since.  During  1894  he  ran  the  fast  express  to 
Grand  Crossing  making  ten  trips  a  day. 

Mr.  Roberts  is  a  native  of  Kankakee,  Illi- 
nois. He  married  Miss  Lydia  Benjamin,  a  na- 
tive of  Canada,  but  reared  at  Kankakee.  One 
child  has  been  born  to  them. 


AMUEL  B.  CHAPMAN,  an  engineer 
on  the  Omaha  division,  has  been  an 
employe  of  the  Illinois  Central  since 
September  1877.  For  seven  years 
prior  to  that  he  had  been  mate  on  a  river  steamer 
plying  between  St.  Louis  and  St.  Paul.  On  en- 
tering the  service  of  the  Central  he  served  as 
fireman  across  the  cab  from  John  Fox  until 
January  23,  1893,  when  he  was  promoted  and 
assigned  to  extra  duty  on  the  Cherokee  division. 
When  the  new  division  to  Omaha  was  opened 
Mr.  Chapman  was  one  of  those  selected  to 
operate  that  division  and  moved  to  Council 
Bluffs. 

Mr.  Chapman  was  born  in  Jo  Daviess  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  March  31,  1865.  His  father  worked 
at  the  painter's  trade  for  many  years  and  latterly 
became  proprietor  of  the  Chapman  house  at 
Cherokee. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Chapman  to  Miss 
Angia  M.  Butts  occurred  at  Cherokee  and  four 
children  have  been  born  to  them :  Maria,  Edna, 
Arthur  and  John. 

Mr.  Chapman  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
226,  B.  of  L.  E.  at  Fort  Dodge  and  of  the  A. 
O.  U.  W.,  at  Waterloo.  He  affiliates  with  the 
Masonic  Order,  at  Cherokee.  In  a  number  of 
small  wrecks  through  which  he  has  passed  he 
has  never  received  serious  injury. 


594 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


K.  CLARK,  an  engineer  on  the 
Omaha  division,  entered  the  ser- 
Q  vice  of  the  Illinois  Central,  at 
Waterloo,  on  September  6,  1887, 
as  fireman  on  the  main  line  making  his  first  trip 
with  engineer  Charles  Wahl  and  later  ran  with 
L.  Smith  on  passenger  engines  two  years.  He 
fired  four  years  in  the  freight  service  under  J. 
T.  Mulkern.  He  was  regularly  examined  and 
set  up  as  engineer' in  1895,  but  continued  on  the 
left  side  for  a  time  owing  to  slack  business  on  the 
road.  After  running  extra  for  a  time  out  of 
Waterloo,  he  was  given  a  regular  run  in  Septem- 
ber 1898.  When  the  new  division  was  opened 
he  was  assigned  a  run  on  that  and  moved  with 
his  family  to  Council  Bluffs. 

Mr.  Clark  was  born  at  Cedar  Falls,  la.,  a 
son  of  George  W.  and  Fannie  F.  (Streeter) 
Clark,  natives  of  Rochester  and  Phelps,  N.  Y., 
respectively.  They  settled  at  Cedar  Falls  in 
1845,  running  a  dray  line  for  a  time  and  later 
bought  a  farm.  In  1894  he  again  purchased  the 
dray  line  and  is  now  engaged  in  that  business. 
Prior  to  entering  the  railway  service  Mr.  Clark 
was  engaged  in  the  dray  business  at  Waterloo. 

His  marriage  occurred  at  Waterloo.  He  is 
a  member  of  Cedar  Valley  Lodge  No.  30,  B.  of 
R.  T.,  at  Waterloo,  and  Lodge  No.  274  Ancient 
<  Irder  of  United  Workmen. 


jtjtjtjtjtjt 


ETER  SCHLAX,  a  suburban  engineer, 
has  been  in  the  service  of  the  Central 
since  1884,  when  he  entered  the  Wei- 
don  shops.  Remaining  but  a  few 
months  he  began  firing  on  the  road  in  the  freight 
service  for  \V.  H.  Kempton,  remaining  under 
his  instruction  two  and  a  half  years  during  which 
time  they  ran  over  every  division  of  the  Central 
north  of  the  Ohio  river.  In  1887  he  received 
his  promotion  and  after  a  few  months  firing  on 
the  pay  car  under  Mr.  Kempton,  our  subject 
was  assigned  to  engine  No.  79  in  the  transfer 
service  and  a  few  weeks  later  was  assigned  to 


the  freight  service  for  a  few  tri]>  and  then 
placed  permanently  in  the  suburban  s-vice  where 
he  has  since  been  engaged,  his  pr«;nt  engine 
being  No.  221.  Mr.  Schlax  is  a  nave  of  lias- 
sett,  Wis.,  and  has  been  a  resident  >f  Chicago 
since  1884.  He  married  Miss  K;i  Burke  to 
whom  one  child  has  been  born,  F  rants. 

.Mr.  Schlax  is  a  prominent  meiber  of  the 
B.  of  L.  E.,  and  is  at  present  chiei  if  Divi>inn 
No.  10,  of  Chicago. 


ERXARD  CURRAX,  an  ngineer  in 
the  yard  service  of  the  llinois  Cen- 
tral at  Chicago  first  ented  the  ser- 
vice of  the  road  at  the  \Mdon  shops 
working  a  short  time  during  i879and  '80,  he 
next  secured  work  with  the  Iron  Mimtain  road 
running  between  Poplar  Bluff,  Mo  and  Little 
Rock,  Ark.  Having  injured  his  had  he  came 
home  and  in  1883  secured  work  oithe  section 
of  the  Illinois  Central,  continuing ii  this  capa- 
city until  1886,  when  he  began  ring  under  J. 
E.  Poole.  For  five  years  he  shoaled  coal  in 
the  freight  and  passenger  service  md  in  1891 
was  set  up  to  engineer  and  has  sice  been  en- 
gaged in  the  yard  service  at  Chicav 

James  Curran,  the  father  ofour  subject 
worked  for  many  years  on  the  sectin  at  Clifton 
and  he  had  been  foreman  for  a  lop  time,  when 
he  retired. 

Mr.  Curran  was  born  in  Chic?o  December 
30,  1858.  He  was  married  in  Clrago  to  Miss 
Ann  Keleher  who  has  borne  him  ,-ne  daughter, 
Margaret. 


LBERT  E.  SINCLAIR,    freight  con- 
ductor in  the   McComl  district,   was 
born  at  DeKalb,  Kemperounty.  .Y 
November  3,   1875,  an<  attended  the 
schools  of  his  native  place  until  thage  of  twelve 
when  his  father  moved  to  Meridiaj Miss.     Here 
the  bov   attended  a  business  collfe  two  years 


HENRY  H.  BEALS. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


597 


and  then  at  the  age  of  fifteen  secured  a  situation 
driving'  in  the  service  of  the  Meridian  Street 
Railway  Company  where  he  was  employed  two 
years.  Having  conceived  a  desire  for  railroad- 
ing he  came  to  McComb  City  and  secured  a  place 
in  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  as  switch- 
man, and  four  months  later  was  transferred  to 
the  train  service  as  brakeman  at  which  he  was 
employed  until  his  promotion  to  freight  concluc- 
lorship  October  10,  1895,  by  Trainmaster  R.  H. 
Dvvyer,  and  has  since  run  freight  between  Mc- 
Comb City  and  New  Orleans. 

Mr.  Sinclair  is  married,  having  a  family  of 
two  children.  He  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
367.  O.  R-  C.,  at  McComb  City  and  of  Dewey 
Tent,  Xo.  i,  Knights  of  the  Maccabees. 


ENRY  H.  BEALS,  one  of  the  early  con- 
ductors of  the  Illinois  Central,  will  be 
remembered  with  pleasure  by  those 
who  were  actively  connected  with  the 
road  forty  years  ago.  Like  many  of  the  early 
operatives  on  western  lines,  Mr.  Beals  came  from 
the  New  England  states,  where  he  grew  to  man- 
hood. Descended  from  old  Puritan  stock,  the 
family  has  held  an  honorable  position  in  the  east 
from  about  the  time  of  the  landing  of  the  May- 
flower, filling  offices  of  honor  and  trust  through- 
out the  eastern  states. 

Henry  H.  Beals  was  born  February  6,  1834, 
at  Brattleboro,  Vt.,  where  he  was  reared,  attend- 
ing the  common  schools  until  about  the  age  of 
twenty.  About  1854,  he  followed  the  tide  of 
emigration  of  the  energetic  youth  that  set  out 
for  the  great  and  growing  west  about  that  time. 
Sojourning  for  a  time  at  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.,  he 
later  appeared  at  Freeport,  111.,  and  upon  the 
opening  of  the  Illinois  Central  for  traffic  his  alert, 
active  nature  was  all  the  recommendation  needed 
to  secure  him  a  position  in  the  operating  depart- 
ment of  the  road.  Serving  a  short  time  as  brake- 
man, he  was  soon  promoted  and  became  a  conduc- 

32 


tor  in  the  freight  service  several  years  before 
the  war.  The  conflict  of  the  states  increasing 
the  passenger  traffic  to  a  great  extent,  carrying 
the  troops  to  and  from  the  theatre  of  war,  pro- 
motion to  the  passenger  service  followed  soon. 
From  that  time  until  shortly  before  his  death, 
Mr.  Beals  was  in  active  service,  running  between 
Amboy  and  Dubuque  and  between  the  latter  point 
and  Chicago,  over  the  "Q"  connection  before  their 
own  line  was  built.  Shortly  before  his  death 
which  occurred  in  Waterloo,  la.,  March  15,  1884, 
he  retired,  making  his  home  with  his  daughter. 
His  good  wife,  who  was  Lydia  Reed  in  her  girl- 
hood, survived  him  two  years,  leaving  an  only 
child,  Katie  A.,  now  the  wife  of  Mr.  C.  K.  Dixon, 
division  superintendent  of  the  I.  C.  at  Cherokee, 
Iowa. 

As  a  man  Henry  H.  Beals  was  well  beloved 
by  all  his  colleagues.  The  few  old  timers  still 
remaining  who  were  young  and  active  in  the  days 
when  the  great  Illinois  Central  system  was  new, 
speak  of  him  affectionately,  recounting  his  vir- 
tues and  telling  of  his  genial  nature.  Few  are 
left  of  the  old  coterie,  but  there  are  enough  to 
convey  to  the  rising  generation  a  knowledge  of 
what  manner  of  men  and  gentlemen  the  older 
generation  was  composed. 


AMUEL  T.  POWLES,  a  conductor  in 
the  suburban  service,  first  entered  rail- 
road service  in  1869,  on  the  Chicago 
&  Alton  road  at  Joliet,  when  the  coal 
fields  at  that  point  were  just  opened.  He  twisted 
brakes  in  the  freight  service  for  three  years  and 
then  was  promoted  to  a  conductorship  and  as- 
signed to  a  coal  train  by  J.  G.  Hartigan,  then 
chief  train  dispatcher  on  that  line.  For  about 
three  years  Mr.  Powles  ran  coal  trains  between 
Braidwood  and  Chicago  and  was  then  assigned 
to  through  freight  running  out  of  Blootnington, 
to  Chicago,  St.  Louis  and  Mexico,  Mo.  Pro- 
moted to  the  passenger  service  he  ran  for  twelve 
years  between  Chicago  and  St.  Louis,  and  then 


598 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


resigned  to  accept  a  similar  position  on  the  Wa- 
bash,  between  Springfield  and  Grafton,  remain- 
ing one  year.  His  next  employment  was  on  the 
Texas  Pacific  running  out  of  Texarkana  and  a 
year  later  entered  the  employ  of  the  Mexican 
Central  at  the  City  of  Mexico  as  freight  and  pas- 
senger conductor  continuing  in  that  country 
about  a  year.  Deciding  to  quit  railroading  he 
returned  to  Joliet  and  opened  a  livery  stable 
which  he  disposed  of  a  year  later  and  accepted  a 
place  on  the  Colorado  Midland  running  freight 
between  Colorado  Springs  and  Leadville.  In 
about  six  months  he  was  promoted  to  the  pas- 
senger service  between  Colorado  Springs  and 
Grand  Junction  where  he  continued  until  Sep- 
tember i,  1891,  on  which  date  he  entered  the 
service  of  the  Illinois  Central.  His  first  assign- 
ment was  as  conductor  on  a  construction  train 
filling  in  the  yards  at  Dauphin  Park.  For  a 
month  he  was  foreman  on  construction  work  in 
the  yards  and  was  then  promoted  to  night  train- 
master of  the  terminals  which  he  held  until  Sep- 
tember 1893,  when  he  was  assigned  to  his  present 
position  in  the  suburban  service. 

Mr.  Powles  was  born  at  Akron,  Ohio.  He 
married  Miss  Downey  of  Joliet.  He  is  a  char- 
ter member  of  Division  No.  87,  O.  R.  C.,  of 
Bloomington. 


F.  POMEROY,  was  born  in  Hancock 
county,  Illinois,  in  1855.  From 
newsboy  to  passenger  conductor  is 
the  record  our  subject  has,  as  in  1871 
he  began  on  the  Rock  Island  in  that  capacity, 
first  running  from  Bureau  Junction  to  Rock  Is- 
land and  later  from  Chicago  to  different  points. 
In  1875  he  began  braking  on  the  same  road  be- 
tween Trenton,  Mo.,  and  Leavenworth,  Kansas, 
and  continued  until  December  1877,  when  he 
came  back  to  Chicago  and  in  the  spring  of  1878 
began  braking  in  the  freight  service  of  the  same 
road  and  continued  in  that  and  passenger  service 
until  1882.  Then  he  accepted  a  position  with 
the  Pullman  Company  and  remained  in  that  ser- 


vice until  July  1885.  On  July  12,  1885,  he  be- 
came brakeman  in  the  suburban  service  of  the 
Illinois  Central  with  Conductor  John  Stone  and 
remained  there  until  May  1886,  when  he  was  pro- 
moted to  baggageman  and  ran  the  baggage  until 
the  spring  of  1889,  being  then  promotd  to  collec- 
tor and  extra  conductor  and  continued  until  the 
spring  of  1892,  when  he  was  given  a  regular  run 
which  he  retained  until  April  8,  1896,  being  then 
promoted  to  assistant  station  master  at  Twelfth 
street,  Chicago.  He  remained  there  until  April 
8,  1899,  at  which  time  he  resigned  to  accept  his 
former  position  of  passenger  conductor  in  subur- 
ban service,  being  engaged  in  that  capacity  at  the 
present  time. 

The  subject  is  a  member  of  the  Division  No. 
I,  O.  R.  C.,  and  was  formerly  a  member  of  the 
grievance  committee. 

He  married  Miss  Sadie  E.  Smith,  of  Moline, 
111. 


,  ODNEY  DWIGHT  DAVIS.  The  em- 
ployes of  the  entire  Illinois  Central 
will  recognize  the  name  that  heads  this 
article,  since  its  bearer  has  for  many 
years  performed  the  duties  of  traveling  engineer, 
and  in  the  pursuit  of  these  duties,  travels  over 
the  entire  line  each  year.  When  in  Chicago,  he 
makes  his  headquarters  at  the  Twenty-seventh 
street  round  house. 

Mr.  Davis  learned  engineering  on  the  Hou- 
satonic  Railroad,  at  Bridgeport.  Later  he  came 
west  and  secured  a  position  on  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral Railroad,  and  irom  1863  to  '65,  ran  a  freight 
engine,  and  from  1865  until  1889,  had  a  passen- 
ger run  with  the  exception  of  about  ten  months, 
five  months  of  which  in  1888,  were  spent  as  pas- 
senger conductor  from  Freeport  to  Chicago,  and 
five  months  were  spent  performing  the  duties 
of  master  mechanic  at  Freeport.  In  1889  the 
company  recognized  in  Mr.  Davis  a  fitness  for  a 
much  higher  office  than  that  of  engineer  and  he 
was  appointed  air  brake  inspector  and  traveling 
engineer  for  the  entire  line  from  New  Orleans 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


599 


to  Onawa.  Socially  he  affiliates  with  Valiant 
Lodge,  No.  130,  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  has 
been  identified  with  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomo- 
tive Engineers  from  the  time  of  the  organization 
of  the  fraternity,  having  joined  at  Centralia,  111., 
where  he  still  holds  a  membership  in  Division 
Xo.  24.  Like  most  engineers,  Mr.  Davis  has 
had  some  experience' in  wrecks  but  has  been  very 
fortunate  in  escaping  injury. 

The  office  of  traveling  engineer  is  one  of 
more  than  ordinary  responsibility.  In  these  days 
when  there  are  so  many  trains  on  the  line,  and  so 
many  human  lives  are  carried  on  these  trains,  it 
is  next  to  murder  hi  run  out  an  engine  that  is 
not  in  perfect  order.  With  the  invention  of  air 
brakes  came  additional  responsibility  for  the 
traveling  engineer,  for  now  the  man  at  the  lever 
stakes  everything  on  the  air  brake.  The  fact, 
therefore,  that  one  man  has  retained  the  office  of 
air  brake  inspector  and  traveling  engineer  for  so 
many  years  is  the  strongest  proof  of  his  mechani- 
cal skill  and  integrity  that  can  be  produced. 


**»*  •*."<•*  ^ 


C.  BLTCK,  a  conductor  on  the  Vicks- 
burg  division,  was  born  at  Quincy, 
Tenn.,  January  21,  1873.     His  father, 
A.    Buck,    was    for    many    years  'a 
merchant  at  Memphis  where  he  now  lives,  retired. 
The  mother,   Emma   McCloud,   died  during  the 
boy's  early  childhood. 

Mr.  Buck  attended  the  public  schools  and 
at  the  age  of  sixteen  entered  the  establishment 
of  a  wholesale  drug  house  in  Memphis  and  was 
with  them  and  other  drug  firms  for  a  period  of 
two  and  a  half  years.  Going  to  Little  Rock  he 
secured  service  as  conductor  on  a  street  car  line, 
he  worked  about  four  months  and  then  went  to 
St.  Louis,  where  he  worked  for  a  firm  of  produce 
commission  merchants  about  a  year.  Returning 
to  Memphis,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Y. 
&  M.  V.  road  in  January  1894,  as  a  flagman, 
running  between  Memphis  and  Vicksburg. 
October  10,  1897  he  was  promoted  to  conductor 


in  the  freight  service  and  ran  on  the  Vicksburg 
division  until  June  12,  1898,  when  he  was  given 
a  position  in  charge  of  the  supply  train  one  year. 
After  a  short  time  off  the  road  he  was  again  ap- 
pointed flagman  and  on  December  11,  1899  was 
given  his  present  position  in  charge  of  a  freight 
train. 

Mr.  Buck  is  of  the  Protestant  faith  and  is 
an  independent  in  politics. 


HOMAS  F.  HALES,  a  freight  conduc- 
tor on  the  Louisiana  division,  has  been 
in  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central 
since  November  1889,  when  he  began 
as  brakeman  in  the  freight  service.  In  the  short 
period  of  fourteen  months  he  was  promoted  and 
has  since  had  charge  of  the  local  freight  out  of 
McComb  City. 

He  is  a  native  of  Summit,  Miss.,  born  No- 
vember 25,  1869,  a  son  of  T.  B.  Hales,  for  many 
years  a  well  known  teacher  of  the  public  schools 
but  now  retired  and  making  his  home  at  Mc- 
Comb City.  Another  of  his  sons,  William  B. 
Hales,  is  in  the  employ  of  the  Central  as  brake- 
man. 

Thomas  F.  Hales  is  prominent  in  the  social 
orders  holding  membership  in  the  Masonic  body, 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Elks,  all  of  Mc- 
Comb City.  He  is  a  member  of  Division  No. 
367,  O.  R.  C.,  in  which  he  is  serving  as  assistant 
chief  conductor. 


DWARD  L.  FORTIN,  an  engineer  in 
the  service  of  the  Central  at  Chicago, 
is  a  native  of  Kankakee,  son  of  Edward 
Fortin,  now  deceased,  for  many  years 
in  the  employ  of  the  C.  L.  &  C.  R.  R.  on  the  sec- 
tion as  foreman.  Our  subject  began  with  the 
Central  as  switchman  in  the  Chicago  yards  and 
worked  in  that  capacity  until  the  latter  part  of 


600 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


1890,  when  he  went  into  the  operating  depart- 
ment as  fireman,  first  under  John  Wonzer  and 
s:it  across  the  cab  from  a  number  of  the  old  en- 
gineers as  extra  fireman  between  Weldon  and 
I'.urnside,  part  of  the  time  having  charge  of  an 
engine  until  February  1893,  when  he  was  ex- 
amined and  set  up  to  engineer.  During  the  sum- 
mer of  1893  he  had  charge  of  the  only  compound 
engine  the  Central  ever  owned.  For  a  number 
of  years  Mr.  Fort  in  ran  extra  passenger  and 
freight  and  part  of  the  time  pulled  the  pay  car 
on  the  western  lines.  He  is  a  member  of  Divi- 
sion No.  10,  B.  of  L.  E. 


Railroad  in  the  freight  and  passenger  service 
until  the  first  of  December  1899,  when  he  re- 
signed from  the  service. 

Mr.  Burns  was  married  on  the  i/th  of  No- 
vember 1886,  to  Miss  Delia  M.  Johnson  of 
Hazelhurst,  Miss.,  born  April  17,  1867.  One 
child  has  been  born  to  them  Edward  T.,  his  birth 
occurring  September  16,  1888. 

Mr.  Burns  is  a  member  of  the  O.  R.  C.  In 
religion  he  is  a  Baptist  and  in  politics  a  Demo- 
crat. 


E.  BURNS,  conductor  on  the  Fulton 
district,  is  a  native  of  Madison  coun- 
ty,  Mississippi,  born  December  23, 
1854.  His  father,  Daniel  E.  Burns, 
a  relative  of  Daniel  Boone,  was  a  well  read 
clergyman  who  occupied  the  pulpit  of  the  First 
Baptist  church  in  Memphis  for  four  years,  dying 
in  the  service.  He  was  a  mason  and  was  buried 
under  the  solemn  rites  of  that  order.  The 
mother,  Talalah  E.  Slaughter,  a  Virginian  by 
birth,  died  soon  after  the  demise  of  her  hus- 
band. 

D.  E.  Burns  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Memphis  and  after,  the  death  of  his  father  studied 
for  a  time  in  the  colleges  at  Clinton  and  Oxford, 
Miss.,  and  then  returned  to  the  place  of  his  birth 
where  he  ran  the  farm  until  twenty  years  of  age. 
Entering  the  service  of  the  N.  O.  C.  &  St.  L. 
road,  now  the  Illinois  Central,  as  baggageman 
running  between  Cairo  and  Canton,  he  continued 
at  that  about  six  months  and  then  became  a 
freight  brakeman,  serving  in  that  capacity  four 
years.  Promoted  to  a  conductorship,  he  ran  on 
the  Water  Valley  district  about  three  and  a  half 
years  when  he  was  transferred  to  the  Louisiana 
division  running  freight  and  passenger  until  1891. 
Entering  the  service  of  the  Queen  &  Crescent 
road  he  ran  freight  and  passenger  trains  until 
1893,  when  he  secured  a  place  on  the  Southern 


JD.    LADD,   local    freight   agent   of   the 
Illinois  Central,  at  Cairo,  is  a  native  of 
Q    Illinois,  having  been  born  in  Grayville, 
February  n,  1854,  a  son  of  W.  H.  and 
Sarah    (Elder)    Ladcl,   natives   of   Virginia   and 
Pennsylvania,  respectively.     The  father  followed 
merchandising  as  a  vocation. 

W.  H.  Lack!  removed  to  Kentucky  when  our 
subject  was  an  infant,  where  the  latter  was  raised 
and  educated,  graduating  from  Mayfiekl  College, 
May-field,  Ky.  He  learned  the  business  of  tele- 
graphing and  in  June  1872  he  accepted  a  posi- 
tion as  operator  with  the  Paducah  &  Memphis 
Railroad  at  Paducah,  Ky.  He  held  successive- 
ly the  positions  of  operator,  agent,  train  dis- 
patcher and  trainmaster  on  that  line.  In  1878 
he  was  sent  to  Memphis,  Tenn.,  by  the  P.  &  M. 
Company  to  take  charge  of  the  Memphis  station. 
In  December  1878  he  accepted  a  position  with 
the  .C.  St.  L.  &  N.  O.  Railroad  (now  the  Illinois 
Central)  as  agent  at  Martin,  Tenn.,  remaining 
there  until  1884,  when  he  was  sent  to  Cairo,  111., 
as  assistant  agent.  In  1890  he  was  made  agent 
and  has  successfully  held  that  position  to  the 
present  time. 

In  1874  Mr.  Ladd  was  married  to  a  daugh- 
ter of  H.  S.  Stevens,  a  prominent  tobacco 
merchant  of  Paducah,  Ky.  Our  subject  and 
wife  have  one  living  son,  John,  a  lad  of  twelve 
years.  Socially,  Mr.  Ladd  is  identified  with  the 
K.  of  P.  Order. 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


603 


().  KENISON,  conductor  at  Water- 
loo,  began  braking  for  the  Illinois 
O  Central  at  Waterloo  in  1888.  under 
trainmaster  Keepers.  He  worked  a 
short  time  between  Waterloo  and  Dubuque,  and 
then  was  with  Conductor  Frank  Fenstemaker 
for  three  years  between  Waterloo  and  Fort 
Dodge.  He  also  worked  on  the  Lyle  branch 
with  Conductor  Ed.  Chapman  for  two  years  on 
a  way  freight,  and  eleven  months  on  the  Local 
on  the  West  End  with  Conductor  Ross.  In  the 
fall  of  1892  Mr.  Kcnison  was  promoted  to  the 
position  of  conductor,  spent  eleven  months  in 
that  capacity  on  the  West  End,  and  has  since 
run  both  ways  out  of  Waterloo.  Mr.  Kenison 
was  born  in  Freeport,  111.,  a  son  of  Stephen  and 
Lucy  Kenison,  also  natives  of  Freeport  who  have 
spent  their  entire  lives  in  the  place  of  their  birth. 
Our  subject  located  in  Waterloo  in  1888  and  has 
since  made  that  his  home.  The  lady  who  pre- 
sides over  the  household  affairs  of  Mr.  Kenison, 
was  known  in  her  girlhood  as  Miss  Mary  Kings- 
bury  and  her  early  years  were  spent  in  New 
Hartford.  Their  home  has  been  blessed  by  the 
presence  of  two  children.  Lulu  and  Elaine.  Mr. 
Kenison  has  been  a  successful  railroad  man,  caus- 
ing but  little  inconvenience  or  anxiety  for  his 
fellow  workmen  and  superiors,  and  thus  far  has 
a  nice  record.  During  his  entire  career,  he  has 
never  met  with  severe  injury.  In  the  social  cir- 
cles of  Waterloo,  he  is  identified  with  Division 
No.  341,  B.  of  R.  T.,  also  the  Ben  Hur  society. 


Jessie,  a  farmer,  enlisted  at  St.  Charles,  Illinois, 
in  the  nth  Illinois  Volunteers  in  1862,  and  was 
killed  at  Vicksburg,  May  9,  1863 ;  Ezra  is  a  far- 
mer living  at  Springfield,  Colo. ;  Julia  A.,  widow 
of  William  Linsea,  resides  at  Gratton  Center, 
Mich. ;  Welland  W.,  a  farmer  lives  at  Greenville, 
Mich.;  Herbert  and  Esther  died  while  at  Sparta, 
Michigan.  Franklin  Curran  was  educated  in 
the  schools  of  Lyon  and  Plainfield,  Mich.,  in 
which  vicinity  he  spent  his  early  life  on  the  farm. 
He  came  to  Illinois  in  1855  and  began  work  for 
the  Central  as  a  fireman,  which  position  he  filled 
two  years  and  then  returned  to  Michigan  to  enter 
the  lumber  business  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
state.  In  1865  he  returned  to  Illinois  and  ac- 
cepted a  position  on  the  Central  between  Amboy 
and  Dunleith,  being  promoted  to  the  right  side 
in  1871,  which  he  held  continuously  until  May 
10,  1897.  For  nearly  thirty  years  he  was  in  the 
faithful  discharge  of  his  duty  and  has  left  be- 
hind him  a  record  in  which  he  may  take  just 
pride.  Mr.  Curran  was  married  in  Amboy,  Ills., 
to  Miss  Abbie  Bell,  who  was  born  July  26,  1841, 
in  that  city.  Mrs.  Curran  died  July  26,  1882. 
To  them  two  children  were  born :  Jesse,  born 
February  26,  1859,  residing  at  North  McGregor, 
Iowa,  and  Flora,  born  June  24,  1862,  who  died 
September  u,  1895.  Mr.  Curran  is  now  living 
retired  from  active  life  at  Freeport,  Illinois,  and 
although  not  on  the  line  now  he  still  takes  a 
lively  interest  in  railroad  affairs. 


RANKLIN  CURRAN,  ex-engineer  of 
the  Illinois  Central,  was  born  Febru- 
ary 12,  1832,  and  is  a  son  of  Levi  and 
Jane  (Gardner)  Curran,  both  of  whom 
were  born  near  Elmira,  New  York.  The  mother 
was  a  strict  Methodist  and  brought  up  her  fami- 
ly according  to  the  principles  of  that  faith.  Their 
children  are  as  follows :  Charles  is  a  farmer  liv- 
ing at  Courtland,  Kent  county,  Michigan ;  Betsey, 
a  widow,  lives  at  Mansfield,  Ohio ;  Franklin ; 


JMcCUMSEY,     special     agent    of    the 
secret   service  of  the   Illinois   Central, 
O    is   a   native   of    Franklin   county,    Pa., 
born  January   12,   1865.       His   father, 
Jesse  McCumsey,  is  a  noted  horseman  living  at 
Lancaster,    Pa.     The   mother,   Malinda   Dull,   is 
deceased. 

Mr.  McCumsey  attended  the  public  schools 
of  Chambersburg  until  the  age  of  fourteen, 
when  he  became  a  rider  of  his  father's  stable  and 
pulled  the  reins  over  the  racers  -for  four  years. 


604 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


He  then  became  a  professional  foot  racer  and 
during  his  career  in  that,  sport  was  never  de- 
feated, having  a  record  of  gy\  seconds  for  100 
yards.  He  then  became  general  foreman  for 
Thomas  Gannon,  a  contractor  for  the  United 
States  naval  work  at  Philadelphia,  going  next 
to  Pittsburg,  he  worked  for  a  time  for  the  Wes- 
tern L'nion  Telegraph  Company  some  six  months 
and  then  for  a  year  was  a  conductor  for  the 
street  car  line  of  that  city.  He  next  came  to 
Chicago  and  drove  a  team  for  eight  months  and 
then  secured  a  place  on  the  force  of  the  Pinker- 
ton  Detective  Agency,  remaining  an  equal  length 
of  time.  He  then  accepted  a  place  on  the  detec- 
tive force  of  the  Chicago  &  Alton  road  and  then 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  where 
he  has  since  been  employed.  During  this  time 
he  has  rendered  valuable  service  to  the  line, 
notably  in  the  case  of  the  bandits  that  held  up  a 
train  at  near  Bardwell,  Ky.,  November  30,  1894, 
securing  the  conviction  of  the  culprits.  During 
the  World's  Fair,  Mr.  McCumsey  arrested  and 
had  convicted  forty-three  of  the  worst  thieves 
that  infested  the  city.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Catholic  faith. 


LBERT  W.  SULLIVAN,  the  general 
superintendent  of  the  Illinois  Central 
and  Yazoo  and  Mississippi  Valley 
railroads,  has  spent  his  entire  rail- 
road and  business  life  on  the  great  system  over 
which  he  now  has  general  supervision.  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  he  entered  the  shops  at  Chicago, 
November  10,  1870,  as  machinist's  apprentice 
and  served  out  his  full  term  of  apprenticeship  in 
1875.  Desiring  tcr  better  fit  himself  for  higher 
positions  in  railroad  circles  he  began  a  course  in 
the  draughting  department  of  the  road  and  for 
three  years  was  busily  engaged  with  square  and 
tri-angle  and  drawing  pen.  After  finishing  his 
course  of  mechanical  drawing  Mr.  Sullivan  be- 
came chief  clerk  in  the  machinery  department 
in  1878,  and  for  four  years  served  in  that  capa- 


city prior  to  his  promotion  to  assistant  superin- 
tendent of  machinery  in  which  capacity  he  served 
three  years.  Appointed  superintendent  of  the 
Chicago  division  in  1885,  with  headquarters  at 
Cairo,  111.,  he  was  promoted  two  years  later  and 
became  superintendent  of  the  lines  in  Illinois 
with  headquarters  at  Chicago.  Having  demon- 
strated his  ability  as  a  railroad  man  in  the  various 
positions  in  which  he  had  been  tried,  Mr.  Sulli- 
van was  appointed  September  3,  1889,  to  the 
general  superintendency  of  the  road  which  posi- 
tion he  has  filled  to  the  present  date. 

Mr.  Sullivan  was  born  in  the  city  of  New 
York  September  14,  1854. 


JT.  HARAHAN,  second  vice  president 
and  general  manager  of  the  Illinois 
Q  Central  and  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Val- 
ley Railroads,  has  enjoyed  as  wide  a 
range  of  experience  as  any  head  of  the  operating 
department  of  any  of  the  American  railroads, 
having  begun  at  the  lowest  round.  After  serv- 
ing three  years  in  the  ranks  of  the  Union  army 
he  entered  the  government  railroad  service  as 
switchman  at  Alexandria,  Virginia,  on  the 
Orange  &  Alexandria  road  and  subsequently 
worked  some  six  months  in  the  shops  at  the  same 
place.  He  later  served  as  engine  dispatcher  and 
engineer  on  the  road  at  a  time  when  it  took  a 
large  amount  of  physical  courage  to  venture  out 
on  the  line,  Mosby's  raiders  having  a  way  of 
driving  the  engineer  and  fireman  to  the  floor  of 
the  cab  or  the  tender,  with  a  shower  of  bullets 
at  most  unexpected  times.  At  the  close  of  the 
war  he  served  from  the  fall  of  1865  to  the  fol- 
lowing summer  as  yard  master  of  the  Nashville 
and  Decatur  road,  at  the  former  place  and  from 
that  date  until  the  close  of  '67  as  conductor  on 
a  construction  train,  for  the  same  management. 
During  1868  and  part  of  1869  he  served  as  con- 
ductor on  the  Clarksville  division  of  the  Louis- 
ville &  Nashville  road,  and  for  a  year  during  the 
latter  part  of  1869  and  1870  as  yard  master  and 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


605 


conductor  on  the  Louisville,  Cincinnati  &  Lex- 
ington line.  From  1870  to  1872  Mr.  Harahan 
was  in  charge  of  the  Shelby  road  and  in  August 
of  the  latter  year,  returning  to  the  Nashville  & 
Decatur  line,  he  served  as  road  master  for  seven 
years.  In  1879  being  offered  the  superinten- 
(iency  of  the  Memphis  division  of  the  Louisville 
&  Nashville  road  he  accepted  and  in  1881  was 
transferred  to  the  New  Orleans  division  where 
he  remained  until  December  1883  the  date  of  his 
appointment  to  the  general  superintendency  of 
the  lines.  Serving  in  this  capacity  until  the  first 
of  July  following  he  was  promoted  to  general 
manager  and  served  to  the  end  of  the  year. 
January  1st,  1885  he  resigned  and  accepted  the 
superintendency  of  the  Pittsburg  division  of  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio,  but  three  months  after  was 
induced  to  return  to  the  Louisville  &  Nashville 
as  assistant  general  manager,  and  promoted  in 
October  following  to  the  head  of  the  depart- 
ment, serving  three  years.  During  the  two  fol- 
lowing years  Mr.  Harahan  served  successively 
as  assistant  general  manager  for  the  Lake  Shore 
&  Michigan  Southern,  general  manager  for  the 
Chesapeake  &  Ohio  and  was  serving  in  the  same 
capacity  on  the  Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Texas, 
when  on  November  i,  1890,  he  became  second 
vice  president  and  general  manager  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central. 

Mr.  Harahan  lacked  the  advantages  of 
technical  training,  gaining  his  knowledge  of 
railroad  management  in  the  school  of  practical 
experience.  Having  filled  positions  in  the 
lowliest  stations  he  knows  well  how  to  look  at 
matters  from  the  operative's  point  of  view,  mak- 
ing his  decisions  with  a  knowledge  of  the  needs 
of  both  sides  of  the  question.  He  is  possessed 
of  that  necessary  attribute  of  an  official,  execu- 
tive ability,  in  a  marked  degree  and  has  the 
faculty  of  turning  from  one  line  of  thought  to 
another  and  give  his  views  without  delay.  His 
sense  of  justice  is  large,  the  most  obscure  opera- 
tive feeling  certain  of  as  fair  treatment  at  the 
hands  of  the  general  superintendent  as  those  far 
above  him  in  the  service  of  the  road.  Through 
all  the  onerous  duties  of  the  position  he  holds 
Mr.  Harahan  preserves  a  rugged  good  health, 


partly  through  inheriting  a  strong  mind  in  a 
strong  body,  and  partly  by  the  ability  to  leave  his 
business  at  the  office  door,  when  the  day's  work  is 
done.  His  judgment  of  men  seldom  fails  and 
an  opinion  once  formed  of  a  man's  capacity  sel- 
dom needs  revision. 


L.  GARRARD,  freight  engineer  on 
the  Y.  &  M.  V.  line,  has  been  with 
'Q  the  company  since  1891,  when  he  be- 
gan in  the  capacity  of  watchman  in 
the  round  house  at  Vicksburg  and  continued  in 
that  capacity  for  eighteen  months.  He  then  se- 
cured a  place  as  fireman  in  the  freight  service 
under  Engineer  Phillips  and  after  only  eight 
months  on  the  left  side  was  examined  and  pro- 
moted to  the  other  side.  After  acting  as  hostler 
in  the  Vicksburg  yards  eighteen  months  he  was 
assigned  to  the  freight  service  and  has  since  been 
thus  engaged  on  the  Vicksburg  division. 

Mr.  Garrard  was  born  in  Coldwater,  Miss., 
November  15,  1875,  a  son  of  John  H.  Garrard, 
who,  during  his  lifetime  was  a  merchant  at  Cold- 
water.  A  brother,  John  E.  Garrard,  is  an  engi- 
neer in  the  service  of  the  K.  C.  &  S.  railway. 

The  only  wreck  in  which  Mr.  Garrard  has 
been  involved  proved  to  be  fortunate  in  that  no 
lives  were  lost.  He  is  not  affiliated  with  any 
order  or  secret  society. 


ILLIAM  G.  RANKIN,  claim  agent 
for  Cook  .county,  is  one  of  the  many- 
citizens  of  foreign  birth  who  hold 
positions  of  responsibility  and  trust 
on  the  great  American  railroads.  He  was  born 
near  Stratford,  Ont.,  May  3,  1856,  and  was 
reared  on  the  farm,  attending  the  district  schools. 
On  attaining  maturity  he  followed  farming  for 
several  years  and  then  came  to  the  states,  locat- 


606 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ing  at  Janesville,  Wis.  Here  he  attended  a 
business  college  learning  short  hand  and  tele- 
graphy, fitting  himself  for  a  railroad  career. 
When  competent  to  fill  a  position  he  secured  a 
place  in  the  service  of  the  Chicago  &  Northwes- 
tern as  stenographer  at  the  Wood  street  transfer 
station  January  i,  1890,  remaining  with  the  com- 
pany seven  months.  September  1st,  the  same 
year  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral as  stenographer  in  the  trainmasters  office 
under  Mr.  Dunning,  where  he  continued  four 
months,  being  next  transferred  to  the  office  of 
the  division  superintendent,  he  was  next  assigned 
to  the  office  of  Mr.  W.  R.  Head  and  served  as 
assistant  and  clerk  until  the  appointment  of  Mr. 
Losey  as  chief  claim  agent,  since  which  time  Mr. 
Rankin  has  served  as  claim  agent  for  all  personal 
injuries  occurring  in  Cook  county. 

Mr.  Rankin  was  married  in  London,  Out., 
December  26,  1885,  to  Miss  Lydia  E.  Heslop,  a 
teacher  in  the  schools  of  the  Dominion..  Two 
sons  have  been  born  to  them,  Garnet  W.  and 
Roy. 

Mr.  Rankin  is  a  member  of  Hercules  Court, 
No.  892,  I.  O.  F.,  of  Grand  Crossing  and  of 
Arcanum  Council,  R.  A.,  of  Chicago.  He  is  a 
man  well  fitted  by  nature  and  training  for  the 
responsible  position  he  has  to  fill. 


J.  GOOD  ALE,  general  foreman  of 
round  house  and  shops  at  Clinton, 
IH-;  was  born  in  Monroe,  Michigan, 
1864.  Mr.  Goodale  served  for  a 
time  as  machinist,  and  also  fired,  and  ran  an 
engine  on  the  Kentucky  Central  R.  R.,  being  in 
the  employ  of  that  company  for  five  years ;  was 
then  round  house  foreman  for  the  C,  N.  O.  & 
T.  P.  R.  R.,  at  Somerset,  Ky.,  for  a  short  time; 
served  as  machinist  on  the  C.  St.  P.  M.  &  O.  R. 
R.,  at  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  one  year;  was  foreman 
at  the  Sioux  City  &  Northern  R.  R.  round  house 
in  Sioux  City,  a  short  time,  and  in  1892  did 
valve  work  for  the  G.  T.  R.  R.,  at  Great  Falls, 


Mont.  On  the  I3th  of  January  1893  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  machinist,  at 
Water  Valley,  Miss.,  where  he  worked  six  weeks. 
was  then  made  night  foreman  in  the  round  house 
at  liurnside  shops,  Chicago,  remaining  in  that 
position  until  June  12,  1893,  when  he  became  day 
foreman  at  Weldon  Station  round  house.  In 
1894  he  took  charge  of  Weldon  Shops  round 
house  as  night  foreman,  where  he  remained  until 
Dec.  31,  1896,  when  he  was  transferred  to  his 
present  position  of  general  foreman  of  round 
house  and  shops  at  Clinton.  Mr.  Goodale  was 
married  in  1890,  to  Miss  Lillie  V.  Hill,  who  died 
in  1892,  leaving  one  son,  Robert  Stanley  Goodale. 
Mr.  Goodale  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  Lodge,  in  Chicago.  Mr.  Goodale  was 
married  January  24,  1900,  to  Etta  M.  Slater,  of 
Sioux  City,  Iowa. 


Jtjtjtjtjtjt 


ARTER  JONES,   an   engineer   on   the 
Louisiana    division,    better   known    as 
"Birmingham    Carter,"    comes    of    a 
family  prominent  in  the  business,  and 
political  world  as  well  as  in  railroad  circles. 

His  father,  Samuel  G.  Jones,  deceased,  a 
civil  engineer,  was  prominent  in  the  construc- 
tive as  well  as  in  the  operative  departments  of  a 
number  of  railroads.  He  built  the  roads  run- 
ning between  Macon  and  Atlanta ;  between  Mont- 
gomery, Ala.,  and  West  Point ;  the  Mobile  & 
Texas ;  and  a  branch  of  the  N.  C.  &  St.  L.  R.  R. 
He  was  superintendent  of  the  M.  &  M.  R.  R. 
and  president  of  the  Savannah  &  Memphis,  now 
a  part  of  the  Central  of  Georgia  railway.  Of 
his  nine  sons  all  have  won  honorable  places  in 
the  affairs  of  the  south.  Thomas  G.,  attorney 
general  for  the  L.  &  N.,  served  the  state  of 
Alabama  four  years  as  governor.  Charles  P.  is 
assistant  district  attorney  for  the  L.  &  N.,  at 
Montgomery,  Ala.  Samuel  G.,  Jr.,  is  a  profes- 
sor at  West  Point.  Edward  E.  is  train  dis- 
patcher at  Birmingham,  Ala.,  in  the  service  of 
the  L.  &  N.  George  M.  is  clerk  in  the  freight 


WILLIAM  C.  WOOLLFA". 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


609 


office  of  the  same  road  in  the  same  city.  Frank 
E.  is  a  stenographer  in  the  employ  of  the  navy 
department  at  San  Francisco.  Edwin  F.,  for- 
merly assistant  attorney  for  the  government,  is 
practicing  law  at  Montgomery,  Ala.  Jackson  S. 
is  in  the  civil  engineering  department  of  the  B. 
&  O.  R.  R.  Company.  Carter,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  is  the  ninth  of  the  family. 

Carter  Jones  has  been  in  railway  service  since 
1873,  when  he  began  as  fireman  on  the  old 
A.  &  C.  R.  R.  at  Opelika,  Ala.,  working  in  that 
capacity  eighteen  months.  He  then  entered  the 
shops  of  the  M.  &  M.  road  at  Montgomery,  for 
a  year  and  a  half  and  then  started  as  an  appren- 
tice in  the  shops  of  the  A.  &  W.  P.  road  at  Mont- 
gomery, remaining  until  1878.  After  firing 
three  years  on  the  A.  &  C.  road  Mr.  Jones  was 
examined  and  promoted  to  be  engineer  in  1881, 
running  an  engine  on  that  line  for  a  year.  In 
1882  he  entered  the  service  of  the  P.  &  A.,  at 
Pensacola,  Fla.,  driving  an  engine  for  a  year 
and  a  half.  His  next  service  was  with  the  L.  & 
N.,  at  Birmingham,  Ala.,  as  engineer  in  the 
freight  and  passenger  service  until  December, 
1885,  when  he  became  connected  with  the  A.  & 
W.  P.  road  running  between  Atlanta  and  Mont- 
gomery, for  a  year.  Coming  to  McComb  in 
1888  he  secured  a  place  as  engineer  on  the 
Louisiana  division  and  has  since  been  in  that 
service. 


Tune   i, 


'ILLIAM  C.  WOOLLEY,  ex-agent 
of  the  Illinois  Central,  resides  at  421 
Nachusa  avenue,  Dixon,  111.  He 
was  born  in  Manchester,  England, 
1826.  His  father,  Thomas  Woolley,  a 
mason,  was  born  at  Rugeley,  Staffordshire,  Eng- 
land, about  1800  A.  D.  His  mother,  Mary  Cal- 
land,  was  born  in  England  about  1806.  They 
were  married  in  1823.  To  this  marriage  there 
were  born  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  of 
which  the  subject  of  this  sketch  and  his  younger 
brother  came  to  this  country ;  the  brother  lo- 
cated in  Chicago,  111.,  after  being  in  the  employ 


of  the  Chicago  &  North- Western  Railway  com- 
pany about  eight  years  at  Dixon  and  Sterling, 
Illinois.  Our  subject  was  educated  mostly  in 
the  private  schools  of  his  native  city.  At  that 
time  the  most  of  the  schools  were  of  this  kind. 
At  the  age  of  twelve  years  he  began  work  with 
his  father,  who  was  a  mason  contractor,  and  of 
whom  he  learned  his  trade.  Our  subject  emi- 
grated to  this  country  March  1853,  in  a  sailing 
vessel,  landing  in  New  Orleans  after  a  trip  of 
seventy  days,  doing  his  last  work  of  ten  years  in 
his  native  country  for  the  well  known  firm  of 
Sir  Elkanah  Armitage  &  Sons,  No.  48  Moseley 
St.,  Manchester,  England.  After  landing  in 
New  Orleans  he  remained  there  only  long 
enough  to  secure  a  passage  on  one  of  the  steam- 
ers plying  between  that  point  and  St.  Louis,  mak- 
ing New  Albany  his  point  of  destination,  stay- 
ing there  three  days  to  secure  conveyance  to 
Lyndon,  111.,  where  he  did  his  first  work  in  this 
country,  digging  a  cellar,  for  which  all  he  got 
for  his  labor  was  a  straw  hat.  From  this  place 
he  walked  to  Dixon,  111.,  arriving  there  June  i, 
1853,  beginning  work  in  the  construction  de- 
partment of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  the  fol- 
lowing morning  just  north  of  what  is  now  North 
Dixon.  In  this  capacity  he  worked  in  the  same 
vicinity  for  nearly  two  years.  The  Illinois  Cen- 
tral was  formally  opened  on  February  17,  1855, 
and  he  entered  the  service  in  the  freight  depart- 
ment on  Monday,  February  19,  he  being  ap- 
pointed agent  of  the  Dixon  station  on  September 
15,  1858,  which  position  he  held  continuously 
until  May  28,  1891,  when  he  retired  from  the 
service.  During  his  service  the  town  of  Dixon 
grew  from  a  small  village  to  a  manufacturing 
city  of  much  importance,  and  under  his  super- 
vision the  interests  of  the  company,  whom  he 
served  so  long  and  faithfully,  grew  in  like  pro- 
portions. Mr.  Woolley  was  married  June  22, 
1850,  to  Miss  Mary  Webb,  of  Manchester,  Eng- 
land, who  came  to  this  country  with  her  hus- 
band to  enjoy  his  pleasures  and  share  his  sor- 
rows if  any.  To  this  marriage  were  born  five 
children,  of  whom  one  son  and  two  daughters' 
are  living,  all  of  them  married  and  comfortably 
situated  in  life. 


610 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


PHILBRICK,  superintendent  of  the 
Memphis  division  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral,  was  born  in  Bailey ville,  Illinois, 
on  March  7,  1862.  Mr.  Philbrick 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
town,  and  took  a  course  at  the  University  of  Illi- 
nois, at  Champaign,  graduating  in  1886.  He  had 
been  connected  with  the  Chicago  &  Alton  R.  R. 
during  his  vacations  from  1881  to  1886,  and  on 
February  of  the  latter  year,  became  identified 
with  the  Burlington  &  Northern  R.  R.  as  a 
draughtsman,  occupying  that  position  about  six 
months.  He  then  went  to  the  Rock  Island  R.  R. 
at  Atchison,  Kansas,  remaining  with  that  com- 
pany, two  years  as  draughtsman  and  district  en- 
gineer. His  next  work  was  with  the  Chicago 
&  Alton  R.  R.  acting  as  assistant  engineer  with 
headquarters  at  Chicago,  and  was  employed  there 
until  March  1891.  His  connection  with  the  I. 
C.  dates  from  that  year.  He  was  first  given  a 
position  as  assistant  engineer  at  Chicago,  and  on 
January  1st,  1893,  was  appointed  road  master 
of  the  Louisiana  division,  with  headquarters  at 
Now  Orleans.  He  remained  there  until  Novem- 
ber 1895,  when  he  was  transferred  to  Chicago, 
as  road  master  of  the  First  division,  and  in  Octo- 
ber 1896,  was  sent  to  Memphis,  as  road  master  of 
the  Memphis  division.  He  occupied  the  latter 
position,  until  promoted  to  superintendent  of  that 
division,  on  April  i,  1898,  and  continues  there 
at  the  present  time. 


J.  HARLAN,  chief  train  dispatcher 
at  Memphis,  is  a  native  of  Richmond, 
^  irginia,  his  birth  occurring  Novem- 
ber 22,  1869.  His  parents  were  R. 
J.  and  Hattie  (Stratton)  Harlan.  The  father, 
was  an  extensive  owner  of  canal  boats,  served 
with  credit,  as  an  officer  in  the  confederate  army 
during  the  war.  He  died  when  our  subject  was 
less  than  a  year  old.  The  mother,  who  in 
maidenhood  was  Lucy  Stratton,  survived  him 


but  a  few  years,  leaving  two  sons  of  whom  R. 
J.  is  the  younger.  Sanner  Harlan,  the  older,  is 
train  dispatcher  for  the  Southern  Railroad  lo- 
cated at  Charleston.-  R.  J.  Harlan  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  Richmond  and  at  the  age 
of  four  entered  the  offices  of  the  Richmond  & 
Allegheny  Railway  Company  at  Lynchburg, 
Virginia,  having  previously  learned  telegraphy, 
and  remained  there  one  year,  being  transferred 
to  Clifton  Forge,  Virginia,  where  he  was  sta- 
tioned six  months.  The  following  eight  months 
were  spent  in  the  service  at  Balcony  Falls,  when 
he  resigned  and  accepted  a  position  with  the 
Norfolk  &  Western  road  at  Roanoke,  Virginia, 
remaining  four  years  when  he  was  promoted  in 
1888  to  dispatcher.  Resigning  in  1889  he  returned 
to  the  Southern  road  as  dispatcher  at  Selma, 
Alabama,  where  he  was  engaged  some  four 
months  at  which  time  he  accepted  a  position  with 
the  Central  Railway  of  Georgia,  as  dispatcher 
at  Savannah,  serving  there  two  years.  In  1892 
he  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  at 
McComb  City,  Mississippi,  in  the  dispatcher's 
office  and  four  months  later  was  transferred  to 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  where  he  served  one  year. 
Promoted  to  chief  dispatcher  he  held  the  posi- 
tion there  until  1897,  when  he  was  transferred  to 
Memphis,  in  the  same  capacity  and  has  been  ac- 
ceptably filling  the  position  ever  since.  On  the 
eleventh  of  November  1891,  Mr.  Harlan  was 
married  to  Miss  Lucy  Elam,  of  Roanoke,  Vir- 
ginia. She  was  born  at  Liberty,  Virginia,  Janu- 
ary 20,  1872  and  was  educated  in  the  Liberty 
Female  Seminary ;  she  is  the  daughter  of 
Joseph  H.  and  Eliza  (Vaughn)  Elam,  natives 
of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania,  respectively.  Three 
children  have  been  born  to  them,  Richard  Hous- 
ton, born  in  Savannah,  1893;  Edith,  born  at 
Louisville,  1896,  and  Robert  Cunningham,  born 
in  Memphis,  December  22,  1898.  The  family 
are  attendants  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  south. 

Mr.  Harlan  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows 
fraternity  and  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  most 
courteous  and  popular  officials  of  the  system  in 
the  south,  where  true  southern  courtesy  is  the 
rule. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


611 


G.  TLIRLEY  is  a  popular  engineer, 
in  the  passenger  service  of  the  Illi- 
LQ  nois  Central,  his  run  being  from  Clin- 
ton to  St.  Louis.  He  entered  the 
service  of  the  I.  C.  in  1878,  as  a  fireman  between 
Centralia  and  Cairo.  In  1881  he  was  transferred 
to  the  Clinton  district  and  promoted  to  engineer. 
Remaining  in  that  capacity  in  the  freight  service 
for  fifteen  years,  he  was  promoted  to  the  passen- 
ger service,  August  i,  1896,  where  he  is  now 
satisfactorily  serving. 

Our  subject  was  born  July  6,  1857,  at  Clear- 
field  county,  Tennessee,  and  was  married  March 
4,  1880.  He  has  an  interesting  family  of  five 
children,  two  sons,  and  three  daughters. 

In  social  organizations,  Mr.  Turley  is  quite 
prominent,  being  local  chairman  of  B.  of  L.  E., 
No.  315,  and  is  also  connected  with  DeWitt 
Lodge,  No.  84,  and  Gooclbrake  Chapter  No.  59, 
of  Clinton. 

His  popularity  with  his  fellow-townsmen  of 
Clinton,  is  attested  by  the  fact,  that  he  is  serving 
them  for  the  sixth  year,  as  alderman  from  the 
first  ward. 


W.  P>.  Dunn,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  be- 
gan railroading  on  the  Jackson  district  March 
10,  1882  as  brakeman  under  William  Neville, 
but  soon  came  under  the  authority  of  Charles 
Harrington  under  whom  most  of  his  braking 
was  done.  He  served  for  some  time  in  the  same 
capacity  on  the  Mobile  &  Ohio  out  of  Cairo  and 
then  returned  to  the  employ  of  the  Central. 
After  braking  for  a  time  he  was  promoted  and 
ran  a  train  until  1889,  when  he  quit  and  returned 
to  the  employ  of  the  M.  &  O.  for  a  short  time 
since  which  time  he  has  been  in  the  employ  of 
the  Illinois  Central  running  at  present  in  the 
preferred  freight  service  out  of  Jackson. 

Mr.  Dunn  was  born  at  Raleigh,  North  Caro- 
lina, his  marriage  occurred  at  Jackson  to  Miss 
May  Lawrence  of  that  place.  Mr.  Dunn  is  a 
member  of  Division  No.  149,  O.  R.  C.,  of  Jack- 
son having  served  as  inside  sentinel  for  years. 


B.  DUNN,  a  freight  conductor  on 
the  Jackson  district,  comes  of  a 
Q  railroad  family.  Five  brothers 
were  in  the  employ  of  the  com- 
pany at  the  same  time  and  at  one  time  were  all 
employed  on  the  same  train.  J.  K.  Dunn,  now 
in  the  grocery  business  at  Jackson,  began  rail- 
roading July  29,  1883  as  fireman  in  the  yards  at 
Jackson.  In  November  1885  he  was  sent  to 
run  an  engine  in  the  yards  at  Water  Valley  and 
the  following  year  was  examined,  promoted,  and 
sent  out  on  the  main  line  running  north  and  south 
from  Water  Valley  and  latterly  on  several  other 
branches.  He  is  a  member  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.  and 
of  the  B.  of  L.  F.  Charles  C.  Dunn  is  an  en- 
gineer on  the  south  end  of  the  road.  Two  other 
brothers  are  in  the  service  of  the  M.  K.  &.  T. 
in  Texas. 


UGUST  E.  G1RARD,  engineer  on  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad,  Freeport 
division,  was  born  in  Dubuque,  Iowa, 
March  29,  1864,  of  French  and  Swiss 
parentage,  his  father,  Hyacinth  Girard,  having 
been  born  in  France  in  1833,  and  his  mother, 
Sophie  (Chevalier),  in  Switzerland  in  1839. 
They  came  to  America  in  1853,  locating  for  a 
few  years  near  Fredericksburg,  Ohio,  then  mov- 
ing further  west  to  Dubuque,  Iowa,  where,  in 
1856,  the  father  entered  the  service  of  the  Du- 
buque &  Pacific  R.  R.  as  a  fireman  and  was  pro- 
moted to  engineer  in  October  1859.  He  re- 
mained as  engineer  in  the  service  of  said  road 
(now  the  1.  C.  R.  R.)  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred January  30,  1897.  The  mother  died  in 
January  1899. 

August  E.  Girard  was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Dnbuque  and  Waterloo,  Iowa. 
In  1879  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral R.  R.,  at  Waterloo,  as  a  fireman,  and  on 
February  6,  1883,  was  licensed  to  handle  the 


612 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


throttle  and  lever,  in  which  position  he  remained 
for  three  years,  when  he  quit  the  road  to  engage 
in  business  pursuits  for  about  two  years.  He 
then  ran  as  engineer  for  the  Minnesota  &  North- 
western R.  R.  for  a  period  of  six  months,  when 
he  returned  to  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  running  on  the 
Chicago  division  for  three  years.  In  1891  he 
was  transferred  to  the  Freeport  division,  where, 
with  the  exception  of  six  months  in  1893,  he 
has  run  continuously  ever  since.  Mr.  Girard 
was  married  November  30,  1893,  to  Miss  Nellie 
Buckley,  of  Chicago.  She  was  born  in  Toona- 
vara,  Ireland,  September  12,  1863.  Mr.  Girard 
is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order,  and  also  of 
Division  No.  27,  H.  of  L.  E. 


J(  )HN  GLOVE  first  saw  the  light  of  day  in 
England,  coming  when  fourteen  years  of 
age   to   Champaign,    Illinois,    where    his 
parents  settled.     He  began  on  the   Illi- 
nois Central  in  1872  as  a  fireman  in  the  yards  at 
Chicago,  for  Mr.  McElroy  in  which  place  he  re- 
mained about  one  year  and  then  went  on  the  road 
in  freight  service  on  the  engine  with  Ed.  Barker. 
He  was  in  freight  service  as  a  fireman  for  three 
years,  when  he  became  a  fireman  in  passenger 
service  for  Charles  Draper,  now  deceased.     He 
was  in  this  service  for  two  years  and  in   1878 
was  promoted  to  engineer. 

He  then  went  into  the  yards  for  about  a 
year,  running  extra  on  the  road  during  part  of 
that  time  and  next  he  was  on  suburban  service, 
where  he  had  a  regular  run,  remaining  here  four 
years,  when  he  returned  to  freight  service  with 
a  regular  run  between  Kankakee  and  Blooming- 
ton.  Mr.  Glove  next  returned  to  the  Chicago 
division  where  he  remained  about  a  year,  when 
he  went  on  the  main  line  running  both  ways  out 
of  Amboy.  In  the  spring  of  1881  he  went  on 
the  Iowa  division,  running  from  Dubuque  west 
and  was  there  three  months  when  he  came  back 
to  the  Chicago  division,  remaining  in  freight  ser- 
vice up  to  1890  and  then  went  on  a  pay  car  a 


year.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  was  promoted 
to  passenger  service  where  he  has  since  been 
operating.  He  first  had  the  fast  mail  regular 
and  now  he  has  a  through  passenger  to  Cham- 
paign. .  He  runs  No.  962  and  belongs  to  the  B. 
of  L.  E.,  No.  10. 

Mr.  Glove  was  married  to  Miss  Wallace, 
daughter  of  Michael  Wallace  who  was  at  one 
time  section  boss  at  Rantoul.  They  have  one 
daughter,  Emma. 


|OOPER  W.  CRAKB,  one  of  the  popu- 
lar train  dispatchers  for  the  Illinois 
Central,  at  McConib  City,  Mississippi, 
entered  the  service  of  the  company 
in  1892.  His  first  work  was  as  operator  on  the 
Louisville  &  Nashville  R.  R.  at  South  Carrollton, 
Kentucky,  afterward  serving  at  Evansville,  Ind., 
and  at  Nashville,  Tennessee.  He  then  went  to 
the  Louisville,  New  Orleans  &  Texas  Railroad, 
as  train  dispatcher,  remaining  in  the  service  of 
that  company  for  one  year,  and-  in  1892,  accepted 
his  present  position  with  the  Illinois  Central, 
where  he  is  doing  day  duty.  Mr.  Crabb  is  a  na- 
tive of  Kentucky,  and  was  bom  June  gth,  1866. 
He  married  Miss  Ettie  Wilson,  also  of  Ken- 
tucky. He  is  connected  with  the  Masonic  Order, 
Knights  of  Pythias,  and  Elks,  all  of  McConib 
City.  The  McComb  City  opera  house  is  under 
the  management  of  Mr.  Crabb,  and  he  enjoys  the 
regard  of  all  with  whom  business  or  social  in- 
terests brings  him  in  contact. 


R.    H.    H.    MURRELL,    the   assistant 
chief  surgeon   of  the  Illinois   Central. 
at  the  hospital  of  the  company,  in  IV 
ducah,  Kentucky,  was  born  in  Lynch- 
burg,  Virginia.     Dr.  J.  W.   Murrell,  his  father 
was  a  prominent  physician  of  that  place,  and  a 
man   well   known   for  his  many  good   qualities. 


o 

t— ^ 

<& 

EH 

W 
Q 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


615 


Our  subject  was  educated  for  his  profession  in  the 
best  medical  schools  of  the  south,  and  was  for  a 
time,  demonstrator  of  anatomy,  in  the  Hopkins- 
ville  Medical  School.  He  was  a  successful  prac- 
titioner, in  Louisville,  Kentucky,  from  1878,  un- 
til 1888,  when  in  the  latter  year  he  accepted  his 
present  position.  Dr.  Murrell  is  a  fine  looking 
gentleman,  of  a  kind,  warm-hearted  disposition, 
and  skilled  in  his  profession.  He  is  a  member 
of  several  medical  societies,  and  a  contributor  to 
medical  journals.  With  his  estimable  and  ac- 
complished wife.  Dr.  Murrell  occupies  a  beauti- 
ful borne  on  Broadway,  in  the  city  of  Paducah. 


RARRICK,  engineer  at  Jackson, 
Tenn.,  began  his  railroad  career  at 
_.X7Q  East  Cairo,  Kentucky,  in  December 
1887,  where  he  served  as  fireman  on 
the  incline  for  eleven  months  and  was  then 
transferred  to  the  main  line  between  Jackson  and 
Cairo.  The  first  engine  he  fired  was  No.  310, 
and  later  he  was  given  a  regular  run  on  No.  308, 
then  worked  for  a  time  in  the  passenger  service 
and  still  later,  took  charge  of  a  switch  engine  in 
the  yards  at  Jackson,  Tennessee.  In  1891  Mr. 
Rarrick  was  promoted  to  engineer  and  during  the 
following  two  years  he  had  charge  of  engine  No. 
741,  which  was  then  doing  construction  work. 
Later  he  stood  on  the  right  side  of  engine  No. 
479  for  about  ten  months,  and  for  the  past  five 
years  his  regular  engine  has  been  No.  605, 
although  he  does  a  great  deal  of  extra  work 
on  other  engines  and  on  all  parts-  of  the  southern 
•division.  Mr.  Rarrick  has  been  a  very  success- 
ful engineer,  has  never  received  an  injury  since 
he  has  been  on  the  road  and  has  skillfully 
avoided  serious  accidents. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Washington  county, 
Ohio.  He  was  married  in  East  Cairo,  Kentucky, 
to  Miss  Maggie  Keen  of  that  city,  and  three 
children,  Lillian,  Edna  and  Ed.,  have  been  born 
to  them.  Socially  Mr.  Rarrick  is  identified 
with  Division  No.  93,  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  Lodge 
No.  45,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Jackson. 


force     of 


ILLIAM  DETRICK,  night  hostler 
of  the  Illinois  Central  at  Durant, 
Mississippi,  is  a  popular  man  and 
an  efficient  employe,  having  a  large 
men  under  his  supervision.  Mr. 
Detrick  is  a  native  of  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  and  was 
born  in  1864.  His  father  was  a  truckman  by 
occupation,  and  was  killed  at  a  railroad  crossing 
while  going  to  market.  In  early  life  our  subject 
learned  the  trade  of  baker,  and  was  also  in  the! 
street  car  service  at  F.ort  Wayne,  Ind.,  but  having 
a  desire  for  railroad  life,  entered  the  service  of 
the  Wabash  R.  R.  in  the  mechanical  department, 
but  after  a  time  went  to  New  Mexico,  remaining 
there  one  year  as  car  repairer.  He  then  entered 
the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  at  Water  Valley, 
Mississippi,  and  was  later  transferred  to  Durant, 
to  his  present  position. 

Mr.  Detrick  has  traveled  through  nearly 
every  state  in  the  union  and  has  also  traveled  in 
Mexico,  Central  America  and  northern  South 
America.  The  accounts  of  his  travels  are  very 
interesting  and  would  of  themselves  fill  a  good 
sized  book.  He  is  a  close  observer  and  very  fond 
of  reading,  these  combined  with  his  experience 
in  travel  have  made  him  a  thoroughly  interesting 
conversationalist,  and  a  well  informed  man.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Maccabees  and 
several  other  social  organizations.  As  an  em- 
ploye of  the  I.  C.  he  is  giving  the  utmost 
satisfaction  and  is  popular  among  bis  fellowmen. 


HARLES  A.  HOLT,  one  of  the  veteran 
conductors  of  the  Central,  has  been 
with  the  company  since  the  eigh- 
teenth of  May  1863,  when  he.  began 
as  brakeman  under  Ben.  Howard.  At  that  time 
the  road  had  been  in  operation  but  about  seven 
years  and  the  changes  in  railroad  construc- 
tion and  management  witnessed  by  Mr.  Holt 
are  greater  than  can  be  comprehended  by  the 
younger  generation  of  railroad  men,  whose  ex- 
perience has  extended  over  very  few  years.  He 


(316 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


has  known  most  of  the  veteran  operatives  that 
have  been  employed  on  the  northern  divisions 
of  the  system,  most  of  whom  have  now  passed 
away,  or  have  retired  from  active  railroad  life. 
After  serving  two  years  as  brakeman  Mr.  Holt 
was  placed  in  charge  of  a  train  in  the  freight 
service  where  he  remained  some  seven  years. 
In  1872  he  was  promoted  to  the  passenger  ser- 
vice and  for  twenty-eight  years  served  the  com- 
pany faithfully  and  well.  During  all  these  years 
not  a  dollar  of  expense  was  caused  the  company 
through  accidents  attributable  to  him.  Of  over 
two  million  passengers  who  have  been  under  his 
charge  not  an  injury  has  occurred  while  riding 
on  his  train.  This  is  a  record  of  which  any  rail- 
road man  may  well  be  proud.  It  is  a  record  few 
can  equal  or  excel.  January  i,  1900,  he  was 
appointed  night  station  master  of  the  terminal 
station  at  Park  Row.  Mr.  Holt's  railroad 
career  has  not  been  confined  to  one  field. 
In  1 88 1  he  was  appointed  trainmaster  at  Clin- 
ton, Illinois,  and  eight  years  later  was  pro- 
moted to  be  assistant  superintendent  with  head- 
quarters at  Amboy,  where  he  remained  three 
years.  Early  in  1892  he  was  transferred  to  a 
similar  position  on  the  Chicago  division  with 
headquarters  at  Cairo,  remaining  until  the  lat- 
ter part  of  that  year,  when  he  returned  to  the 
train  service  to  remain  until  appointed  to  his 
present  position  on  the  date  given  above. 

Mr.  Holt,  a  son  of  Albert  and  Mary  (Ames) 
Holt,  was  born  at  Pembroke,  New  Hampshire, 
February  10,  1845.  He  was  first  married  at 
Centralia,  Illinois,  to  Miss  Addie  Sherwood  to 
whom  four  children  were  born.  Albert  is  an 
engineer  in  the  Chicago  Terminal  service; 
Charles  is  on  a  ranch  in  Colorado ;  Arthur,  is  a 
stenographer  in  the  office  of  the  traffic  manager 
of  the  Central ;  Belle  is  the  wife  of  Mr.  John 
Buslinger  and  lives  in  Colorado.  Mr.  Holt  was 
married  a  second  time  at  Massillon,  Ohio,  to 
Mrs.  Emma  C.  May. 

Of  the  social  orders,  Mr.  Holt  affiliates  with 
the  Masonic  fraternity.  He  is  enrolled  in  the 
Hliie  Lodge,  Chapter  and  Council,  Clinton,  and 
is  a  charter  member  of  the  latter  body.  He  be- 
longs to  Cyrene  Commandery,  Knights  Temp- 


lar of  Centralia.     His  membership  with  the  O. 
R.  C.  is  at  Chicago,  in  Division  No.  i. 

The  reminiscence  of  one  who  has  been  for 
nearly  forty  years  in  the  employ  of  one  corpora- 
tion cannot  fail  of  being  interesting.  Most  that 
were  on  the  field  when  he  began  have  passed  to 
the  other  side.  Some  few  remain  to  connect  the 
present  with  the  past,  but  it  will  not  be  many 
years  before  the  last  will  have  passed  off  the 
scene  and  new  hands  will  be  at  the  helm. 


S.  SCUDDER  is  an  engineer  in  the 
passenger  service  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral,  and  is  an  old  and  valued  em- 
ploye of  the  road.  He  became  iden- 
tified with  the  I.  C.  in  1864,  serving  as  brake- 
man  for  a  year  and  in  1865,  was  appointed  fire- 
man. Three  years  later,  in  1868,  he  was  pro- 
moted to  engineer  in  the  freight  service,  and  in 
1888  was  promoted  to  the  passenger  service, 
where  he  has  since  remained.  His  present  run 
is  between  Champaign  and  Centralia. 

He  joined  Lodge  No.  24,  B.  of  L.  E.  in 
1869,  and  is  still  an  honored  member  of  that 
lodge. 


RANK  JENNINGS  is  a  native  of  New 
Sharon,  Franklin  county,  Maine.  His 
first  service  was  at  Terre  Haute,  Indi- 
ana, where  he  remained  for  two  months 
receiving  and  shipping  stock  in  the  yards.  In 
July  1865  he  came  to  the  Illinois  Central  and 
began  firing  for  Frank  Rugg  on  engine  No.  73. 
on  the  Hyde  Park  suburban  train.  He  then 
fired  a  pay  car  for  Smith  Sherwood,  now  de- 
ceased, and  from  there  he  went  on  a  freight  and 
passenger  on  the  Chicago  division,  from  here 
to  Cairo,  Dubuque  and  Sioux  City  in  the  yards. 
The  subject  was  later  set  up  and  the  first  days 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


617 


he  ran  in  the  Chicago  yards  he  ran  engine  No.  i, 
fired  a  wood  burner  on  the  pay  car,  was  in  yard 
service  several  months  and  then  had  a  suburban 
run,  together  with  freight  and  passenger  on  the 
Chicago  division. 

In  1873,  two  years  after  the  fire,  he  got  a 
regular  suburban  run  between  Chicago  and 
Grand  Crossing.  For  three  years  he  had  engine 
No.  203  and  during  the  World's  Fair  he  had 
No.  241.  He  has  never  been  hurt  and  never 
missed  going  to  a  pay  car  but  once,  when  he  broke 
his  leg,  which  was  done  while  going  into  the 
house  and  he  was  laid  up  three  months,  never 
been  discharged. 

Mr.  Jennings  is  a  member  of  the  B.  of  L. 
E.,  No.  10. 


JAMES  MILLER  is  the  well  known  engi- 
neer in  the  passenger  service  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  running  on  the  "Diamond 
Special,"  between   Clinton,   Illinois,   and 
East  St.  Louis.     He  entered  the  service  of  the 
I.  C.  in  1871,  as  fireman  on  the  Arnboy  division, 
being   promoted   to   engineer   in    1877,   and   ap- 
pointed to  a  run  south  of  the  Ohio  river.     In 
the  fall  of  1878  he  was  transferred  to  the  Amboy 
division,  running  a  switch  engine  in  the  yards 
at   Clinton.     He   was   in    1881    given   a   regular 
passenger   run   on   that   division,   where   he   has 
since  remained. 

Our  subject  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Craw- 
ford county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1844,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1 86 1.  Responding  to  the  call  for 
volunteers  in  that  year,  he  enlisted,  but  was 
discharged  on  account  of  his  youth.  However 
he  succeeded  in  1862,  in  joining  the  "Army  of 
the  West,"  under  General  Grant,  and  was  in  the 
battles  of  Missionary  Ridge,  and  Chickamauga. 
He  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Perryville, 
Kentucky,  and  was  obliged  to  remain  in  the 
hospital  for  some  time.  After  the  wound 
healed,  he  went  to  the  heavy  artillery,  until  again 
able  to  go  to  the  front. 


Mr.  Miller  was  married  in  1867,  and  has 
two  children,  one  son  and  one  daughter.  His 
son,  Fretl,  is  in  the  employ  of  the  I.  C.  as  brake- 
man.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  B.  of  L.  E., 
No.  315,  at  Clinton,  where  he  resides. 


ITUS  HENCHCLIFF  is  the  well  known 

U  engineer  on  the  "Daylight  Special,"  in 
charge  of  engine  No.  909,  between  Clin- 
ton and  East  St.  Louis.  He  entered 
the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central,  in  1871,  as 
fireman,  on  what  is  now  known  as  the  Freeport 
division,  from  Amboy,  Illinois,  to  Dubuque,  la. 
Continuing  as  fireman  until  1879,  he  was  in  that 
year  promoted  to  engineer,  under  S.  J.  Hayes, 
supervisor  of  machinery,  for  the  I.  C.  at  that 
time.  He  was  then  transferred  to  the  Clinton 
district,  and  was  in  the  freight  service  there  un- 
til 1891,  when  he  was  promoted  to  the  passen- 
ger service,  taking  charge  of  the  "Diamond 
Special."  During  a  service  of  twenty-nine  years 
with  the  I.  C.  our  subject  has  not  lost  one  month 
of  time.  He  is  justly  proud  of  his  record,  which 
shows  that  he  is  a  practical  and  steady  man. 

Mr.  Henchcliff  was  born  in  Jackson  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  in  1851,  and  was  married  in  1874, 
to  Miss  Lucy  Judd.  They  have  a  family  of 
three  sons,  and  two  daughters.  Socially  he  is 
a  member  of  B.  of  L.  E.,  No.  315,  and  Olive 
Lodge,  No.  98,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Clinton,  111. 


J.  POLAND  is  the  assistant  claim 
agent  on  the  Amboy  division  of  the 
LQ  Illinois  Central,  residing  at  Clinton. 
He  has  been  in  the  service  of  the 
I.  C.  at  various  periods,  from  1854,  to  the  present 
time.  His  first  work  was  as  train  baggageman, 
on  the  Chicago  division,  to  which  he  was  ap- 
pointed May  20,  1854,  and  where  he  served  for 


618 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


one  year.  He  was  then  promoted  to  conductor 
in  the  freight  service,  from  Galena  to  Amboy, 
holding  the  latter  position  until  1856,  when  he 
was  promoted  to  the  passenger  service,  on  the 
Amhov  division,  from  Ambov  to  Decatur,  and 
on  the  completion  of  the  road  to  Centralia. 

In  1861  our  subject  asked  for  and  obtained 
a  leave  of  absence,  and  for  sixteen  months  was 
in  the  passenger  service  of  the  C.  &  A.  R.  R. 
from  Chicago  to  St.  Louis.  He  returned  to  the 
1.  C.  in  1862,  and  taking  a  position  as  extra  con- 
ductor, he  was  soon  appointed  to  the  passenger 
service,  and  given  the  run  from  Ainboy  to  Cen- 
tralia, remaining  on  that  run  until  January  1866. 
On  the  latter  date,  he  was  promoted  to  train- 
master at  Decatur,  and  served  there  until  Sep- 
tember 1873,  when  he  was 'transferred  to  Du- 
buque,  in  a  similar  capacity,  remaining  there  until 
January  1886.  On  account  of  failing  eye-sight 
he  was  compelled  to  abandon  his  work  as  train- 
master and  take  a  vacation,  and  a  much  needed 
rest,  after  which  he  assumed  his  present  posi- 
tion. 

Mr.  Poland  is  a  native  of  Standish,  Cum- 
berland county,  Maine,  where  he  was  born  Aug. 
12,  1832.  He  came  to  Clinton  in  1893,  where  he 
has  since  resided,  and  is  a  prominent  citizen  of 
that  place. 


ILLIAM  EGGER,  one  of  the  oldest 
and  best  known  employes  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  is  an  engineer  in  the 
passenger  service  on  the  Clinton  dis- 
trict. He  became  identified  with  the  I.  C.  in 
1857,  working  as  fireman  on  the  Cairo  division. 
At  that  time  wood  was  used  exclusively  as  fuel, 
and  our  subject  has  seen  other  wonderful 
changes,  during  his  railroad  career  in  all  branches 
of  the  service. 

He  was  promoted  to  engineer  in  1862,  and 
took  charge  of  a  switch  engine  in  the  Centralia 
yards,  and  in  1865  was  transferred  to  the  freight 
service  from  Centralia  to  Clinton.  He  was  pro- 


moted to  the  passenger  service  in  1871,  where  he 
has  since  remained. 

Mr.  Egger  is  a  native  of  Switzerland,  where 
he  was  born  in  1838,  coming  to  America  in  1847. 
He  was  married  in  1862,  to  Miss  Murley,  and 
has  two  sons  and  five  daughters.  He  has  a 
comfortable  home  in  the  citv  of  Centralia. 


JAMES  RASBACH,  now  retired,  is  one  of 
the    oldest    and    most    highly    respected 
former  employes  of  the  Illinois  Central. 
He  was  born  in  Herkimer  county,  in  the 
state  of  New  York,  on  January   15,   1820,  and 
came  to  Illinois  in  1856,  taking  up  his  residence 
at  Cairo.     He  at  once  entered  the  service  of  the 
I.  C.  as  baggagemaster,  between  Cairo  and  De- 
catur, under  a  brother  of  Col.  Mason,  and  was 
appointed  station  agent,  at  Clinton,  on  July   i, 
1857.     He  served  the  company  uninterruptedly 
as  ticket,   freight,   and  express  agent,   until   re- 
tiring in  1892,  after  an  honorable  career  of  thir- 
ty-five years. 

Mr.  Rasbach  was  married  September  4, 
1849  to. Miss  Eiseman,  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren living.  A  residence  of  such  long  duration 
among  the  citizens  of  Clinton,  has  won  for  him 
the  highest  esteem  of  all. 


October   i , 


ILLIAM  R.  ARTHUR,  former 
superintendent  of  the  Chicago  divi- 
sion of  the  Illinois  Central,  became 
identified  with  the  company  on 
1858,  as  superintendent,  with  head- 
quarters at  Centralia.  The  Chicago  division  at 
that  time  extended  from  that  city  to  Cairo.  Up- 
on the  retirement  of  Mr.  Clark  in  January  1859, 
our  subject  assumed  his  duties,  and  on  June  ist, 
of  that  year,  was  made  general  superintendent 


WILLIAM  RENSHAW. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


621 


of  the  entire  system,  continuing  as  such  until 
February  i.  1866.  He  has  served  as  superinten- 
dent of  transportation  in  the  passenger  and 
freight  service,  superintendent  of  machinery  and 
roadway,  and  introduced  the  four  inch  rail,  with 
improved  coupler.  He  was  in  the  service  of  the 
I.  C.  when  wood  was  used  exclusively  as  fuel. 


ILLIAM  RENSHAW,  superinten- 
dent of  machinery  for  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Company,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Pennsylvania,  having  been 
born  in  Philadelphia,  March  10,  1851.  He  be- 
gan life  for  himself  in  March  1863,  at  the  age 
of  twelve,  in  the  machine  shop  of  the  Michigan 
Central  Railroad,  at  Michigan  City,  Ind.,  re- 
maining there  until  February  17,  1865.  He 
entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road Company,  February  18,  1865,  as  an  office 
boy  in  the  office  of  superintendent  of  machinery 
in  Chicago,  and  worked  in  that  capacity  and  on 
mechanical  drawing  in  the  drawing  room  until 
February  1869.  From  October  1869,  until 
March  1872  he  was  employed  as  a  machinist 
and  in  the  drawing  room,  when  in  September 
of  the  latter  year  he  was  appointed  night  fore- 
man of  the  engine  house,  remaining  in  this  ca- 
pacity until  he  was  appointed  to  the  position  of 
day  foreman  in  the  same  engine  house  on  Octo- 
ber i,  1873.  He  was  made  general  foreman  in 
1877;  master  mechanic  of  Chicago  division  in 
1884;  assistant  superintendent  of  machinery  in 
1888;  and  was  appointed  to  his  present  position 
February  i,  1893. 

On  October  15,  1878,  Mr.  Renshaw  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Delia  C.  Reeme, 
at  Tiffin,  Ohio.  To  this  union  were  born  five 
children,  two  of  whom  are  deceased.  Those 
living  are  Frederick  W.,  born  February  26,  1880, 
graduated  from  Yale  College,  in  the  class  of 
1900;  William  W.,  born  January  30,  1885,  and 
Charles  C.,  born  July  26,  1890,  both  of  whom  are 
attending  Harvard  Academy,  Chicago. 

T3 


D.  PECKENS  is  a  well  known  con- 
ductor in  the  passenger  service,  of 
Q  the  Illinois  Central,  running  from 
Oilman  to  Springfield.  He  worked 
as  brakeman  and  baggageman  in  the  suburban 
service  from  1873  to  1876,  when  he  took  a  posi- 
tion on  the  Dakota  Southern  R.  R.  Returning 
to  Illinois  in  June  1879,  he  re-entered  the  service 
of  the  I.  C.  as  brakeman,  at  which  he  remained 
until  September  of  that  year,  when  he  was  pro- 
moted to  conductor  in  the  freight  service,  on  the 
Springfield  division.  He  worked  in  this  capa- 
city for  three  years,  and  then  took  charge  of  a 
mixed  train,  holding  the  latter  position  for  seven 
years,  and  on  the  establishment  of  his  present 
run  by  the  I.  C.  he  was  promoted  to  it. 

Mr.  Peckens  was  born  at  Scranton,  Penn- 
sylvania, August  9,  1854,  and  was  married  to 
Miss  Alice  S.  Cooties,  November  24,  1880. 
Their  union  has  been  blessed  by  two  children, 
viz :  Josie  E.  and  Lucy  A. 

Socially  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Gilman  Lodge  No.  591,  Watseka  Chap- 
ter No.  114,  Gibson  Council  No.  72,  and  Paxton 
Commandery  No.  38. 


ON.  C.  J.  SABIN,  mayor  of  Champaign, 
is  a  widely  known  former  employe 
of  the  Illinois  Central.  Entering  the 
service  of  the  company  on  October 
29,  1854,  he  first  served  as  fireman,  at  Galena, 
Illinois,  and  on  April  I,  1855,  was  promoted  to 
engineer,  between  Galena  and  Freeport,  and 
took  the  first  engine  over  the  draw  bridge  at 
Galena.  In  June  1855,  he  was  transferred  to  the 
service  between  Dunleith  and  Amboy.  In  1857 
he  was  sent  to  Chicago  and  placed  in  charge  of 
the  "Old  Union,"  an  engine  in  the  passenger  ser- 
vice, and  remained  there  for  seven  months  and 
was  then  sent  to  the  Champaign  district. 

Mr.  Sabin  was  engineer  on  the  first  passen- 
ger train  to  enter  Dunleith,  and  was  at  Galena 
when  the  famous  dispute  between  the  citizens, 


622 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


and  the  I.  C.  in  regard  to  the  terminus  of  the 
line  was  settled.  He  was  an  engineer  in  the 
freight  and  passenger  service  of  the  I.  C.  from 
April  i,  1855,  to  May  31,  1866.  On  the  latter 
date  he  resigned  to  enter  the  farm  implement 
business,  at  Champaign,  conducting  a  highly 
successful  business  in  that  line,  until  February  r, 
1898. 

In  April  1898,  our  subject  was  elected 
mayor  of  Champaign,  and  on  his  accession  to 
office,  received  congratulatory  letters  from  many 
old  railroad  associates  and  from  B.  of  L.  E.,  at 
Centralia,  Illinois,  with  which  he  was  connected 
in  1864. 

Mr.  Sabin  was  born  on  June  8,  1831,  near 
Dunkirk,  in  the  state  of  New  York,  and  his 
first  railroad  work  was  on  the  old  Erie  R.  R. 
His  success  in  life  is  due  entirely  to  his  own 
merits,  and  shows  him  to  be  a  man  of  extraor- 
dinary ability.  During  his  administration  as 
mayor  of  Champaign,  he  has  shown  the  same 
enterprise,  which  characterized  him  as  a  success- 
ful railroad  and  business  man. 

He  has  resided  continuously  since  1858  in 
his  present  home. 


}  AT  GROGAN,  a  jolly,  good-natured  en- 
gineer on  the  Louisville  division  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  began  his  railroad 
career  in  the  shops  at  Paducah,  as  a 
stationary  engineer  in  1872,  on  the  Paducah  & 
Elizabethtown  road.  He  began  firing  in  1877. 
November  3,  1879  he  was  promoted  to  engineer, 
running  on  various  parts  of  the  road,  just  as  it 
was  built  from  Reed  to  Tremble,  Tremble  to 
Dyersburg,  to  Covington  and  then  to  Memphis. 
At  that  time  the  engines  weighed  but  sixty-five 
tons,  small  cars  of  twelve  tons  capacity,  while 
seventeen  cars  made  a  train.  Our  subject  has 
noticed  many  changes,  can  remember  when  there 
was  a  bathing  place  for  boys  near  where  the 
Paducah  shops  now  stand. 


Our  subject  has  had  many  close  calls,  hav- 
ing at  one  time  been  seriously  injured  by  a 
draw  head  and  laid  up  three  months,  requiring 
fourteen  stitches  in  the  leg.  He  had  a  fireman, 
Dean,  who  was  killed,  a  fine  young  fellow  and 
brother  of  George  C.  Dean,  engineer.  At  one 
time  a  switch  was  left  open  and  our  subject's 
train  struck  an  opposing  train,  tearing  a  caboose 
to  pieces  and  fireman  Dean  was  badly  mangled. 
At  another  time  he  had  his  head  badly  injured, 
narrowly  escaping  death. 

Mr.  Grogan  was  born  in  Zanesville,  Ohio, 
where  his  father,  a  large  contractor,  owning 
many  teams,  died  in  1885.  Our  subject  has  a 
brother,  an  engineer  on  the  Illinois  Central. 

Mr.  Grogan  married  Miss  Kate  Walsh  of 
Paducah,  -and  has  two  children,  Nellie  and  Pat 
E.  Our  subject  is  a  popular  member  of  Divi- 
sion No.  225,  B.  of  L.  E.,  having  been  chief  in 
1896  and  1897.  He  has  a  fine  residence  in  Pa- 
ducah, and  is  a  thrifty  and  progressive  citizen 
and  engineer. 

Mr.  Grogan  is  one  of  your  big  men,  tipping 
the  beam  at  two  hundred  thirty  and  his  nearest 
friends  say  his  heart  is  as  big  as  his  body.  No 
operative  along  the  line  is  a  greater  favorite  than 
Pat  Grogan. 


ATRICK  BOYLE  is  one  of  the  old  time 
employes  of  the  Illinois  Central,  at 
present  in  charge  of  the  fuel  depart- 
ment in  the  Champaign  yards.  He 
was  employed  in  1853,  on  the  first  water  works 
in  the  city  of  Chicago,  and  in  1854  entered  the 
service  of  the  I.  C.  as  a  laborer,  and  w.as  for  a 
time  on  a  construction  train,  on  the  Kankakee 
branch  of  the  Chicago  division.  He  rode  on 
the  first  engine  that  crossed  the  Kankakee  bridge, 
before  that  city  was  built.  He  next  worked  as 
brakeman,  from  Centralia  to  Wapella,  and  in 
1856  was  appointed  yard  master  at  Champaign, 
holding  that  position  until  1891.  In  the  latter 
year  he  was  given  his  present  position. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


623 


ROBERTS  is  the  well  known  engi- 
neer on  engine  No.  966,  in  the  pas- 
LQ  senger  service,  on  the  Champaign 
district  of  the  Illinois  Central.  He 
entered  the  I.  C.  shops  at  Champaign,  in  1867, 
when  only  eighteen  years  of  age.  During  1867 
he  took  a  position  as  fireman  and  in  June  1872 
was  promoted  to  engineer.  He  was  for  several 
years  in  the  extra  passenger  service,  but  has 
been  in  the  regular  service  for  nearly  ten  years. 

Mr.  Roberts  is  a  native  of  Denbighshire, 
North  Wales,  but  came  to  America  when  young. 
He  is  a  member  of  K.  of  L.  E.,  No.  24,  of  Cen- 
tralia. 


H.  LINTON  is  the  well  known 
train  master  on  the  Champaign 
Q  district,  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
with  headquarters  in  that  city. 
His  connection  with  the  I.  C.  dated  from  July  5, 
1878,  when  he  was  appointed  telegraph  operator 
at  Otto,  Illinois.  He  served  as  operator,  and  in 
different  capacities  at  various  places,  until  1884, 
when  he  entered  the  yard  service  as  switchman 
at  Ccntralia.  He  was  soon  promoted  to  yard 
master  at  that  place,  and  served  there  until  1887. 
In  the  latter  year  he  was  sent  to  Champaign,  as 
train  dispatcher,  remaining  there  until  October 
1892,  when  he  was  sent  back  to  Centralia,  in  the 
same  capacity.  He  was  transferred  to  Cham- 
paign on  May  i,  1896,  where  he  now  resides. 


ENRY  LITTLE  RHODES,  a  retired 
conductor  of  the  Illinois  Central,  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  I.  C.  in  1856, 
as  conductor  in  the  freight  service. 
His  first  run  was  from  Centralia  to  Wapella, 
which  he  held  for  two  years.  He  was  promoted 
to  the  passenger  service  in  1858,  and  continued 
there  until  1860.  From  1860  to  1866,  he  held 


the  position  of  train  master,  with  headquarters 
at  Decatur,  Illinois.  Resuming  his  former  run 
in  the  passenger  service  in  1866,  he  continued 
in  that  connection  with  the  I.  C.  until  June  1899, 
when  he  voluntarily  resigned,  and  is  now  re- 
tired. A  record  of  forty-four  years  of  continued 
service  with  the  I.  C.  shows  that  our  subject  is  a 
man  of  sterling  worth. 

Mr.  Rhodes  was  born  on  May  24,  1829,  and 
is  the  son  of  Simeon  and  Jane  Rhodes,  who  lived 
in  Port  Jervis,  Orange  county,  New  York,  at  the 
time  of  our  subject's  birth.  When  only  eight 
years  of  age,  Henry  L.  Rhodes,  was  a  driver  on 
the  tow-path  of  the  Erie  canal  and  continued  in 
the  service  of  that  company,  being  made  captain 
of  a  canal  boat  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  Railroad 
at  that  time  was  fast  superseding  canals  as  a 
means  of  transportation,  and  our  subject  seeing 
that  a  good  prospect  was  in  store  for  a  man  of 
energy,  sought  service  in  that  line,  and  rose 
step  by  step,  until  he  became  a  conductor  on  the 
New  York  &  Erie  R.  R.  which  position  he  held 
for  seven  years,  or  until  1856,  when  he  became 
identified  with  the  I.  C. 

Mr.  Rhodes  is  one  of  the  progressive  citizens 
of  Centralia.  He  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  his 
fellow-citizens,  as  is  shown  by  his  having  been 
mayor,  of  that  city  for  two  terms.  In  politics 
he  is  a  strong  Republican  and  has  acted  as  dele- 
gate to  the  county  and  state  conventions.  He 
was  a  delegate  to  the  national  convention,  which 
nominated  President  McKinley. 

In  early  life  he  married  Miss  Sarah  E. 
Smith,  of  Port  Jervis,  New  York,  and  three 
children  have  been  born  to  them,  viz:  George  H. 
Rhodes,  one  of  the  most  enterprising  business 
men  of  Centralia,  Libbie  Rhodes,  wife  of  Benja- 
min F.  Stattermyer,  who  died  several  years  ago 
in  St.  Louis,  and  W.  A.  Rhodes,  who  died  in  St. 
Paul,  Minn.,  in  early  life. 

Mr.  Rhodes  Sr.  is  a  thirty-third  degree 
mason.  His  family  are  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian church,  in  which  they  are  prominent,  and 
also  liberal  and  substantial  supporters. 


624 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


JOHN  P.   SMITH,  who  runs  out  a  pas- 
senger engine  from  the  Twenty-seventh 
street  round  house,  is  one  of  the  Illinois 
Central    Company's    stand-bys.     He   be- 
gan as  a  fireman  for  them  in   1871,  under  the 
tutelage  of  his  father,  Nicholas  Smith,  on  engine 
No.  8,  one  of  the  old  wood  burners.     He  is  now 
the  sixth  in  the  order  of  seniority. 

After  firing  for  five  years,  Mr.  Smith  was 
set  up  to  engineer  on  a  suburban  line,  but  three 
years  later  was  given  a  freight  run  which  fur- 
nished him  with  employment  until  he  was  placed 
at  the  head  of  a  passenger  train,  running  south 
from  Chicago,  in  1892.  In  all  his  railroad  ex- 
perience Mr.  Smith  has  had  the  good  fortune 
to  never  be  in  any  great  wreck,  nor  met  with 
any  serious  accident  of  any  kind. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  appears  at  the 
head  of  this  article  was  born  in  the  city  of  Chi- 
cago, October  13,  1834.  In  October  1882,  he 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Josephine 
Erzinger,  and  their  home  has  been  blessed  by  the 
presence  of  two  children,  Emma  and  Hazel. 
Socially  Mr.  Smith  is  identified  with  the  follow- 
ing fraternities:  Division  No.  10,  B.  of  L.  E.,  of 
Burnside,  and  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen,  Twin  City  Council  of  Champaign. 


miles  from  the  city  of  Searberg.  He  migrated 
to  America  in  1834,  and  in  1850  settled  in  the 
city  of  Chicago.  Four  years  later  he  secured 
a  position  with  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Com- 
pany at  the  Weldon  shops,  at  Sixteenth  street. 
From  that  time  until  September  1897,  Mr. 
Snyder  occupied  a  place  in  the  shop  without 
interruption  with  the  exception  of  two  periods 
of  two  weeks,  and  one  of  those  was  on  the  ac- 
count of  sickness.  He  helped  build  the  first 
shops  at  Weldon,  which  were  shed  roof  build- 
ings and  their  entire  equipments  were  lathes, 
one  planer  and  a  drilling  machine.  His  work 
then  was  by  one  of  the  lathes  and  he  kept  that 
place  at  Sheldon  and  at  Burnside  until  1897, 
when  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years  he  discon- 
tinued the  pursuit  of  his  trade  to  accept  his 
present  position.  At  the  old  settler's  meeting 
of  Cook  county,  our  subject  received  a  gold 
medal  for  the  longest  uninterrupted  service  un- 
der one  employer. 

Mr.  Snyder  was  married  in  Cook  county 
to  Miss  Augusta  Strever,  and  their  home  has 
been  blessed  by  the  presence  of  a  family  of  five 
children  whose  names  in  the  order  of  their  birth 
are  as  follows :  Matilda,  George,  Lizzie,  Annie 
and  Frank. 


EORGE  SNYDER.  The  readers  of 
this  work  will  be  pleased  to  find  in  it 
a  biography  of  the  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  this  article.  The  men- 
tion of  a  man  of  his  age,  enjoying  health  and  the 
right  use  of  his  faculties  is  enough  to  arouse  the 
attention  of  most  people,  but  men  who  are  above 
the  age  of  eighty-five  years  and  still  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  railroad  company  are,  to  say  the 
least,  very  rare. 

Mr.  Snyder,  who  is  now  in  charge  of  the 
air  brake  car,  was  born  Ailgust  5,  1814,  in  the 
district  of  Saarburg,  then  in  the  Rhine  Province 
of  France,  his  birth  place  being  about  eighteen 


AVID  SLOAN,  chief  engineer  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  was  born  in  Belfast, 
Ireland,  July  4,  1847,  ar>d  began  his 
railroad  career  in  1871  as  chainman 
on  the  construction  of  the  Franklin  branch  of 
the  L.  S.  &  M.  S.  From  1874  to  1875  he  was 
assistant  engineer  of  the  Eastern  Kentucky  road 
at  Grayson,  Ky.  In  1877  he  was  engaged  in  har- 
bor work  at  Ashtabula,  Ohio,  for  the  L.  S.  & 
M.  S.  From  1883  to  1887  was  with  the  Chicago 
&  Atlanta  Railroad  the  last  two  years  of  which 
he  served  as  chief  engineer;  until  1888  he  was 
assistant  engineer  for  the  C.  M.  &  St.  P. ;  then 
assistant  chief  engineer  of  the  I.  C.  until  Octo- 
ber 8,  1897;  since  January  i,  1898,  he  has  served 
the  corporation  as  chief  engineer. 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


627 


'ILLIAM  HENRY  SMITH,  famliar- 
ly  known  as  "  Hank  Smith  ",  is  now 
in  charge  of  the  stationary  engine 
in  the  round  house  at  the  Twenty- 
seventh  Street  Station,  Chicago.  He  is  also 
known  as  the  "  veteran  engineer ",  being  the 
oldest  in  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  com- 
pany in  Chicago.  Mr.  Smith  was  a  fireman  in 
Jersey  City,  New  Jersey,  when  he  was  a  boy, 
and  when  still  a  young  man,  he  was  fireman  on 
the  Michigan  Central,  at  Detroit,  Mich.,  but  at 
the  same  time  made  an  occassional  run  as  engi- 
neer. April  26,  1856,  he  was  placed  in  charge 
of  engine  No.  21,  on  the  Illinois  Central  line, 
running  from  Chicago  to  Champaign,  and  for 
a  time  stood  at  the  head  of  a  construction  train. 
While  in  this  capacity  he  hauled  the  stone  for  the 
bridge  south  of  Paxton.  Our  subject  was  next 
placed  in  charge  of  engine  No.  76,  which  was 
the  first  one  on  the  line  with  sixteen  inch  cylin- 
ders, and  ran  between  Chicago  and  Champaign. 
In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  1856  Mr.  Smith 
accepted  a  position  at  the  head  of  a  passenger 
train  running  between  these  points  and  retained 
it  until  the  fall  of  1896,  a  period  of  forty  years. 
Sooner  or  later  Father  Time  will  render  the  best 
of  men  incompetent,  and  although  our  subject 
withstood  him  for  a  remarkable  length  of  time, 
he  had  to  finally  bow  to  the  inevitable.  After 
leaving  his  passenger  run,  however,  he  sat  for 
a  time  on  the  right  side  of  the  cab  of  the  shop  en- 
gine, running  from  Weldon  to  Burnside.  Since 
January  I,  1899,  he  has  had  charge  of  the  station- 
ary engine  at  the  Twenty-seventh  street  shops. 
During  these  years  Mr.  Smith  has  seen  a  great 
many  changes  in  the  Illinois  Central  Road,  many 
new  lines  have  been  built  and  the  old  ones  im- 
proved, the  number  of  cars  been  mutiplied,  and 
the  little  slow  running  engines  have  given  place 
to  those  several  times  their  size  and  that  will  run 
at  several  times  their  speed,  and  scarcely  a  man 
who  worked  with  him  at  the  time  he  began  is 
now  in  the  employ  of  the  company,  to  say  noth- 
ing of  the  improvement  in  the  shops  and  manu- 
factories and  the  methods  of  transacting  business. 
1  Fe  has  been  very  fortunate,  and  in  all  of  his 
career  has  never  been  in  a  wreck. 


Mr.  Smith  was  married  in  Chicago  to  Miss 
Catharine  Your,  and  three  children,  William, 
George,  and  Catharine,  have  been  born  to  them. 
Socially  our  subject  is  identified  with  the  B.  of 
L.  E. 


ILLIAM  F.  KELLEY.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  is  a  veteran  in 
railroading  and  there  are  but  few 
who  have  a  record  that  will  equal 
his.  From  a  helper  in  the  round  house  on  the 
New  York  Central  &  Hudson  River  Railroad  at 
Rochester,  New  York,  where  he  began  his  career 
on  September  14,  1864,  he  has  climbed  the  lad- 
der step  by  step,  until  now  he  stands  at  the  top. 
It  is  a  pleasure  for  us  to  enlighten  our  readers 
as  to  the  ups  and  downs  of  our  subject,  who 
after  much  questioning  and  drawing  out  gave 
us  the  dates  and  which  has  been  added  to  by  the 
information  secured  from  his  fellow  workmen 
by  whom  he  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem.  But 
we  are  digressing  and  will  return  to  the  time  of 
his  connection  with  the  N.  Y.  Central  with  which 
company  he  remained  but  two  months,  when  like 
many  young  men  of  those  days  he  decided  to  go 
west  and  "grow  up  with  the  country"  as  Greeley 
used  to  say.  He  located  in  Akron,  Ohio,  and 
began  firing  an  engine  on  the  Atlantic  &  Great 
Western.  In  those  days  each  engineer  engaged 
his  own  fireman  and  by  a  stroke  of  good  luck 
he  secured  a  position  in  road  service,  and  dur- 
ing the  next  four  years  he  devoted  his  entire 
time  to  mastering  his  profession.  We  next  find 
him  on  the  Hannibal  &  St.  Joe  road  at  Brook- 
field,  Mo.,  as  an  engine  house  foreman  which 
position  he  retained  for  six  months  and  then 
tiring  of  the  work  he  resigned  and  accepted  a 
position  as  fireman  and  extra  engineer  and  con- 
tinued in  that  capacity  for  one  year  and  a  half. 
At  this  juncture  his  health  failed  and  the  fol- 
lowing year  was  spent  in  his  native  state.  Then 
he  again  came  west,  this  time  locating  at  Spring- 
field, 111.,  where  he  was  offered  and  accepted  a 
position  as  engineer  in  the  freight  service  on 


628 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


the  Wabash,  continuing  there  until  August  13, 
1874  when  he  resigned  and  was  at  once  engaged 
by  the  G.  C.  &  S.,  now  the  Springfield  division 
of  the  Illinois  Central.  He  took  a  freight  run 
between  Springfield  and  Gilman  and  during  the 
next  four  years  his  became  a  familiar  counte- 
nance to  the  boys  along  the  line,  but  in  1878, 
when  trains  No.  39  and  No.  40  were  put  on 
between  Springfield  and  Chicago,  our  subject, 
owing  to  his  long  experience  and  clean  record, 
was  chosen  as  the  one  to  pull  what  was  then 
called  a  fine  train,  but  what  a  contrast  to  the 
present  magnificently  equipped  trains.  He  had 
engine  No.  1355  at  first  and  four  cars  made  the 
train.  This  ntn,  however,  was  of  short  dura- 
tion, as  in  the  same  year  it  was  discontinued 
and  our  subject  returned  to  freight  and  extra 
passenger  service  and  later  pulled  passenger 
from  Springfield  to  Farmer  City  for  two  years. 
At  this  time  a  through  passenger  service  was 
established  on  the  Springfield  division  and  Mr. 
Kelley  was  on  that  run  until  1896,  when  again, 
as  the  business  increased  and  the  demand  for 
faster  time  became  necessary  he  was  pulled  off 
the  Springfield  division  and  given  his  present 
jxjsition,  pulling  the  Daylight  Special  the  'finest 
equipped  train  in  the  service.  During  all  these 
years  our  subject  has  never  received  a  serious 
injury,  but  perhaps  that  is  a  stroke  of  good  luck 
as  No.  1309  the  engine  he  was  running  at  the 
time  he  was  promoted  to  present-  run,  was 
wrecked  the  day  after  he  handed  her  over  to 
his  successor  at  Salt  Creek. 

Our  subject  is  an  honored  and  respected 
member  of  Division  No.  315,  B.  of  L.  E.,  also 
a  member  of  Blue  Lodge,  No.  333,  Chapter 
No.  i,  and  El  wood  Commandery,  No.  6,  all 
of  Springfield,  111. 

In  1878  he  was  married  to  Miss  Charlotte 
R.  Harris,  also  a  native  of  New  York  state  and 
their  union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of 
two  daughters,  Marchie  and  Ruby. 


JOHN  LOCKER  HALLAM,   M.  D.,  de- 
ceased, was  for  many  years  district  sur- 
geon for  the  Illinois  Central,  at  Centra- 
lia.     Dr.   Hallam  was  born  at  Bassing- 
ton,  Derbyshire,  England,  in  February  1819.     In 
company  with  his  parents  and  three  sisters  he 
arrived  in  America  in  1827,  and  settled  in  Ed- 
wards   county,    Illinois.     Arriving  at   manhood, 
our  subject  entered  the  Kemper  Medical  College 
(now  the  Missouri  Medical)  of  St.  Louis,  where 
he  graduated.     In    1871   he   was  appointed  dis- 
trict surgeon  for  the  I.  C.  and  remained  as  such 
until  his  death  on  June  15,  1894. 

His  son,  Dr.  John  Carter  Hallam,  is  now  a 
physician  and  surgeon,  at  Centralia,  and  prac- 
tices his  profession  with  Dr.  E.  E.  Fyke,  the 
medical  representative  of  the  I.  C.  at  that  place. 


JOHN  KIEFF.  This  name  deserves  a 
place  on  the  list  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Company's  pioneer  workmen,  since  its 
bearer  began  work  as  a  tinner  in  the 
old  Weldon  shops  in  1856,  or  at  least  the  sheds 
in  which  the  machinery  was  first  installed  and 
stood  on  the  site  of  the  Weldon  shops.  At  that 
time  he  was  the  only  tinner  employed  by  the 
company  in  the  city  of  Chicago.  Others  have 
come  and  gone  and  the  company  has  grown  until 
it  employs  eighty  tinners  in  the  Burnside  shops 
alone,  to  which  our  subject  was  transferred 
January  i,  1899,  but  he  still  holds  his  place,  a 
record  that  hardly  has  an  equal  in  the  history 
of  the  railroad.  During  his  forty-four  years  of 
service,  Mr.  Kieff  has  lost  only  two  weeks  time 
and  that  was  during  the  great  strike  of  1894,  but 
this  has  been  more  than  made  up  by  the  over 
hours  that  he  has  worked.  Some  months  he  has 
drawn  as  much  as  forty-two  days  wages. 

Mr.  Kieff  was  born  in  Chippawa,  Canada, 
May  15,  1838.  In  1844  the  family  moved  to 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  two  years  later,  moved  from 
thence  to  Chicago.  As  soon  as  he  had  attained 
his  majority,  Mr.  Kieff  returned  to  Buffalo  to 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


629 


learn  his  trade,  and  there  served  an  apprentice- 
ship of  four  years  and  two  months  with  John  J. 
Smith  &  Co.,  which  fully  prepared  him  for  his 
place  in  the  shops  of  the  Illinois  Central  Com- 
pany. In  1864,  in  the  city  of  Chicago,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Annie  Humphrey, 
and  their  wedded  life  was  blessed  to  them  by  the 
advent  of  a  family  of  six  children  whose  names 
in  the  order  of  their  birth  are  as  follows :  Mary 
Agnes,  William  Henry,  Albert,  also  an  employe 
at  the  Burnside  shops,  Annie,  Nellie  and  Emma. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Kieff  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  Lodge  No.  311,  of  Chicago. 


August  4,  1899,  when  he  voluntarily  resigned, 
and  is  now  taking  a  much  needed  rest. 

Mr.  Wamsley  was  married  to  Miss  Arabel- 
la Catterlin,  of  Clinton,  Illinois,  and  their  union 
has  been  blessed  by  three  children,  viz :  Eugene, 
born  November  19,  1872;  Maude,  born  Decem- 
ber 8,  1876,  and  Willie,  born  December  31,  1886. 

A  service  of  thirty-four  years  in  the  employ 
of  the  I.  C.  is  a  record  of  which  Mr.  Wamsley 
may  be  justly  proud. 


WAMSLEY,  a  former  valued  em- 
ploye of  the  111.  Central,  residing 
Q    at  Centralia,  111.,  is  one  of  the  thir- 
teen children,  born  to  Thomas  E. 
and  Elizabeth  Wamsley,  natives  of  Virginia,  but 
who  emigrated  to  Kentucky,  and  followed  agri- 
cultural pursuits. 

Our  subject  was  born  near  Nicholasville,  in 
the  latter  state,  on  February  2,  1841,  but  came  to 
Illinois  in  1853,  with  his  parents,  locating  at 
Randolph,  McLean  county.  He  remained  there 
but  a  short  time,  going  to  Leroy,  in  the  same 
county,  where  he  worked  on  a  farm  for  five 
years,  going  from  the  latter  place  to  Atlanta, 
Illinois.  He  was  at  Hey  worth,  111.,  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Civil  war,  and  there  joined  the 
94th  Regiment,  U.  S.  Volunteers,  receiving  an 
honorable  discharge  at  the  end  of  his  years  ser- 
\ices.  Returning  to  Leroy,  in  1863  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central,  working  at 
fence  building,  and  in  1866  obtained  a  position 
as  brakeman  in  the  freight  service,  under  Con- 
ductor Madden,  running  from  Amboy  to  Wapel- 
la.  He  served  in  this  capacity  for  two  years, 
being  then  promoted  to  conductor  on  the  same 
division,  under  Train  Dispatcher,  M.  W.  Wills. 
In  1880  he  was  promoted  to  conductor  in  the 
passenger  service,  serving  with  fidelity  until 


FHAFELI   is  a   well  known  engineer 
in  the  Centralia  district  of  the  Illi- 
O     "ois   Central.     He  entered  the   ser- 
vice of  the  I.  C.  in  1869  as  brake- 
man and  fireman  on  the  Centralia  division  and 
on  the  main  line,  working  there  for  three  years. 
In  1874  he  went  to  the  Cairo  and  Vincennes  R. 
R.   (now  part  of  the  "Big  Four")  and  worked 
for   that   company    six    years   as   engineer.     He 
re-entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  as  engineer  in 
the  freight  service  in  1880,  and  in  1895  was  pro- 
moted to  the  passenger  service  and   placed  in 
charge  of  engine  No.  913,  between  Centralia  and 
Cairo,  and  has  since  remained  on  that  run,  and 
in  charge  of  the  same  engine. 

Mr.  Hafeli  is  a  native  of  Switzerland.     He 
is  a  member  of  B.  of  L.  E.,  No.24. 


THOMAS  J.  WRIGHT  was  for  twenty- 
four  years  a  conductor  in  the  passen- 
ger service  of  the  Illinois  Central,  and 
has  lately  resigned  his  position.       He 
entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  as  brakeman  and 
baggageman,  in  the  passenger  service  on  April 
27,  1863,  running  between  Dunleith,  (now  East 
Dubuque)    and  Amboy,   Illinois.     He  served  in 
this  capacity   for  several  months  and  was  then 
appointed   baggagemaster   at    Freeport,    Illinois. 


630 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


From  the  latter  position  he  returned  to  his  former 
occupation  of  hrakeman,  securing  employment  in 
the  freight  service  of  the  I.  C.  After  serving 
five  years  he  was  promoted  to  conductor  in  the 
freight  service,  between  Dunleith  and  Amboy, 
and  in  1875  was  promoted  to  conductor  in  the 
passenger  service.  For  twenty-four  years,  or 
until  August  1899,  our  subject  held  that  position, 
running  between  Dubuque,  Iowa,  and  Amboy, 
Illinois,  and  between  Freeport  and  Centralia. 

Mr.  Wright  is  the  son  of  John  and  Mary 
(Brady)  Wright,  and  was  born  in  the  state  of 
New  York,  but  came  west  in  early  life.  He  was 
from  1863  to  1899,  in  the  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central,  a  record  which  speaks  for  itself.  He 
was  married  to  Miss  M.  Marylla  Nichols,  of 
Princeton,  Illinois,  and  they  have  two  daughters, 
Maude,  and  Gladys. 

Socially  he  is  connected  with  the  Blue  Lodge, 
Chapter  and  Knights  Templar  Consistory,  and 
is  a  charter  member  of  O.  R.  C.,  No.  i,  when  it 
was  organized  at  Amboy,  and  known  as  the 
"Brotherhood  of  Conductors."  He  was  the 
second  chief  conductor  of  the  latter  organization. 


D.  OXLEY,  foreman  of  the  machine 
shops  at  Centralia,  Illinois,  entered 
the  employ  of  the  I.  C.  in  1854.  He 
is  a  brother  of  David  Oxley,  who 
was  master  mechanic  for  the  I.  C.  from  1854  to 
1890,  retiring  on  pay,  in  October  of  that  year 
and  who  died  at  Centralia,  Illinois,  in  1897,  leav- 
ing two  sons  and  two  daughters.  John  Oxley, 
a  son  of  the  latter  worked  in  the  office  of  the  I. 
C.  as  clerk  and  chief  clerk,  from  1861  to  1895,  re- 
signing in  the  latter  year,  to  accept  the  position 
of  superintendent  of  streets,  in  the  city  of  Cen- 
tralia. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  has  spent  the 
greater  part  of  his  time  since  1854  as  a  foreman 
in  the  machine  shops,  and  has  been  in  his 
present  position  for  twenty  years.  Mr.  Oxley 


is  a  native  of  Schenectady,  New  York,  and  served 
his  time  in  the  shops  of  the  New  York  Central 
R.  R. 

His  son  Robert  A.  Oxley  has  been  in  the 
employ  of  the  I.  C.  since  1871,  and  is  now  engi- 
neer on  the  Springfield  division  of  the  road. 

Our  subject  was  married  at  Saratoga 
Springs,  New  York,  to  Miss  Julia  E.  Cook,  Sep- 
tember 4,  1850  and  to  them  has  been  born  one 
son,  Robert  A. 

In  1861  our  subject  was  badly  hurt  in  the 
fire  that  destroyed  the  shops  at  Centralia,  111. 


EORGE  MARTIN  DUGAN,  superin- 
tendent of  telegraph  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  is  a  native  of  Ohio, 
having  been  born  in  Brown  county, 
December  25,  1835.  He  began  his  railroad 
career  in  1857  as  an  operator  on  the  Mississippi 
Central  at  Grand  Junction,  Tenn.,  and  remained 
with  that  road  during  the  war.  He  then  served 
as  agent  and  operator  for  the  Southern  Railway 
Association  at  Bolivar,  Tenn.  From  1877  to 
1884  he  was  superintendent  of  telegraph  for  the 
Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans  Railroad  at 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  then  until  March  1893  served  as 
superintendent  of  telegraph  for  the  southern 
lines  of  the  I.  C.  and  Y.  &  M.  V.,  on  the  latter 
date  being  made  superintendent  of  telegraph  for 
the  entire  system,  which  position  he  holds  at  the 
present  time. 


J.  HUNT,  passenger  conductor  on 
the  Illinois  Central,  was  born  in 
Q  Madison  county,  Tenn.,  ten  miles 
northwest  of  Jackson,  November 
4,  1847.  He  began  railroading  in  1871  on  the 
M.  &  O.  as  a  freight  brakeman  between  Colum- 
bus, Ky.,  and  Baldwin,  Miss.,  and  continued  one 
year  when  he  quit  and  was  not  engaged  in  rail- 


THOMAS  F.  BARTON. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


633 


reading  again  until  1878,  when  he  entered  the 
employ  of  the  I.  C.  as  a  freight  brakeman  be- 
tween Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  Fillmore,  Ky.,  then 
the  northern  terminal,  and  at  the  expiration  of 
eighteen  months  he  was  promoted  to  conductor 
and  began  running  freight  on  the  same  district. 
At  that  time  all  the  men  were  in  the  chain  gang 
and  our  subject  continued  in  the  freight  service 
until  1889,  when  he  was  promoted  to  the  pas- 
senger service  and  has  continued  in  that  capaci- 
ty to  the  present  time,  with  the  exception  of 
three  years,  when,  owing  to  lack  of  travel,  he 
was  put  back  on  a  freight  run.  Most  of  his 
work  has  been  confined  to  the  Cairo  district.  He 
has  been  fortunate  in  that  he  has  never  been  seri- 
ously injured.  He  is  married  and  has  three 
children,  William  F.,  now  braking  on  the  St. 
Louis  division  of  the  M.  &  O.  Railroad ;  Clyde, 
flagman  on  the  Cairo  district,  for  passenger  con- 
ductor Morgan,  and  Mary  Ada. 

Socially  Mr.  Hunt  is  a  member  of  Jackson 
division  No.  149,  O.  R.  C.,  and  Stonewall  Lodge 
No.  199,  Knights  of  Honor. 


THOMAS  F.  BARTON,  master  mechanic 
at  Paducah,  Kentucky,  is  an  example 
of  what  may  be  accomplished  by  well 
directed  efforts  backed  by  a  strong 
character,  even  while  a  man  is  young.  He  be- 
gan at  the  foot  of  the  ladder  as  call  boy  at 
Point  Edward,  Ontario,  for  the  Grand  Trunk 
system,  July  14,  1880,  and  remained  in  that 
capacity  until  February  14,  1882,  when  he  be- 
came caller  in  the  machinery  department  for 
about  eleven  months.  January  I,  1883,  he  be- 
came an  apprentice  to  the  tin  and  copper-smiths 
trade  in  the  railroad  shops,  but  after  twenty-two 
months  decided  that  he  preferred  the  machinists 
trade  at  which  he  worked  until  reaching  his 
majority.  Working  as  journeyman  machinist 
until  January  12,  1890,  he  resigned  and  secured 
a  place  with  the  Illinois  Central  three  days  later 
as  machinist  at  the  Weldon  shops  under  master 


mechanic  Charles  Clarke.  In  April  1892,  he 
was  made  assistant  round  house  foreman  under 
Charles  Kelley  and  January  igth,  following  was 
made  foreman  of  the  round  house  at  the  Burn- 
side  shops  when  they  were  opened  for  business. 
The  first  of  May  when  the  World's  fair  neces- 
sitated a  large  increase  in  the  suburban  service 
Mr.  Barton  was  selected  to  serve  as  foreman  of 
engines  during  the  continuance  of  the  exposi- 
tion and  on  its  close  returned  to  his  former 
position.  On  October  18,  1896,  he  was  ap- 
pointed general  foreman  of  the  Weldon  shops 
and  May  9,  1898,  was  promoted  to  master  me- 
chanic of  the  St.  Louis  division  and  stationed 
at  East  St.  Louis.  He  was  further  promoted 
February  I,  1899,  when  he  was  assigned  to  duty 
in  the  shops  at  Water  Valley,  Mississippi,  where 
he  remained  until  April  1900,  at  which  time  he 
was  placed  in  charge  of  the  extensive  shops  at 
Paducah  on  the  promotion  of  Mr.  Curley  to 
the  Memphis  station.  Mr.  Barton  is  a  man  of 
fine  executive  ability  and  while  he  exercises  his 
authority  over  men  on  his  division  firmly  he 
does  so  in  a  way  to  win  their  esteem  and  get  the 
most  out  of  them  with  but  little  friction  in 
their  management.  He  has  the  warmest  com- 
mendations of  those  working  under  his  authori- 
ty, and  that  he  holds  the  confidence  of  his  em- 
ployers is  proved  by  his  steady  and  rapid  ad- 
vance along  the  line  of  his  •chosen  calling. 


JOHN  WILFRED  HIGGINS,  superinten- 
dent of  transportation  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral,  was  born   in   Newport,   R.   I.,   and 
entered  the  service  of  the  I.  C.  in  1879, 
serving  as  messenger  boy  until  June  1881,  then 
for  a  short  time  worked  as  a  laborer  on  the  track  ; 
from  December   1881  to  June  1883  switchman; 
to  August  1883  telegraph  operator;  to  October 
1884  freight  and  passenger  brakeman  and  bag- 
gageman ;   to  Oct.  '89  freight  conductor ;   to  April 
1890  chief  clerk  to  the  division  superintendent  of 
the   Chicago   division;   to   Dec.    1891    trainmas- 


634 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ter,  Centralia  district ;  to  Feb.  1892  chief  clerk  to 
general  superintendent;  to  June  1892  assistant 
superintendent  Louisiana  division;  to  Jan.  1893 
superintendent  Louisiana  division;  to  April  1893 
superintendent  terminals  I.  C.  and  Y.  &  M.  V. 
railroads  at  New  Orleans,  later  served  as  super- 
intendent of  Chicago  terminals  until  appointed 
to  his  present  position. 


GILLEAS,  assistant  general  super- 
intendent of  the  Southern  lines  of 
the  Illinois  Central  and  Y.  &  M. 
V.  railroads,  was  born  near  Dub- 
lin, Ireland,  October  20,  1844.  He  entered  the 
service  of  the  I.  C.  in  1859,  at  Amboy,  111.,  and 
served  three  years  as  a  porter  in  the  superinten- 
dent's office,  two  years  as  clerk  in  the  freight 
office  and  the  four  following  years  in  the  divi- 
sion engineer's  office.  From  May  i,  1868  to 
May  I,  1877,  he  served  in  the  division  engineer's 
office  in  Dubuque,  from  the  latter  date  to  April 
6,  1883,  he  was  roadmaster  of  the  Iowa  division 
and  until  the  following  October  was  acting  divi- 
sion superintendent  and  until  October  I,  1887, 
division  superintendent;  to  January  i,  1891, 
superintendent  of  the  Iowa  lines ;  to  September 
1892,  superintendent  of  Western  lines,  including 
all  lines  west  of  Chicago;  to  January  i,  1893, 
general  superintendent  of  the  Y.  &  M.  V.  road, 
at  which  time  he  was  made  assistant  general 
superintendent  of  the  Southern  lines. 


JOHN  C.  HARTIGAN,  assistant  general 
superintendent  of  the  northern  and  wes- 
tern lines,  of  the  I.  C.,  with  headquarters 
at  Chicago,  was  born  March  25,   1847. 
at  Swanton,  Franklin  county,  Vt.,  and  received 
his  education  in  the  Academy  of  his  native  town. 
He   entered   railroad   service   in    August    1865, 


when  he  became  agent  for  the  C.  &  A. 
at  Nil  wood,  remaining  there  until  April  1866, 
when  he  was  sent  to  Pontiac,  111.,  where  he  served 
as  agent  until  1872.  He  then  served  in  the  ca- 
pacity of  train  dispatcher  until  April  30,  1874; 
May  I,  1874  to  January  I,  1880,  chief  train  dis- 
patcher; Jan.  ist  to  June  I,  1880,  manager  Madi- 
son county  Ferry  &  Transfer  Co.,  at  St.  Louis, 
Mo.;  June  i,  1880  to  July  i,  1885,  train  master 
C.  M.  &  St.  P.  Railroad;  to  October  i,  1886, 
division  superintendent  Missouri  Pacific  at  Deni- 
son,  Texas;  to  April  1890  assistant  superinten- 
dent C.  M.  &  St.  P.,  and  six  months  following 
division  superintendent  of  the  Chicago  division 
of  the  I.  C.  railroad.  From  December  1890  to 
January  i,  1893,  superintendent  of  northern  lines 
of  the  I.  C.  and  from  the  latter  date  to  the  present 
time  as  assistant  general  superintendent  of 
northern  and  western  lines  . 


E.  CLERMONT,  engineer  on  the 
Freeport  division,  Illinois  Central 
LQ  Railroad,  began  his  railroad  experi- 
ence with  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  as 
brakeman  and  yardmaster  at  Aurora  for  a  short 
time  and  then  served  the  same  company  as  engi- 
neer for  a  number  of  years.  He  entered  the 
service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  engineer  on  the 
Freeport  division  in  1888,  and  at  present  runs 
engine  No.  918  on  a  regular  through  passenger 
run  from  Chicago  to  Dubuque. 

Mr.  Clermont  is  a  native  of  Canada  and  was 
born  in  1851.  He  was  married  in  1870  to  Miss 
Leveque,  a  sister  of  George  Leveque,  an  engi- 
neer in  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  service.  Her  father  was 
an  engineer  on  the  M.  C.  &  I.  R.  R.,  and  was 
killed  in  an  accident  on  the  road  in  Nov.  1876. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clermont  have  five  children : 
Alphonsine,  Sylvia,  George,  Horace  and  Arthur. 

Mr.  Clermont  is  a  member  of  the  B.  of  L. 
E.,  No.  27,  Racine  division,  K.  P.  No.  98,  of 
Freeport,  and  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  No.  250,  also  of 
Freeport. 


JOSEPH  E.  HOFFMAN. 


DAMOS  E.  SHELL. 


JOHN  HAYS  WILSON. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


637 


JOSEPH  E.  HOFFMAN,  deceased,  was 
formerly  an  engineer  on  the  I.  C.  R.  R., 
Freeport  division,  and  born  in  Pleasant 
Valley,  Jo  Daviess  county,  111.,  Novem- 
ber 15,  1870.  His  father,  Adam  Hoffman,  is  a 
retired  farmer  living  in  Chadwick,  111.  His 
mother  was  Miss  Mary  B.  Sachs,  and  is  still  liv- 
ing. Our  subject  received  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  Apple  River,  111.,  finishing  in 
the  high  school  of  the  same  place.  While  at- 
tending school  he  spent  his  summers  at  work 
on  the  farm.  In  1888  he  came  to  Freeport  and 
secured  a  position  in  a  grocery  store,  where  he 
remained  one  year,  then  clerked  in  a  gents'  fur- 
nishing store  until  1894.  At  that  time  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  a  night  watchman 
in  the  shops,  where  he  remained  until  August 
4,  1894,  when  he  became  a  fireman  on  the  Free- 
port  division  and  served  in  that  capacity  until 
September  10,  1898,  being  promoted  at  that  time 
to  the  position  of  engineer.  Mr.  Hoffman  was 
married  to  Miss  Carrie  V.  Wise,  of  Freeport, 
June  14,  1893.  She  is  a  native  of  Stephenson 
county,  and  was  born  in  Buckeye  township,  Octo- 
ber 27,  1872.  She  has  one  child  living  —  Carl 
J.  Hoffman,  born  November  6,  1896,  and  lost 
the  first  born,  Russell,  at  the  age  of  ten  months. 
Mrs.  Hoffman  is  a  member  of  the  United  Evan- 
gelical church  to  which  church  her  husband  also 
belonged.  Mr.  Hoffman  was  a  member  of  the 
B.  of  L.  F.,  and  B.  of  L.  E.  He  died  at  his  post 
of  duty,  March  9,  1900. 


chinery,  and  H.  Schlacks,  master  mechanic,  of 
Chicago,  and  after  one  year  of  successful  run- 
ning, was  given  a  certificate  as  engineer  under 
the  I.  C.  R.  R.  system,  running  freight  until 
March  1893,  when  he  was  transferred  to  the 
Diamond  Special,  and  is  now^running^on  both 
the  Daylight  and  the  Diamond  Special  from  Chi- 
cago to  Clinton  —  two  of  the  best  runs  on  the 
road.  On  all  examinations  Mr.  Shell  has  passed 
first-class.  He  was  examined  on  color  and  eye 
sight  in  1879,  in  a  special  car  sent  over  the  sys- 
tem, and  again  on  eye-sight  and  color  percep- 
tions in  the  fall  of  1897.  May  7,  1891,  he  was 
examined  by  A.  J.  McEvoy  on  book  of  rules, 
and  March  2,  1895,  on  air  brake  practice,  by  R. 
D.  Davis,  in  his  air  car.  Mr.  Shell  has  been  in 
the  service  continuously  for  twenty-eight  years, 
and  during  that  time  has  made  a  fine  record  for 
ability,  steady  nerve,  and  attention  to  duty.  Mr. 
Shell,  who  is  a  son  of  John  and  Sabina  Shell, 
the  latter  being  deceased,  was  born  near  Harris- 
burg,  Dauphin  county,  Pa.,  in  1857,  and  was  mar- 
ried in  1883  to  Miss  Minnie  Medland,  whose 
parents  were  John  and  Priscilla  (Jackman)  Med- 
land, both  now  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shell 
have  two  sons  living,  Fred  and  Arthur,  and  two 
daughters  dead — Daisy  and  Gertrude.  They 
are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  which 
Mr.  Shell  holds  the  office  of  deacon.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  is  serving  his  second  term 
in  the  board  of  education  of  Clinton,  is  socially 
connected  with  Division  No.  315,  B.  of  L.  E., 
DeWitt  Lodge  No.  84,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Goodbrake 
Chapter  No.  59;  Clinton  Commandery  No.  66, 
and  with  his  wife  is  a  member  of  Myrtle  Chapter 
of  the  Eastern  Star  No.  131,  at  Clinton. 


MOS  E.  SHELL,  engineer  on  Spring- 
field division  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,  began  his  career  as  a  railroad 
man,  in  June  1872,  on  what  is  now  the 
Springfield  division,  but  at  that  time  was  the 
Gilman,  Clinton  &  Springfield  R.  R.,  and  was  pro- 
moted to  -the  right  side  in  1879,  under  the  old 
system.  In  January  1880  he  was  examined  on 
time  card  by  T.  J.  Hudson,  and  in  the  machinery 
department  by  S.  J.  Hayes,  superintendent  of  ma- 


JOHN  HAYS  WILSON,  depot  master  of 
the    Illinois    Central    Railroad    at    Free- 
port,    was    born    in    Union   county,    Pa., 
June  8,    1837.     His   grandfather,   Hugh 
Wilson,  was  one  of  the  judges  of  the  U.  S.  dis- 
trict  court.     His    father,   also   Hugh   Wilson,   a 


638 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


tanner  and  farmer,  was  born  "in  Union  county, 
Pa.,  in  1792,  and  died  in  1873.  His  mother, 
Jane  (Foster),  died  in  April  1879. 

John  H.  Wilson  was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  his  native  county  and  took  an 
academic  course  of  three  years  at  Mifflinburg 
Academy.  He  assisted  on  his  father's  farm  until 
1857,  when  the  family  emigrated  to  Freeport,  then 
a  town  of  about  4,000  inhabitants.  Here  he  taught 
school  one  term,  and  then  secured  a  position  with 
the  I.  C.  R.  R.  as  clerk  in  the  superintendent's 
office  at  Amboy.  He  remained  in  that  position 
thirteen  months,  when  he  took  a  position  in  the 
train  service  and  served  five  years  in  that  capacity. 
He  then  began  making  up  trains  at  Amboy, 
later  clerked  in  the  office  at  Decatur,  and  then 
returned  to  Amboy  and  became  one  of  the  yard- 
masters.  January  21,  1870,  he  lost  his  right  arm 
in  the  service  of  the  company,  after  which  he 
came  to  Freeport  and  learned  to  write  with  his 
left  hand.  He  is  now  a  splendid  penman,  and 
a  model  of  neatness.  In  1871  he  became  yard- 
master  of  Freeport  yards  and  retained  that  po- 
sition for  sixteen  years,  and  in  1887  was  made 
car  accountant,  which  position  he  held  until 
1890,  when  the  new  depot  was  erected  in  Free- 
port  and  he  was  made  depot  master,  where  he 
still  serves,  attending  upon  twenty-seven  passen- 
ger trains  daily,  from  6 130  A.  M.  to  7  :oo  P.  M, 
His  service  for  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  has  always  been 
pleasant.  Mr.  Wilson's  household  is  made  up 
of  himself  and  two  sisters,  Mary  and  Martha. 
The  latter  has  taught  school  in  Freeport  for 
eighteen  years.  Of  the  family,  eight  are  living : 
six  in  Freeport  and  two  in  Pennsylvania.  Mr. 
Wilson  is  a  Prohibitionist,  and  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  Centennial  Lodge  of  Good  Templars 
in  1876,  and  first  Chaplain;  assisted  in  organiz- 
ing the  Independent  Order  of  Mutual  Aid  in 
1879,  and  has  been  connected  with  all  the  tem- 
perance organizations.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  one  of  the  charter  members  of 
John  H.  Adams  Lodge.  The  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  of  Free- 
port. 


P.  SKENE,  land  commissioner  of  the 
Illinois  Central  and  Yazoo  &  Missis- 
Q  sippi  Valley  railroads,  was  born 
October  16,  1854,  in  Salem,  Mass. 
He  entered  railroad  service  in  1872  as  a  clerk 
in  the  New  York  office  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
remaining  there  until  1887,  when  he  was  made 
assistant  secretary  of  the  Dubuque  &  Sioux  City 
Railroad  and  served  in  that  capacity  until  Janu- 
ary i,  1891,  when  he  was  made  land  commis- 
sioner of  the  Illinois  Central  and  in  October 
1892,  he  was  made  land  commissioner  of  the 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  Railroad. 


JOHN  F.  WALLACE,  assistant  second 
vice-president  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
was  born  at  Fall  River,  Miss.  He  en- 
tered railroad  work  in  1869  as  rodman 
on  the  Carthage  &  Quincy  road,  serving  one 
year;  from  1870  to  1871  he  was  assistant  engi- 
neer on  the  surveys  of  the  Q.  A.  &  St.  L.,  and 
assistant  engineer  of  office  work  of  the  R.  R.  I. 
&  St.  L.  road;  1871  to  1876  he  was  assistant 
engineer  in  the  U.  S.  engineering  corps;  1876  to 
1879  engaged  in  private  practice;  1879  to  1882 
chief  engineer  and  superintendent  of  the  Peoria 
&  Farmington  road ;  1882  to  1883  superintendent 
Central  Iowa  road  in  Illinois ;  1883  to  1886  mas- 
ter of  trains  for  the  Iowa  Central;  1887  to  1889 
bridge  engineer  for  the  Santa  Fe;  1889  to  1891 
resident  engineer  of  Chicago  terminals  for  the 
Chicago,  Madison  &  Northern  and  the  A.  T. 
&  S.  F.  railroads ;  1891  to  March  1892  engineer 
of  construction  for  the  Illinois  Central ;  March 
i,  1892  to  Aug.  1897  chief  engineer  of  the  same 
road.  Resigning  in  Aug.  1897,  he  was  on  Jan. 
i,  1898  elected  assistant  second  vice-president  of 
the  road  which  position  he  occupies  at  the  present 
time.  He  is  president  of  the  Engineers  and 
Maintenance  of  Wav  Association. 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


641 


V.  MARKHAM,  engineer  on  the 
Springfield  division  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  was  born  in  Ann 
Arbor,  Mich.,  February  4,  1847, 
a  son  of  Vincent  and  Marietta  (Gorton)  Mark- 
ham.  He  served  time  as  fireman,  and  ran  as 
engineer  on  the  C.  J3.  &  Q.  R.  R.  for  over  seven- 
teen years,  and  entered  the  service  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Sept.  17,  1888,  as  engineer  on 
the  Springfield  division,  where  he  has  since 
remained  and  is  now  running  a  local  freight.  He 
has  been  a  member  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.  since  1871, 
and  is  at  present  connected  with  Clinton  Division 
No.  315.  Mr.  Markham  was  married  in  1875 
to  Miss  Mary  Otten,  daughter  of  John  and  Eliza- 
beth Otten,  and  is  the  father  of  one  son  and  two 
daughters :  Frank  O.,  Maud  and  Florence,  all 
at  home. 


'ILLIAM  and  THOMAS  GLAVIN 
Jr.,  brakemen  in  the  service  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  come  of  a  railroad 
family  and  have  grown  up  in  the 
atmosphere  of  the  track  and  train.  Their  father, 
Thomas  Glavin  Sr.,  has  for  many  years  been  in 
the  employ  of  the  road  in  section  work,  and  is 
now  road  supervisor  over  the  district  between 
Decatur  and  Centralia.  He  is  a  man  thorough 
in  his  line  of  work  and  is  one  of  the  best  informed 
men  in  track  construction  on  the  system.  He 
married  Catherine  Gaffney,  who  is  the  mother  of 
eight  children,  as  follows :  William,  Thomas 
Jr..  Joseph,  Mary,  Agnes,  Bernard,  Lizzie  and 
Jennie.  William  was  born  May  I4th,  1878,  at 
Aniboy,  and  attended  the  Amboy  schools.  He 
secured  a  place  on  the  section  at  Amboy,  and 
after  a  few  years  was  advanced  in  rank  and 
made  boss  of  the  section  for  two  years.  He  then 
went  into  the  operating  department  as  brakeman, 
in  December  1898,  and  is  in  line  of  promotion  to 
conductorship. 

Thomas  Jr.  was  born  at  Polo,  111.,  November 
26,  1879,  and  was  reared  in  Amboy  where  he 
received  his  education.  In  1897  he  entered  the 


service  of  the  Central  as  a  section  hand  at  Am- 
boy, and  in  1899  accepted  a  position  as  brake- 
man in  the  freight  service,  running  between  Free- 
port  and  Clinton.  By  faithfulness  and  close  at- 
tention to  business,  Mr.  Glavin  confidently  ex- 
pects to  rise  in  the  service  of  the  road. 


HOMAS  J.  HUDSON,  traffic  manager 
of  the  Illinois  Central,  was  born  Janu- 
ary i,  1846,  in  Ireland.  He  entered 
the  service  of  the  C.  &  A.  road  in 
1864  as  a  clerk  in  the  freight  office  in  Spring- 
field, but  after  one  year  in  this  capacity  was 
made  freight  agent  and  served  as  such  until 
October  1871,  at  which  time  he  became  general 
agent  for  the  Gilman,  Clinton  &  Springfield 
road,  then  general  passenger  and  freight  agent 
until  November  1875,  from  the  latter  date  until 
July  1877,  he  served  as  superintendent  and 
general  freight  and  passenger  agent  of  the  same 
line.  He  was  then  appointed  superintendent  of 
the  Springfield  division,  at  Springfield,  serving 
until  July  1881,  when  he  was  transferred  to  the 
Chicago  division  as  superintendent,  then  served 
as  superintendent  of  the  Illinois  and  Iowa  lines 
until  August  i,  1887,  at  which  time  he  was  pro- 
moted to  his  present  position  as  traffic  manager 
of  the  entire  system. 


AMUEL  GRANT  ELROD  entered  the 
service  of  the  Illinois  Central  March 
6,  1886,  as  brakeman  on  the  Amboy 
division,  Clinton  district.  His  first 
run  was  made  with  Conductor  J.  D.  Williams, 
leaving  Centralia,  111.,  at  5  A.  M.  on  local  run 
No.  10  on  the  above  date.  He  was  transferred 
to  the  Springfield  division  in  1888,  and  promoted 
to  conductor  in  1891,  having  been  examined  by 


642 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Superintendent  Bailey  on  the  old  book  of  rules. 
At  present  our  subject  is  on  the  merchandise  run 
between  Chicago  and  Clinton,  giving  eminent 
satisfaction  to  the  company. 

Mr.  El  rod  was  born  August  13,  1867,  near 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  a  one  and  a  half  story  log 
house,  built  by  General  U.  S.  Grant.  He  is  proud 
of  the  distinction  of  being  a  second  cousin  of 
the  distinguished  General,  his  grandfather  on 
his  mother's  side  having  been  a  brother  of 
General  Grant's  mother.  He  was  married  on 
November  25,  1893,  to  Grace  Hagerman.  Soci- 
ally our  subject  is  a  member  of  Forester  Lodge, 
Court  DeWitt,  No.  3163,  of  Clinton,  Illinois. 


RED  S.  JAMES,  chief  train  dispatcher 
of  the  Cherokee  division  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  is  a  native  of  Wiscon- 
sin where  his  birth  occurred  at  Bran- 
don, July  6th,  1866.  His  ancestors  were 
from  the  New  England  states,  both  of  his  great 
grand-fathers  having  fought  side  by  side  in  the 
Revolutionary  war.  His  parents  were  natives 
of  .New  York  state  but  removed  to  Wisconsin 
in  1845,  where  the  father,  S.  G.  James,  success- 
fully engaged  in  the  lumber  business  until  1873 
when  he  removed  to  Aurelia,  Iowa,  residing  there 
until  his  death  in  1895.  Members  of  the  family 
have  been  prominently  connected  with  the  pro- 
fessional and  social  life  of  the  east.  An  .uncle 
of  our  subject,  Hon.  A.  B.  James,  was  for  twen- 
ty-three years  judge  of  the  supreme  court  of 
New  York.  He  died  while  filling  his  second 
term  in  congress  from  that  state.  His  son,  E. 
C.  James,  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  attor- 
neys of  New  York  City,  being  private  counsel 
for  Russell  Sage  and  was  also  counsel  for  Jay 
Gould  prior  to  the  latter's  death.  Our  subject 
received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  and 
at  the  age  of  fourteen  began  learning  the  art 
of  telegraphy  at  Aurelia,  Iowa,  and  a  few  months 
later  was  proficient  enough  to  serve  as  extra 


operator  and  agent,  being  stationed  during  the 
two  following  years  at  Marcus,  Fonda,  Alta. 
Aurelia  and  Cherokee  for  longer  or  shorter 
periods.  In  1883  he  was  assigned  a  key  in  the 
train  dispatcher's  office  at  Ft.  Dodge  and  two 
years  later  was  made  extra  train  dispatcher  serv- 
ing both  at  Ft.  Dodge  and  Waterloo.  In  1887 
he  was  made  trick  dispatcher  in  the  office  at 
Ft.  Dodge  and  three  years  later  made  chief 
dispatcher,  in  which  capacity  he  served  until 
consolidation  of  the  offices  in  1893.  Trans- 
ferred to  Cherokee,  he  served  as  trick  dispatcher 
until  the  spring  of  1896,  with  the  exception  of 
two  months  in  1895,  when  he  worked  at  Centra- 
ha,  111.,  during  the  shortage  of  train  dispatchers 
at  that  point.  He  was  then  called  to  the  Chicago 
division  and  stationed  at  Kankakee  as  trick  dis- 
patcher. In  October  following  he  was  again 
transferred  to  Cherokee  and  made  chief  dis- 
patcher of  the  division  where  he  has  since  re- 
mained. 

Mr.  James  was  married  in  Cherokee,  De- 
cember 24,  1894,  to  Miss  Alice  Maude  Holden, 
daughter  of  C.  B.  Holden,  a  prominent  business 
man  of  Cherokee,  Iowa.  Their  little  one,  Mar- 
jorie,  died  at  the  age  of  three  years  in  the  spring 
of  1900.  Mr.  James  is  a  prominent  member  of 
the  Train  Dispatchers'  Association  of  America, 
joining  the  association  in  1889,  and  for  three 
years  has  been  a  member  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee and  has  been  a  delegate  to  nine  of  their 
annual  meetings.  At  the  Train  Dispatchers' 
Convention,  which  was  held  at  Indianapolis,  in 
June  1889,  Mr.  James  was  the  youngest  dele- 
gate in  attendance,  it  being  one  of  the  best  and 
largest  conventions  the  association  has  ever  held, 
delegates  being  present  from  nearly  every  state 
in  the  union  as  well  as  Canada  and  Mexico.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  the  association  of  Railway 
Telegraph  Superintendents  and  is  identified  with 
Sioux  City  Lodge,  B.  P.  O.  E.  No.  112.  There 
is  a  saying  that  dispatchers,  like  poets,  are  born, 
not  made,  and  only  those  of  exceptional  merit 
rise  to  the  position  of  chief,  or  retain  the  posi- 
tion when  once  attained. 


FRED  S.  JAMES. 


PART  III. 


RAILROAD  FRATERNITIES. 


RAILROAD  FRATERNITIES. 


THE  BROTHERHOOD  OF  LOCOMOTIVE  ENGINEERS. 

BY  C.  L.  SALMONS,  EDITOR  B.  OF  L.  E.  MONTHLY  JOURNAL. 


ETER  M.  ARTHUR,  Grand  Chief  En- 
gineer of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomo- 
tive Engineers,  was  born  in  Scotland, 
and  came  to  America  when  ten  years 
of  age,  going  to  live  on  a  farm  with  an  uncle  in 
New  York.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  went 
to  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  where  with  money  he 
had  saved,  purchased  a  horse  and  wagon  and 
started  a  small  jobbing  business.  When  eigh- 
teen years  old  he  was  employed  as  a  wiper  in 
the  engine  house  of  the  New  York  Central 
Railroad  at  Schenectady.  He  rose  rapidly  to 
fireman  and  engineer.  He  was  early  attracted 
to  the  organization  of  his  craft  and  in  February 
1874,  was  chosen  to  its  highest  office  and  has 
since  that  date  been  annually  re-elected  to  Chief 
Engineer,  with  headquarters  at  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

His  policy  of  using  all  conciliatory  means 
in  the  settlement  of  difficulties,  before  resorting 
to  strikes,  has  brought  him  into  wide  and  favor- 
able notice  everywhere ;  under  his  administra- 
tion there  have  been  but  few  serious  strikes, 
and  these  occurred  mostly  in  the  early  part  of 
his  incumbency ;  he  possesses,  in  an  unusual 
degree,  the  confidence  of  the  Order  over  which 
he  presides ;  his  public  addresses  have  become 
noted  for  their  vigor  of  language  and  plain 
speaking. 

34 


,HIRTY-SEVEN  years  ago  last  April 
a  few  engineers  in  the  employ  of  the 
Michigan  Central  Railroad  Company 
conceived  the  idea  of  forming  an  as- 
sociation to  promote  the  welfare  and  interest  of 
their  profession  and  elevate  their  standing  and 
character  as  men.  With  these  objects  in  view, 
they  assembled  at  the  house  of  one  of  their  num- 
ber, in  the  city  of  Marshall,  Mich.  The  result 
of  their  deliberation  was  the  issuing  of  an  in- 
vitation to  the  engineers  employed  on  the  ad- 
jacent roads  to  meet  in  the  city  of  Detroit  on  the 
fifth  day  of  May.  In  response  to  the  invitation, 
at  the  appointed  time  ten  delegates  assembled, 
who,  with  but  little  formality  in  their  organiza- 
tion, entered  upon  their  duties,  and,  with  the 
assistance  of  a  few  engineers  residing  in  Detroit, 
a  constitution  and  by-laws  were  presented  and 
adopted,  embodying  the  fundamental  principles 
of  our  present  organization. 

The  necessity  of  something  further  on  the 
part  of  engineers  than  the  common  consent  to 
become  and  remain  members  of  the  association 
so  long  as  suited  their  own  convenience  became 
apparent  to  the  minds  of  the  delegates,  and  an 
obligation,  as  a  bond  of  union,  was  formulated 
and  unanimously  adopted,  and  on  the  8th  day 
of  May  1863,  twelve  engineers  joined  hands  and 


648 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


hearts,  pledging  themselves  to  support  the  con- 
stitution and  by-laws,  assist  the  needy  and  main- 
tain the  right. 

Officers  were  elected,  and  Detroit  Division 
No.  I,  Brotherhood  of  the  Footboard,  stood 
forth  as  the  pioneer  in  the  great  work  of  refor- 
mation and  elevation  of  the  locomotive  engineers 
of  this  continent. 

The  work  of  organizing  sub-divisions  soon 
began,  and  in  a  short  time  there  were  twelve 
divisions  formed,  and,  in  accordance  with  pre- 
vious arrangements,  a  call  was  issued  for  each 
division  to  send  a  delegate  to  meet  at  the  hall 
of  Detroit  Division  No.  i,  on  the  i8th  of  August 
of  the  same  year. 

The  result  of  their  deliberation  was  the 
forming  of  the  Grand  National  Division, 
Brotherhood  of  the  Footboard ;  electing  as  the 
Grand  Chief,  William  D.  Robinson. 

Like  many  other  associations  in  their  in- 
cipiency,  many  important  points  were  lost  sight 
of,  for  the  want  of  experience. 

During  the  first  year  of  its  existence,  forty- 
four  sub-divisions  were  organized.  On  the  i7th 
of  August  1864,  the  first  convention  was  held 
in  the  city  of  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  with  forty-four 
division  representatives,  at  which  time  the  name 
and  title  of  the  organization  was  changed  to 
its  present  one,  making  it  international  in  charac- 
ter, so  that  all  locomotive  engineers,  regardless 
of  nationality,  would  be  eligible. 

The  organization  has  been  in  existence,  as 
a  society,  thirty-seven  years,  and  during  that  time 
iias  gradually  increased  in  numbers  and  im- 
portance; emerging  almost  silently  from  its 
original  obscurity,  until  they  now  have  559 
sub-divisions,  comprising  a  membership  of  nine- 
tenths  of  the  best  locomotive  engineers  on  this 
continent  ;•  and  they  have  gained  an  enviable 
jiosition  by  a  strict  adherence  to  their  mottoes: 
"Sobriety,  Truth,  Justice  and  Morality,"  "Vigi- 
l«-.nce,  not  Violence,"  and  "Do  unto  others  as  ye 
would  that  they  should  do  unto  you,  and  so 
fulfill  the  law."  They  stand  aloof  from  all  poli- 
tical bodies  and  sects  and  ignore  all  questions 
of  creed  and  race,  and  look  only  to  the  improve- 


ment and  protection  of  the  locomotive  engineers 
and  their  families. 

At  the  convention  held  in  the  city  of  Boston, 
in  November  1866,  the  publication  of  a  monthly 
journal,  to  be  devoted  exclusively  to  the  interests 
of  the  profession,  was  authorized,  and  the  first 
number  was  issued  in  January  1867,  composed 
of  16  pages;  it  now  has  112  pages  and  has  at 
the  present  time  a  circulation  of  nearly  37,000, 
including  among  its  subscribers  residents  of 
Europe  and  India.  It  contains  a  list  of  all  sub- 
divisions, together  with  the  names  of  the  officers 
and  where  they  are  located. 

On  the  3rd  of  December  1867,  there  was 
established  an  insurance  association,  which  pays 
to  the  heirs  of  deceased  members,  or  to  a  mem- 
ber who  is  unfortunate  enough  to  lose  a  hand, 
arm,  limb,  or  eyesight,  the  full  amount  of  the 
policy  or  policies  held.  Policies  are  for  $1,500, 
and  a  member  may  carry  one,  two  or  three,  mak- 
ing $1,500,  $3,000  or  $4,500.  The  cost  of  carry- 
ing one  policy  of  $1,500  is  from  23  to  25  dollars 
a  year.  In  the  aggregate,  the  sum  of  over 
$8,000,000  has  been  paid  to  injured  brothers  and 
heirs  of  deceased  members,  besides  disbursing, 
out  of  their  earnings,  thirty-five  to  forty  thou- 
sand dollars  among  the  widows,  orphans  and 
needy  of  the  order  at  every  convention. 

A  large  number  of  the  divisions  have  a 
weekly  indemnity  insurance,  each  having  their 
own  law,  which  vary  in  the  amount  of  dues  and 
indemnity.  The  weekly  indemnity  is  usually 
about  twelve  dollars. 

The  organization  has  contracts  with  107 
Railroad  Companies,  which  include  nearly  all 
the  great  trunk  lines.  These  contracts  embody 
rates  of  pay  and  rules  and  regulations  govern- 
ing overtime,  treatment  of  the  employes  and  for 
the  prevention  of  unjust  discharge  or  suspen- 
sion. 

Through  the  instrumentality  of  this  orga- 
nized effort,  the  remuneration  for  services  has 
been  greatly  increased,  overtime  allowance 
properly  adjusted,  and  the  character  of  those 
who  comprise  it  elevated  and  educated,  and 
peace  and  harmony  maintained  between  the  em- 
ployer and  employe. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


649 


The  following  are  the  places  of  meetings 
and  dates  thereof,  of  the  conventions  that  have 
been  held  since  the  organization  at  Detroit: 

1.  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  August,  1864. 

2.  Rochester,    N.    Y.,     September,     1865. 
Called  meeting  at  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  June,  1866. 

3.  Boston,  Mass.,  October,  1866. 

4.  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  October,   1867. 

5.  Chicago,  111.,  October,  1868. 

6.  Baltimore,  Md.,  October,  1869. 

7.  Nashville,  Tenn.,  October,  1870. 

8.  Toronto,  Canada,  October,  1871. 

9.  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  October,  1872. 

10.  Philadelphia,   Pa.,  October,   1873. 

Called  meeting  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  Febru- 
ary, 1874.  Charles  Wilson  resigned  the  posi- 
tion of  Grand  Chief  Engineer  and  the  present 
incumbent,  P.  M.  Arthur  was  elected. 

11.  Atlanta,  Ga.,  October,   1874. 

12.  New  York  City,  N.  Y.,  October,  1875. 

13.  Detroit,  Mich.,  October,  1876. 

14.  Boston,  Mass.,  October,  1877. 

15.  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  October,   1878. 


16.  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  October,  1879. 

17.  Montreal,  Canada,  October,  1880. 

18.  Baltimore,   Md.,  October,    1881. 

19.  Louisville,  Ky.,  October,  1882. 

20.  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  October,  1883. 

21.  San  Francisco,  Cal.j  October,  1884. 

22.  New  Orleans,  La.,  October,  1885. 

23.  New  York  City,  N.  Y.,  October,' 1886. 

24.  Chicago,  111.,  October,  1887. 

25.  Richmond,  Va.,  October,   1888. 

26.  Denver,  Col.,  October,  1889. 

27.  Pittsburg,     Pa.,     October,     1890.     At 
this  convention  the  date  of  meetings  was  changed 
from  the  second  Wednesday  in  October  to  the 
second  Wednesday  in  May,  making  19  months 
between  this  and  the  28th  meeting. 

28.  Atlanta,    Ga.,    May,    1892.       At    this 
meeting  the  conventions  were  changed  from  an- 
nual to  biennial  sessions. 

1st  Biennial  —  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  May,  1894. 
2i\  Biennial  —  Ottawa,  Can.,  May,  1896. 
3d  Binnial  —  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  May,  1898. 
4th  Biennial  —  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  May,  1900. 


650 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


,  diameter. 

•  k."    •    • 

:  v   :   : 

AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


651 


THE  GRAND  INTERNATIONAL  AUXILIARY 
TO  THE  B.  OF  L.  E. 


,HE  idea  of  the  Grand  International 
Auxiliary  to  the  Brotherhood  of  Loco- 
motive Engineers  was  first  suggested 
by  Mrs.  W.  A.  Murdock  at  the  annual 
meeting  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.  held  in  Chicago  in 
1887.  It  met  with  approval  and  a  call  was 
it-sued.  The  first  meeting  was  held  in  the  Pal- 
mer house  parlors,  October  14,  1887,  with  fifty- 
five  ladies  present.  Besides  those  who  were 
residents  of  Chicago  there  were  but  nine  who 
represented  other  cities.  They  were  as  follows : 
Mrs.  C.  H.  Bissell,  Bearclstown,  111.;  Mrs. 
George  Stofft,  Galesburg,  111. ;  Mrs.  Andrew 
Erhardt,  Rochester,  N.  Y. ;  Mrs.  S.  A.  Randall, 
Springfield,  111. ;  Mrs.  John  Cochrane,  Port 
Huron,  Mich. ;  Mrs.  C.  L.  Grosscup,  St.  Joseph, 
Mo. ;  Mrs.  Mary  C.  Orr,  Peoria,  111. ;  Mrs.  M. 
McDowell,  Burlington,  la. ;  Mrs.  A.  Strong, 
Butler,  Ind. ;  Mrs.  M.  Kircher,  Garrett,  Ind. 

At  the  first  meeting  Mrs.  W.  A.  Murdock 
was  elected  Grand  President,  a  position  she  has 
ably  and  satisfactorily  filled  ever  since,  having 
been  re-elected  at  each  session  of  the  Grand 
Division.  The  following  ladies  constituted  the 
first  grand  officers  elected  to  represent  the  G.  I. 
A.  to  the  B.  of  L.  E.,  Mrs.  W.  A.  Murdock, 
Grand  President,  Chicago;  Mrs.  M.  C.  May- 
nard,  Grand  Vice-President,  Chicago;  Mrs.  G. 
M.  Brown,  Grand  Secretary,  Chicago;  Mrs. 
Charles  Thorpe,  Grand  Treasurer,  Chicago; 
Mrs.  Mary  C.  Orr,  Grand  Chaplain,  Peoria, 
111. ;  Mrs.  A.  Strong,  Grand  Guide,  Butler,  Ind. ; 
Mrs.  S.  A.  Randall,  Grand  Sentinel,  Spring- 
field, 111. 


At  the  second  annual  session,  held  in  Chi- 
cago, September  8,  1889,  the  present  Grand 
Secretary  Mrs.  Harry  St.  Clair  was  elected  and 
has  held  the  office  continuously  ever  since.  She 
has  the  entire  confidence  of  the  order  she  has 
so  ably  assisted  in  upbuilding. 

The  association  was  formed  for  the  pur- 
pose of  elevating  and  ennobling  the  railroad 
people,  as  well  as  to  render  assistance  in  time 
of  need  and  trouble. 

The  insurance  feature  of  the  order,  known 
as  the  Voluntary  Relief  Association  of  the  G.  I. 
A.,  although  not  compulsory,  only  members  in 
good  standing  in  the  G.  I.  A.  being  eligible,  is 
the  first  insurance  order  which  was  operated 
and  controlled  entirely  by  women.  The  officers 
in  charge  of  the  insurance  branch  are  Mrs. 
George  Wilson,  of  Allegheny,  Pa.,  President 
of  Insurance ;  and  Mrs.  Mary  L.  Robertson,  of 
Toledo,  Ohio,  General  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 
The  Board  of  Trustees,  to  whom  quarterly  re- 
ports are  made,  and  all  questions  of  sufficient 
importance  are  submitted,  and  who  audit  the 
books  of  the  V.  R.  A.  once  each  year,  are  as 
follows :  Mrs.  Chester  Durnell,  Ft.  Wayne,  Ind., 
Mrs.  F.  G.  Boomer,  Raton,  N.  M.,  and  Mrs.  M. 
C.  Orr,  Peoria,  111.  When  a  member  of  the  V. 
R.  A.  dies  each  member  in  the  association  is 
assessed  twenty-five  cents,  and  at  the  end  of 
sixty  days  the  beneficiary  receives  $500,  the  limit 
of  the  policy.  All  over  that  amount  is  placed  in 
the  surplus  fund  to  pay  the  second  policy,  as 
members  may  take  out  two  policies  for  $500 
each,  both  of  which  will  be  paid  in  full.  Since 


652 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


the  organization  of  the  V.  R.  A.  in  1890,  there 
has  been  paid  in  beneficiaries  over  $yo,ooo. 
March  31,  1900,  there  were  in  force  4,015  poli- 
cies. 

At  the  biennial  session  held  in  Milwaukee, 
Wis.,  commencing  May  9,  1900,  it  was  deemed 
advisable  to  adopt  a  law  to  elect  four  assistant 
grand  vice-presidents.  The  Grand  Vice-Presi- 
clent,  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Cassel,  of  Columbus,  Ohio, 
being  editress  of  the  Ladies'  Department  of  the 
B.  of  L.  E.,  it  was  thought  necessary  to  have 
assistants  elected  from  different  localities  who 
could  be  called  upon  to  organize  new  Divisions, 
or  visit  old  ones  when  necessary,  to  attend  union 
meetings  and  to  create  an  interest  in  the  order 
in  their  respective  localities.  The  following 
were  elected  for  this  purpose :  Mrs.  Byron 
Baker,  First  Assistant  Grand  Vice-President, 
Ottawa,  Canada;  Mrs.  William  W.  McNeil, 
Second  Assistant  Grand  Vice-President,  New 
Haven,  Conn. ;  Mrs.  John  Spruell,  Third  Assis- 
tant Grand  Vice-President,  Montgomery,  Ala. ; 
Mrs.  John  Gregory,  Fourth  Assistant  Grand 
Vice-President,  Missoula,  Mont. 

Connected  with  the  association  is  a  Relief 
Fund,  to  which  the  sub-divisions  are  required 
to  donate  a  small  amount  each  year  for  the  pur- 


pose of  assisting  the  widows  and  orphan  chil- 
dren of  the  members  of  the  B.  of  L.  E. 

There  are  now  247  divisions,  with  a  total 
membership  of  6,650.  The  divisions  are  lo- 
cated in  every  state  and  territory  in  the  Union, 
with  several  divisions  in  Canada.  The  growth 
of  the  order  has  been  remarkable  and  demon- 
strates the  fact  that  ladies  possess  executive 
ability  of  a  high  order. 

At  the  biennial  meeting  held  in  St.  Louis 
in  1898  it  was  decided  to  call  the  literary  society 
the  G.  I.  A.  Study  Club,  the  officers  to  be  called 
Director  and  First  and  Second  Assistant.  The 
object  of  the  club  is  to  stimulate  intellectual  and 
moral  development  and  to  promote  goo:!  fel- 
lowship among  its  members.  The  motto  of 
club  is  "Good  Books,  Our  Best  Companions." 

The  meetings  of  the  order  have  been  held 
as  follows :  The  organization  was  effected  in 
1887  and  until  1891  the  meetings  were  held  in 
Chicago.  In  1892,  at  Atlanta,  Ga. ;  1894,  St. 
Paul,  Minn.;  1896,  Ottawa,  Canada;  1898,  St. 
Louis,  Mo.;  1900,  Milwaukee,  Wis. —  (The  above 
article  was  prepared  from  data  furnished  by 
Mrs.  W.  A.  Murdock,  Grand  President  and  Mrs. 
Harry  St.  Clair,  Grand  Secretary.) 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


653 


ORDER  OF  RAILWAY  CONDUCTORS. 


E.  CLARK,  the  efficient  Grand  Chief  Conductor  of 
the  Order  of  Railway  Conductors  in  America,  was 
born  at  Lima,  Livingston  county,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  18, 
1856.  His  father  dying  when  our  subject  was  but  six 
years  old,  he  was  reared  and  educated  by  his  mother  and  accom- 
panied her  upon  her  removal  to  Minnesota  in  1872.  Here  they 
began  life  on  a  farm  and  he  was  thus  engaged  for  the  following 
two  years.  In  1874  he  began  his  railroad  life  by  entering  the 
employ  of  the  Burlington,  Cedar  Rapids  &  Minnesota  Railroad 
as  a  brakeman,  remaining  there  only  a  few  months,  however, 
when  he  went  to  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  system  in 
the  same  capacity.  In  1876  he  resigned  and  started  west,  look- 
ing for  a  broader  field,  with  the  result  that  he  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Central  Pacific  railroad,  at  Ogden.  Utah,  as  a  brake- 
man, in  the  latter  part  of  1876,  and  continued  in  this  capacity 
until  his  promotion  to  conductor  in  the  early  part  of  1880.  From 
July,  1882,  to  July,  1883,  he  was  employed  as  passenger  con- 
ductor on  the  Utah  &  Northern  division  of  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  and  as  passenger  conductor  on  the  Montana  division  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad 
from  August,  1883,  to  August,  1884.  In  the  early  part  of  1885  he  served  for  a  few  months  as 
conductor  of  a  freight  train  on  the  Rio  Grand  Western  Railroad,  and  as  passenger  conductor  from 
that  time  until  June,  1889,  when  he  resigned  to  accept  a  position  with  the  Order  of  Railway 
Conductors.  At  the  convention  in  Denver,  in  1889,  he  was  elected  Grand  Senior  Conductor,  or 
Second  Vice-President,  and  at  the  convention  of  the  Grand  Division  held  in  Rochester,  New  York, 
in  1890,  was  elected  to  his  present  responsible  position,  which  he  has  since  filled  with  credit  to 
himself  and  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  members  of  the  order. 


E.  E.  CLARK, 
GRAND  CHIEF  CONDUCTOR. 


OME  time  during  the  spring  of  1868 
the  conductors  employed  by  the  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad  at  Amboy,  Illi- 
nois, organized  themselves  into  an 
association  which  they  called  the  "  Conductors' 
Union,"  and  conductors  employed  on  the  Chica- 
go, Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad,  at  Galesburg, 


hearing  of  it  .concluded  to  organize  also.  Ac- 
cordingly Messrs.  Joseph  Packard  and  William 
Wier,  after  consulting  in  the  matter,  placed  on 
the  "  bulletin  board  "  a  notice  requesting  the  con- 
ductors interested  to  meet  on  the  evening  of  June 
1 7th,  for  that  purpose.  At  the  appointed  time 
Messrs.  Joseph  Packard,  Scott  Dewey,  E.  A. 


654 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Saclcl,  Henry  Evans,  Peter  Clark,  George  Mcln- 
tosli,  Ed.  Russell,  J.  Ereeman,  H.  F.  Dodd,  Frank 
Hughes,  Peter  Kelley  and  Daniel  Elliott  met, 
effected  an  organization,  calling  themselves 
"  Galesburg  Division,  No.  2,  of  the  Conductors' 
I  nion,"  and  elected  the  following  officers:  Presi- 
dent, Joseph  Packard;  Vice-President,  E.  A. 
Sa«ld;  Secretary,  Daniel  Elliott;  Treasurer,  Hi. 
Evans;  Guide,  Scott  Dewey.  A  Constitution 
and  By-Laws  were  adopted  and  Joseph  Packard 
selected  to  confer  with  the  Amboy  organization 
in  regard  to  consolidation. 

At  a  meeting  held  June  2oth,  the  following 
were  made  members:  Charles  Main,  A.  C. 
Richardson,  Wm.  Collins,  J.  C.  Coleman,  George 
Merrill,  Emery  D.  Young,  H.  L.  Angevine,  H.  C. 
Bristol,  H.  McKean,  Neal  Ruggles.  At  the  meet- 
ing held  June  25th,  James  Working  was  made 
a  member.  Richard  Love,  Fred  Nance  and 
Edward  DeGroot  became  members  at  the  last 
meeting  the  Division  ever  held,  September  28, 
1868. 

The  result  of  the  conference  between  Mr. 
Packard  and  the  members  of  the  "  Conductors' 
l/nion  "  at  Amboy  was  an  agreement  for  a  meet- 
ing at  Mendota,  111.,  of  three  delegates  each 
from  Amboy  and  Galesburg.  This  meeting  was 
held  July  6,  1868.  The  delegates  from  Amboy 
were  Capt.  S.  G.  Comstock,  J.  W.  Seymour  and 
Josiah  Purinton ;  from  Galesburg,  C.  A.  Main, 
J.  C.  Coleman  and  Daniel  Elliott,  and  by  them 
the  Conductors'  Brotherhood  was  formed,  a  Con- 
stitution and  By-Laws  adopted,  and  the  follow- 
ing Grand  Officers  elected :  Grand  Chief  Conduc- 
tor, J.  C.  Coleman,  Assistant  Grand  Chief  Con- 
ductor, S.  G.  Comstock ;  Grand  Secretary,  Daniel 
Elliott;  Grand  Treasurer,  E.  A.  Sadd;  Grand 
Sentinel,  J.  W.  Seymour.  C.  A.  Main  and 
Joseph  Packard  were  appointed  a  Committee 
on  Printing.  Subordinate  Divisions  were  or- 
ganized, No.  2  at  Galesburg,  during  August; 
No.  i  at  Amboy,  September  Qth ;  No.  3  at  Aurora, 
during  August;  and  No.  4  at  Centralia,  Sep- 
tember 29th. 

Grand  Secreta'ry  Elliott  was  killed  while  in 
discharge  of  his  duty  as  a  conductor  on  the  Chi- 
cago, Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  and  the 


records  of  the  Brotherhood  up  to  that  time  were 
lost  and  have  never  been  recovered. 

In  October  1868,  Mr.  Robert  Harris  noti- 
fied conductors  employed  on  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  Rail- 
road, of  which  he  was  then  Superintendent,  that 
members  of  the  "  Brotherhood "  would  not  be 
continued  in  the  employ  of  the  company,  and  in 
consequence  Mr.  Joseph  Packard  and  Brother 
E.  D.  Young  left  the  service  of  the  company 
and  others  withdrew  from  the  association,  and 
in  consequence  Divisions  Nos.  2  and  3  became 
defunct.  The  Divisions  at  Amboy  and  Centra- 
lia struggled  along  for  some  time  but  finally 
gave  up.  Just  what  time  they  ceased  to  work 
is  unknown,  but  the  charters  were  declared  for- 
feited by  the  Grand  Division,  Centralia  in  No- 
vember 1871,  and  Amboy  in  November  1876. 

During  the  month  of  November  1868,  and 
but  a  few  months  after  the  organization  at  Men- 
dota, the  following  circular  was  issued : 

To  all  the  Railroad  Conductors  in  the  United 
States  and  the  British  Provinces : 

We,  the  conductors  on  the  P.  F.  W.  &  C. 
Railway,  request  you  to  join  us  in  a  'convention 
in  the  city  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  Dec.  I5th,  1868. 
for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  Brotherhood  of 
Conductors.  The  object  being  to  protect  our- 
selves and  families  in  case  of  sickness,  accident 
or  death. 

For  a  long  time  we  have  felt  the  necessity 
of  an  organization  of  this  kind,  and  knowing 
your  dangers  and  necessities  are  parallel  with 
our  own,  we  feel  confident  this  move  will  meet 
your  approbation.  We,  therefore,  call  upon  you 
to  send  one  or  more  delegates  from  each  division 
of  your  respective  roads. 

In  behalf  of  the  conductors  of  the  P.  F. 
W.  &  C.  Railway,  we  respectfully  subscribe 
ourselves, 

A.  G.  BLACK, 
G.  Z.  CRUZEN, 

This  convention  was  duly  held,  delegates 
from  the  original  Conductors's  Brotherhood  par- 
ticipating, a  revised  constitution  adopted,  Grand 
Officers  elected,  and  the  Mutual  Insurance 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


655 


Association  instituted,  and  from  this  time  our 
connected  record  of  proceedings  begins. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Grand  Chief 
Conductors,  from  the  organization,  at  Mendota, 
to  the  present  time: 

J.  C.  Coleman,  Galesburg,  111.,  July  to 
December  1868;  A.  R.  Church,  Fort  Wayne, 
Ind.,  December  1868  to  October  1869;  A.  G. 
I'.lack,  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  October  1869  to  death 
August  23rd,  1870;  C.  S.  Moore,  Martinsburg, 
West  Virginia,  succeeded  by  death  of  A.  G. 
P.lack  to  November  1871 ;  I.  N.  Hodges,  Welles- 
ville,  Ohio,  November  1871  to  November  1872; 
J.  W.  Sillsbee,  Scranton,  Pa.,  to  November  1873 ; 
G.  Z.  Cruzcn,  Crestline,  O.,  to  November  1875, 
at  which  time  he  was  expelled  by  the  Grand 
Division ;  Wm.  L.  Collins,  Hornellsville,  N.  Y., 
to  October  1878;  John  B.  Morford,  New  York 
City,  to  October  1880;  C.  S.  Wheaton,  Elmira, 
N.  Y.  to  June  1890;  E.  E.  Clark,  Ogden,  Utah, 
to  the  present  time. 

The  first  convention  .of  the  Conductors' 
Brotherhood,  called  to  order  at  Columbus,  Ohio, 
Tuesday,  December  15,  1868,  was  in  session 
two  days,  during  which  time  it  perfected  an 
organization  and  adopted  a  constitution  and 
by  laws. 

The  first  regular  session  convened  at 
Chicago,  June  15,  1869,  and  concluded  the  bus- 
iness of  the  order  on  the  third  day.  The  Con- 
ductors' Association  of  the  New  York  &  Erie 
Railway  was  admitted  to  membership,  a  badge 
of  mourning  and  an  emblematical  pin  were 
adopted  and  a  committee  appointed  to  arrange 
for  a  journal  to  be  published  in  the  interests  of 
the  order. 

The  second  regular  session  met  at  Buffalo, 
in  October  following,  concluding  its  labors  in 
two  days,  having  appointed  a  committee  to  pre- 
pare regalias  for  the  use  of  the  order. 

The  third  session,  held  at  Philadelphia, 
October  6,  1870,  adopted  a  plan  of  insurance 
during  its  two  days  sittings. 

Cleveland,  Ohio,  entertained  the  fourth 
session,  November  I  to  3,  1871,  at  which  the 
regalia  recommended  by  the  appointed  committee 
was  adopted. 


The  fifth  session  convened  at  Indianapolis, 
November  6,  1872,  during  the  four  days  of  which 
only  routine  business  was  transacted. 

At  the  sixth  session,  at  Pittsburg,  November 
4  to  6,  1873,  nothing  of  general  interest  was 
considered. 

At  Baltimore,  the  seventh  session  convened 
for  a  three  days'  sitting,  November  3,  1874,  at 
which  the  Grand  Chief  Conductor  was  made 
editor  of  the  journal. 

The  eighth  convention  was  held  at  Atlanta, 
November  2,  1875,  remaining  in  session  five  days, 
at  which  the  Railroad  Conductors'  Brotherhood 
Magazine  was  chosen  as  the  title  of  their 
official  organ. 

The  ninth  session  at  Omaha,  lasting  five 
days,  convened  November  7,  1876,  at  which  only 
routine  business  was  in  order. 

The  tenth,  an  important  session,  held  at 
Elmira,  N.  Y.,  October  2  to  6,  1877,  enjoined 
temperance  on  the  members  and  promulgated 
an  order  prohibiting  the  members  from  engaging 
in  strikes  and  a  resolution  passed  to  adopt  the 
name  of  the  Conductors'  Association  of  the 
United  States  and  Canada. 

The  eleventh  session  held  at  Chicago,  Octo- 
ber i,  1878,  lasted  seven  days  at  which  it  was 
decided  to  change  the  name  of  the  organization 
to  the  Order  of  Railway  Conductors,  the  new 
name  to  be  in  force  after  the  first  of  January 
following.  A  movement  was  set  on  foot  to 
establish  a  home  for  sick  and  disabled  members. 

The  twelfth  session,  the  first  as  Order  of 
Railway  Conductors  convened  at  New  York  City, 
in  a  four  days  session,  October  7,  1879,  at  which 
it  was  decided  to  admit  conductors  of  the  ele- 
vated roads  to  membership  in  the  order  and  fur- 
ther provision  made  to  support  a  journal  of  the 
order  which  to  this  time  had  a  struggle  for  ex- 
istence. 

The  thirteenth  convention  of  the  order  as- 
sembled at  St  Louis,  for  a  four  days  session  Octo- 
ber 19,  1880,  and  among  other  business  transacted 
adopted  the  Railway  Age  as  the  official  organ  for 
the  ensuing  year. 


656 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


A  special  session  was  held  October  26,  the 
same  year,  at  Texarkana,  to  dedicate  Alamo  Hall 
to  the  uses  of  the  organization. 

The  order  was  entertained  a  second  time 
in  Buffalo  in  their  fourteenth  regular  session, 
October  4th  to  8th,  1881,  at  which  a  new  consti- 
tution was  adopted  and  insurance  laws  of  the 
order  adopted. 

A  four  days  session,  the  fifteenth  was  held 
at  St.  Paul,  beginning  October  i/th,  at  which 
it  was  decided  to  pay  a  salary  to  the  Grand  Chief 
Conductor  and  Grand  Secretary  as  their  work 
had  been  very  much  increased  with  the  growth 
of  the  order  which  now  numbered  ninety  three 
Divisions. 

The  sixteenth  session,  of  four  days  duration, 
was  convened  at  Kansas  City,  October  16,  1883, 
The  Railway  Conductors'  Monthly  was  estab- 
lished and  a  new  declaration  of  principles  pro- 
mulgated —  "  Truth,  Honor,  Sobriety,  Capabili- 
ty and  Brotherly  Love." 

The  seventeenth  session,  lasting  five  days, 
convened  at  Boston,  October  21,  1884,  and  a 
movement  was  set  on  foot  to  establish  permanent 
headquarters  for  the  organization  and  the  maga- 
zine. 

The  eighteenth,  at  Louisville,  was  a  session 
of  six  days,  beginning  October  20,  1885,  at  which 
Chicago  was  chosen  as  the  official  headquarters 
and  the  Grand  Chief  Conductor  relieved  of  the 
editorship,  as  his  duties  had  grown  to  be  too 
numerous  and  exacting  to  admit  of  his  dividing 
his  attention.  Incorporation  of  the  order  under 
the  laws  of  the  state  of  Illinois  was  ordered1 
and  an  effort  made  to  establish  a  uniform  code  of 
signals  and  rules  for  all  the  railroads  of  the  con- 
tinent. 

The  nineteenth  session  at  New  Orleans,  con- 
vened May  10,  1887,  and  lasted  seven  clays.  In- 
corporation under  the  laws  of  Iowa  was  effected 
and  the  offices  removed  to  Cedar  Rapids. 

The  twentieth  session,  which  met  at  Toronto, 
May  8,  1888,  for  nine  days  session,  considered 
as  the  principal  subject  the  attitude  of  the  officers 
of  the  order  in  connection  with,  the  engineers' 
and  firemans'  strike  on  the  Burlington  line.  The 


proposition  to  approve  and  assist  in  the  organi- 
zation of  the  Ladies'  Auxiliary  was  laid  on  the 
table. 

The  twenty-first  session  was  called  to  order 
at  Denver,  May  14,  1889,  lasting  seven  days.  The 
authorized  organization  of  a  stock  company  to 
erect  a  building  for  the  order  at  Sioux  City,  la., 
fell  through  later,  for  lack  of  support. 

The  twenty-second  session,  at  Rochester, 
convened  May  13,  1890  lasting  eight  days, 
adopted  a  protective  policy  for  the  organization 
and  released  all  members  from  their  obligation 
not  to  engage  in  any  strike  of  railway  employes 
under  any  circumstances.  This  policy  had  been 
advocated  for  several  years  but  had  not,  until 
this  time,  enough  friends  to  make  a  majority. 

The  twenty-third  session,  convened  May  12, 
1891,  at  St.  Louis,  lasted  eight  days.  The  insur- 
ance laws  were  thoroughly  revised,  a  plan  of 
biennial  sessions  adopted,  the  office  of  editor 
abolished  and  the  Grand  Secretary  appointed  to 
act  in  that  capacity 

The  twenty-fourth  session,  held  at  Toledo, 
began  an  eight  days  meeting  May  9,  1893,  dur- 
which  approval  was  given  the  action  of  the  board 
of  directors  in  making  an  agreement  with  the 
Brotherhood  of  Railroad  Conductors  by  which 
that  organization  became  merged  into  the  Order 
of  Railway  Conductors  and  approved  the  action 
of  the  officers  in  withdrawing  the  application  for 
membership  in  the  supreme  Council. 

The  twenty-fifth  session,  lasting  ten  days, 
convened  at  Atlanta  May  14,  1895,  at  which  only 
routine  business  was  transacted. 

The  twenty-sixth  session  at  Los  Angeles,  be- 
gan on  the  eleventh  of  May,  1897,  and  lasted 
seven  days  with  nothing  of  especial  interest  trans- 
acted. 

The  twenty-seventh  session  of  eight  days, 
convened  at  Detroit,  May  9,  1899,  made  the 
Grand  Junior  Conductor  a  salaried  officer  and 
appointed  him  organizer  and  instructor. 

The  study  of  the  growth  of  the  order  is  in- 
teresting. The  earlier  sessions  were  short  and 
an  analysis  of  the  proceedings  shows  they  were 
groping  in  the  dark  seeking  the  light.  Later 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


657 


the  proceedings  indicate  that  they  had  got  their 
hearings  hut  were  having  a  difficult  task  in  keep- 
ing to  the  course  they  had  laid  out.  The  latter 
sessions  show  that  not  only  were  they  certain 
of  the  policy  to  he  pursued  but  that  they  were 
keeping  on  the  main  line  with  all  sidings  locked 
and  a  clear  track  ahead.  The  magazine,  that 
at  first  was  a  lone  orphan,  bound  out  from  year 
to  year,  has  been  regularly  adopted  by  the  order, 
given  a  permanent  home  and  become  a  credit 
to  its  promoters  not  only  for  its  official  features 
but  for  its  general  literary  merit  as  well.  The 
insurance  department  that  at  first  had  a  struggle 


for  existence  has  grown  to  magnificent  proper 
lions.  The  reports  ending  July  i,  lyoo,  show 
403  Divisions,  with  24,500  members.  The  total 
amount  paid  to  disabled  members  and  to  the  fami- 
lies of  deceased  members  amounts  to  $4,087,- 
467.00,  a  record  of  which  any  organization  may 
well  be  proud. 

[The  above  brief  History  of  the  order  was 
prepared  some  fourteen  years  ago  by  Mr.  W.  P. 
Daniels,  who  had  at  that  time  been  serving  over 
eight  years  as  Assistant  Grand  Chief  Conductor. 
Subsequent  events  have  been  added  from  the  most 
reliable  obtainable  sources. — Editor.] 


658 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ORDER  OF  RAILWAY  CONDUCTORS'  TRAVELING  CARD. 


all  Hi! 
Uirt , 


Exact  reproduction  of  O.  R.  C.  traveling  card.     Supposed  to  be  the  oldest  in  existence. 


NOT    TRANSFERABLE, 


Granted 


/  f 

months  pom  date.  Al  jn-tbctif 


i  f  i- 


year. 


Reverse  side  of  the  above. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


659 


LADIES  AUXILIARY  OF  THE  O.  OF  R.  C. 

BY  MRS.  JOHN  H.  MOORE,  GRAND  PRESIDENT. 


HE  early  history  of  the  Ladies'  Auxiliary 
to  the  Order  of  Railway  Conductors 
is  incomplete  on  account  of  the  records 
not  being  carefully  preserved.  In 
February  1888,  in  response  to  a  call  from  Mrs. 
A.  P.  Jackson,  the  wives  of  members  of  Wayne 
Division,  No.  119,  O.  R.  C.  of  Ft.  Wayne,  Ind., 
met  in  the  O.  R.  C.  hall  for  the  purpose  of  or- 
ganizing a  social  club  to  work  in  harmony  with, 
and  for  the  benefit  of  Wayne  Division,  No.  119, 
O.  R.  C.  On  the  2nd  of  March  a  second 
meeting  was  held,  Mrs.  Edd  Erickson  acting  as 
chairman.  A  corps  of  officers  were  elected  and 
by  unanimous  vote  it  was  decided  that  the  name 
of  the  club  be  "Ladies  of  our  Royal  Club."  A 
few  months  later  a  constitution  and  by-laws  were 
adopted  and  the  club  reorganized  as  an  Auxiliary 
to  the  Order  of  Railway  Conductors,  with  an 
obligation  and  prayer  (written  by  Mrs,  Edd 
Erickson)  which  served  as  the  ritual. 

Wayne  Division,  No.  I,  was  instituted  and 
known  as  the  Grand  Organizing  Division.  Mrs. 
Edd  Erickson  was  chosen  Worthy  President 
and  Grand  Organizer.  Five  divisions  were  insti- 
tuted by  the  Grand  Organizer,  No.  2,  at  Creston, 
Iowa;  No.  3,  at  Columbus,  Ohio;  No.  4,  at 
Elkhart,  Indiana,  and  No.  5  at  Philadelphia. 

The  first  Grand  Convention  was  held  in 
Ft.  Wayne,  Indiana,  in  June  1889.  A  more  com- 
plete constitution,  by-laws  and  a  ritual,  prepared 
by  Mrs.  Charles  E.  Ragon,  of  Columbus,  Ohio, 
were  adopted,  and  Mrs.  Charles  E.  Ragon  elected 
Grand  President.  From  the  first  Grand  Conven- 
tion the  founding  of  the  Ladies  Auxiliary  to  the 
Order  of  Railway  Conductors  was  perfected. 
In  the  days  of  the  order's  early  history  strong 


opposition  faced  those  in  authority,  not  only  from 
the  conductors'  wives,  but  from  the  Order  of 
Railway  Conductors.  Faith  in  justice  and  the 
rights  we  believed  ours  urged  those  early  workers 
on.  From  June  1889  to  June  1890  no  divisions 
were  added. 

The  second  Grand  Division  meeting  con- 
vened at  Elkhart,  Indiana,  in  June  1890  and  was 
composed  of  the  representatives  of  the  five  or- 
ganized divisions.  Mrs.  Charles  E.  Ragon  was 
re-elected  Grand  President. 

On  Oct.  9,  1890,  Banner  Division  No.  6,  of 
Toledo,  Ohio,  was  instituted  and  from  that 
(iate  to  June  1891,  when  the  Grand  Conven- 
tion met  in  Columbus,  Ohio,  Divisions  No.  7, 
8,  9,  10  and  n  had  been  instituted.  Just 
previous  to  this  meeting  of  the  Grand  Division, 
Sister  Ragon  had  addressed  a  communication, 
containing  a  copy  of  our  laws,  to  the  Grand  Divi- 
sion of  the  Order  of  Railway  Conductors,  in 
session  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  asking  that  body 
to  recognize  us  as  an  Auxiliary  to  the  Order  of 
Railway  Conductors.  •  Previous  attempts  by 
conductors,  who  favored  the  Auxiliary  work,  for 
our  recognition  had  failed.  The  only  consider- 
ation ever  given  was  to  "table"  everything 
pertaining  to  the  Auxiliary  work.  A  committee 
was  appointed  to  examine  our  laws  and  report. 
To  the  surprise  of  all,  this  committee  reported 
favorably  and  recommended  "recognizing  them 
as  an  auxiliary  to  the  Order  of  Railway  Con- 
ductors, and  that  we,  the  Order,  give  them  our 
moral  support."  A  motion  was  made  that  the 
report  be  accepted  and  the  recommendations  be 
concurred  in.  This  motion  was  carried. 


660 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


At  the  third  meeting  of  the  Grand  Division, 
Mrs.  Charles  E.  Ragon  was  re-elected  Grand 
President.  From  June  1891  to  June  1892  nine 
divisions  were  added  and  the  Grand  Convention 
held  in  Philadelphia  was  the  largest  and  most 
successful  ever  held  up  to  that  time.  At  this 
convention  Mrs.  J.  H.  Moore  asked  that  the 
next  Grand  Convention  be  held  in  Toledo,  Ohio, 
at  the  same  time  as  the  convention  of  the  Order 
of  Railway  Conductors,  in  May  1893.  This  re- 
quest was  granted.  At  this  convention  a  new 
design  for  the  charter  was  presented  (by  Banner 
Division,  No.  6,  of  Toledo,  Ohio,)  and  adopted. 
Mrs.  J.  H.  Moore,  of  Toledo,  Ohio,  was  elected 
Grand  President. 

At  the  fifth  Grand  Convention  it  was  de- 
cided to  change  the  annual  sessions  to  biennial 
meetings  and  to  meet  at  the  same  time  and  place 
as  the  Order  of  Railway  Conductors.  Mrs.  J. 
H.  Moore  was  re-elected  Grand  President.  - 

The  sixth  convention,  and  first  biennial 
session,  met  in  Atlanta,  Ga.,  in  1895.  The  great 
increase  in  number,  not  only  of  members  but  of 
divisions,  and  the  most  complete  success  of  the 
first  "biennial"  proved  the  wisdom  of  those  pro- 
posing the  change  from  annual  to  biennial 
sessions,  and  the  time  and  place  to  correspond 
with  the  time  and  place  of  the  meetings  of  the 
( )rder  of  Railway  Conductors.  Each  year  has 
brought  an  increasing  measure  of  success.  We 
have  endeavored  to  keep  pace  with  the  advancing 
times.  The  laws  have  been  revised  and  new  ones 


added  to  meet  new  conditions.  The  ritual  has 
been  perfected  and  a  beautiful  floor  work  added. 
We  have  grown  from  a  social  to  a  beneficiary 
association.  All  of  these  new  features  are  the 
work  of  the  members.  The  floor  work  was 
presented  by  Erie  Division,  No.  16,  of  Hunting- 
ton,  Ind.,  in  1893.  The  plan  of  our  insurance 
was  formed  and  presented  by  Sister  J.  M.  Sewell, 
now  president  of  "White  City"  division,  No. 
too,  of  Chicago,  in  1895. 

Our  membership  has  grown  from  400  mem- 
bers, in  1891,  to  4000  and  despite  all  opposition 
(some  still  exists)  we  stand  at  the  dawn  of  the1 
new  century,  stronger  and  better  able  to  cope  with 
this  opposition  than  ever.  At  our  inception  our 
rights  needed  to  be  asserted ;  where  they  are  still 
disputed 'we  aim  by  honest  and  upright  means  to 
overcome  all  prejudice.  Our  Grand  Conventions 
have  grown  to  be  a  power,  and  are  composed  of 
our  representative  women,  of  whom  we  are 
proud ;  and  we  are  positive  we  need  not  be  second 
to  any  order  of  a  similar  character  in  the  world. 
All  issues  have  been  met,  the  arduous  labor 
necessary  to  our  formative  period  has  been  done, 
and  we  propose  to  continue  the  work  until  no 
differences  remain  to  be  adjusted.  I  appreciate 
the  honor  conferred  upon  me  and  will  aim,  as 
I  have  ever  done,  to  place  the  standard  of  our 
order  on  a  high  elevation,  that  will  distinguish 
us  as  co-workers  for  the  elevation  and  advanc- 
ment  of  our  class. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


661 


BROTHERHOOD  OF  LOCOMOTIVE  FIREMEN. 

HISTORICAL  SKETCH  BY  W.  S.  CARTER. 


kWENTY-SEVEN  years  ago,  to  be  exact, 
December  i,  1873,  eleven  men,  eleven 
firemen  of  the  old  Erie  road,  pledged 
a  mutual,  enduring  friendship.  That 
that  friendship  has  been  enduring  is  materially 
manifest.  One  year  after  the  institution  of 
Lodge  No.  i,  B.  of  L.  F.,  at  Port  Jervis,  N.  Y. 
representatives  of  twelve  lodges  assembled  in 
Hornellsville,  in  the  same  state,  at  the  first  con- 
vention. We  learn  from  our  records  that  they 
convened,  elected  officers;  organized  a  life  insur- 
ance association,  passed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  the 
11.  of  L.  E.  for  "  the  kind  and  courteous  manner 
in  which  they  received  us,"  and  then  adjourned. 
It  will  thus  be  seen  that  at  the  very  beginning 
cordial  relations  existed  between  the  two  orders 
of  enginemen ,  and  we  find  that  a  year  later  the 
Grand  Chaplain  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.  asked  the1, 
blessings  of  our  Creator  on  our  delegates  as- 
sembled in  Indianapolis,  Incl.,  at  the  second  con- 
vention. At  this  convention  were  forty-six  dele- 
gates, representing  twenty-nine  lodges.  Nine 
hundred  members  were  reported.  It  was  at  this 
convention  that  the  protective  features  of  the  or- 
ganization were  first  developed. 

At  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  September  1876,  forty- 
one  delegates  represented  fifty  lodges.  Probably 
the  most  important  work  of  the  third  convention 
was  agitation  of  the  adoption  of  an  official  organ. 
The  matter  was  referred  to  a  popular  vote  of  the 
members  and  their  action  was  affirmative.  At 
this  convention  the  Grand  Secretary  and  Treas- 
urer and  the  members  of  the  grievance  commit- 
tee were  complimented  "for  securing  an  increase 
of  wages  on  the  I.  B.  &  W.  road."  This  may 


be  accepted  as  the  first  of  the  many  wage  benefits 
which  the  locomotive  firemen  of  North  America 
owe  to  the  B.  of  L.  F. 

The  fourth  convention  was  held  in  Indiana- 
polis, Ind.,  in  Sept.  1877,  to  which  city  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Brotherhood  had  been  removed 
from  Galion,  Ohio,  the  former  home  of  the  Grand 
Secretary  and  Treasurer.  The  order  had  not 
increased  in  membership  as  in  the  preceding  year ; 
only  forty-nine  delegates  were  reported.  Trouble 
was  brewing  for  the  young  organization.  Dele- 
gates were  cautioned  against  spies.  The  recent 
strike  had  its  effect,  and  many  members  had  been 
thrown  out  of  employment  and  blacklisted. 
Lodges  had  gone  down  by  the  opposition  of  rail- 
way officials.  In  the  face  of  threatened  disrup- 
tion, with  1000  delinquent  members,  these  men 
bravely  looked'  to  the  future  for  relief.  Several 
years  previous  to  the  institution  of  the  first  lodge 
of  the  Brotherhood,  there  was  organized  the  In- 
ternational Firemen's  Union,  which  was  strictly 
a  trade  union  with  little  or  no  fraternal  or  insur- 
ance features.  It  had  never  taxed  its  members, 
except  for  strikes,  and  these  generally  had  proven 
quite  disastrous,  although  in  several  instances 
increases  in  wages  had  been  obtained.  It  was 
at  the  fourth  convention  that  an  effort  was  made 
to  consolidate  the  International  Fireman's  Uniort 
with  the' 'Firemen's  Brotherhood,  and  a  resoliu 
tion  was  adopted  inviting  local  branches  of  that 
organization  to  become  lodges  of  our  order,  with- 
out incurring  the  expense  of  initiation 

A  short  time  previous  to  the  '77  strike,  some 
members  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.  had  advocated  the 
institution  of  an  annex,  or  second  degree,  to 


662 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


their  organization  to  be  composed  of  firemen. 
This  question  was  discussed  at  our  fourth  con- 
vention and  it  was  decided  that  no  amalgamation 
with  the  Engineer's  Brotherhood  was  desired,  but 
the  B.  of  L.  F.  would  gladly  co-operate  with 
the  B.  of  L.  E.  A  committee  was  appointed 
to  visit  the  B.  of  L.  E.  convention  to  seek  recog- 
nition, but  not  annexation. 

Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  was  the  city  selected  for  the 
fifth  convention  (1878).  The  Brotherhood  had 
lost  both  in  members  and  lodges,  on  account 
of  the  violent  opposition  of  railway  officials,  and 
the  impecunious  condition  of  the  members. 
Thirty-eight  delegates  represented  fifty-one 
lodges.  At  this  meeting  it  was  considered  ex- 
pedient to  place  an  organizer  in  the  field. 

The  sixth  convention  was  held  in  Chicago 
in  1879  and  the  financial  affairs  of  the  Brother- 
hood had  gone  from  bad  to  worse ;  but  notwith- 
standing the  depleted  treasury,  the  order  had 
taken  on  a  new  growth.  Shortly  after  the  fifth 
convention  the  local  Divisions  of  the  International 
Firemen's  Union  had  cast  their  lot  with  the 
Brotherhood;  besides,  the  Grand  Organizer  and 
several  active  members  had  been  in  the  field. 
Seventy-six  lodges  were  reported,  sixty-five  of 
which  were  represented.  The  opposition  of 
railway  officials  was  causing  lodges  to  disband 
and  members  to  withdraw  in  some  sections  of 
the  country,  and  in  order  to  have  peace  the  pro- 
tective features  of  the  organization  were  elimi- 
nated and  a  resolution  was  adopted  "ignoring" 
strikes.  Here  is  the  beginning  of  another  epoch 
of  our  history.  ****** 

The  seventh  convention  (1880)  was  also  held 
in  Chicago,  and  Grand  Ma'ster  Arnold  had  re- 
moved Sayre,  Grand  Secretary  and  Treasurer, 
from  office  and  the  Grand  Lodge  to  Terre  Haute, 
Ind.  This  took  place  on  July  16,  a  few  weeks 
prior  to  the  convention.  E.  V.  Debs  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  Grand  Master  to  that  position 
until  the  delegates  should  meet  and  approve  his 
action  and  fill  the  vacancy  by  election.  Mr. 
Debs  was  unanimously  elected  to  this  position. 
The  Brotherhood  had,  during  the  preceding  year, 
made  great  progress,  although  only  fifty-eight 
delegates  were  in  attendance.  *  *  * 


The  eighth  convention  met  in  Boston  in  1881, 
where,  although  fifty-one  lodges  were  repre- 
sented, the  official  reports  showed  an  increase  of 
18.  The  membership  was  reported  as  2,998. 

Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  was  the  place  of  holding 
the  ninth  convention  in  1882;  ninety-four  lodges 
were  represented  with  a  membership  of  5,125. 

Denver,  Colo.,  (1883)  tenth  convention. 
There  were  130  lodges  represented  with  a  total 
membership  of  7,337. 

Toronto,  Canada,  (1884)  eleventh  conven- 
tion. Number  of  lodges  represented,  116;  num- 
ber of  members,  12,246.  It  was  at  this  conven- 
tion that  the  question  of  classification  of  wages 
was  discussed  and  a  movement  started,  which 
in  the  end  resulted  in  the  Brotherhood  again  be- 
coming a  labor  organization  in  the  true  sense. 
Up  to  this  time  the  word  "  white  "  had  not  been 
incorporated  in  the  qualifications  of  membership, 
but  now  this  became  a  part  of  the  law. 

The  twelfth  convention  met  in  Philadelphia 
in  1885,  and  here  began  the  third  epoch  of  the 
Brotherhood's  history.  After  six  years  of  "ignor- 
ing" strikes,  it  returned  to  the  original  policy 
and  became  a  "  labor  "  organization.  That  this 
pronounced  reversal  of  principle  came  from  be- 
low, from  the  rank  and  file,  and  in  direct  opposi- 
tion to  the  officers,  the  proceedings  of  the  conven- 
tion give  ample  proof.  Greetings  were  sent  to 
organized  labor  and  the  assertion  was  publicly 
made  that  the  B.  of  L.  F.  would  henceforth  be 
counted  with  those  who  demanded  justice  and 
were  willing  to  fight  for  it  if  it  need  be. 

In  1886,  the  thirteenth  convention  met  in 
Minneapolis,  Minn.,  with  256  lodges  represented, 
out  of  a  total  of  331.  There  were  reported" 
16,196  members.  Advance  in  wages  and  de- 
tails of  adjustment  of  grievances  were  interest- 
ing parts  of  the  Grand  Master's  report  at  this, 
our  first  great  "  labor  "  convention.  Previous 
to  this  convention  the  Locomotive  Firemen's 
Magazine  had  been  sustained  by  individual  sub- 
scriptions. A  law  was  now  enacted  that  re- 
quired the  Magazine  to  be  sent  free  to  each  mem- 
ber. 

The  thirteenth  convention  was  the  last  an- 
nual, and  the  first  biennial  was  held  in  the  city 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


663 


of  Atlanta,  Ga.,  in  1888.  A  concise  history  ofi 
the  intervening  two  years  would  fill  a  large 
volume.  Hundreds  of  contracts  and  agreements 
were  made  with  the  railways  which  terminated 
classification,  and  in  many  instances,  increased 
•  wages  were  secured.  The  Brooklyn  elevated 
railroad  strike  was  closely  followed  by  the  great 
strike  on  the  C.  B.  &  Q. 

The  second  biennial  convention  was  held  in 
San  Francisco,  Cal.,  in  1890  and  the  third  bien- 
nial in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1892.  On  the  latter 
occasion  Eugene  V.  Debs  refused  to  longer  serve 
in  the  capacity  of  Grand  Secretary  and  Treasurer, 
and  Frank  W.  Arnold  was  elected  to  that  posi- 
tion. Upon  the  earnest  solicitation  of  the  dele- 
gates, Mr.  Debs  agreed  to  act  as  editor  of  the  Lo- 
comotive Firemen's  Magazine,  but  to  have  no 
other  official  connection  with  the  organization, 
which  conditions  were  agreed  to. 

In  1894  the  fourth  biennial  convention  was 
held  in  Harrisburg,  Pa.  The  Pullman  strike 
had  seriously  affected  the  B.  of  L.  F.  While  the 
latter  organization  had  no  official  connection  with 
the  American  Railroad  Union,  thousands  of 
Brotherhood  men  were  drawn  into  the  strike, 
resulting  in  a  loss  of  membership  which  equalled 
about  twenty-five  per  cent.  Mr.  Debs  resigned 
his  position  as  editor,  the  resignation  to  become 
effective  at  once,  and  William  S.  Carter,  of  Lodge 
No.  263,  San  Antonio,  Texas,  was  chosen  to  fill 
the  position. 

The  fifth  biennial  convention  was  held  in 
Galveston,  Texas,  in  1896.  The  most  important 
changes  in  the  laws  were  the  merging  of  the 
beneficiary  and  general  funds,  and  the  provision 
for  the  election  of  officers  of  local  lodges  by  popu- 
lar vote  of  the  membership.  Previous  to  this 
change  all  local  elections  had  been  controlled 
by  those  members  who  were  in  a  position  to  at- 


tend the  meeting  at  which  the  election  took  place, 
but  thereafter,  each  and  every  member  was 
granted  the  right  and  opportunity  of  expressing 
their  choice  for  officers  of  subordinate  lodges 
through  a  written  ballot,  "  the  candidate  for  office 
receiving  the  highest  number  of  ballots  by  proxy 
and  otherwise  "  to  be  elected. 

The  sixth  biennial,  or  nineteenth  convention; 
of  the  Brotherhood,  was  held  at  Toronto,  Onta- 
rio, in  1898. 

The  twentieth  convention  was  held  in  Des 
Moines,  la.,  in  1900. 

The  following  given  by  Grand  Master  Sar- 
gent shows  that  there  are  564  lodges  in  good 
standing,  with  a  total  membership  of  36,789. 

Joshua  A.  Leach  is  the  recognized  founder 
of  the  organization ;  it  was  he  who  instituted  the 
first  twelve  lodges  that  were  represented  at  the 
first  convention.  He  remained  Grand  Master 
of  the  organization,  by  re-election,  until  the  third 
convention,  when  he  declined  longer  to  serve. 
It  may  be  of  interest  to  the  members  of  today 
to  state  that  his  only  reason  for  no  longer  serving 
as  Grand  Master  was  that  he  had  been  promoted, 
and  he  believed  that  a  fireman  should  be  at  the 
head  of  a  fireman's  organization.  His  successor 
was  W.  R.  Worth,  of  Lodge  No.  44,  of  Brook- 
field,  Mo.,  who  did  not  attend  the  fourth  conven- 
tion on  account  of  severe  illness  of  members  of 
his  family.  F.  B.  Alley,  of  Lodge  No.  23,  of 
Louisville,  Ky.,  was  chosen  for  the  position  in 
1877.  He  was  succeeded  a  year  later  by  W.  T. 
Goundie  of  Lodge  No.  75,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
At  the  sixth  convention,  F.  W.  Arnold,  of  Lodge 
No.  9,  Columbus,  Ohio,  was  placed  at  the  nomi- 
nal head  of  the  organization.  He  served  until 
the  twelfth  convention,  a  period  of  six  years, 
when  the  present  Grand  Master,  Frank  P.  Sar- 
gent, of  Lodge  No.  94,  Tucson,  Arizona,  was 
elected  to  the  responsible  position. 


35 


664 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


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665 


THE  LADIES'  SOCIETY  OF  THE  B.  OF  L.  F. 


BY  MRS.  F.  P.  SARGENT,  GRAND  PRESIDENT.. 


BT  was  in  Arizona  that  the  Ladies  Society  of 
the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Firemen 
first  saw  the  light  of  day,  in  the  city  of 
Tucson.  In  the  month  of  April  1884,  ten 
women,  wives  of  locomotive  fireman,  met  at  the 
home  of  F.  P.  Sargent,  then  a  locomotive  fire- 
man in  the  employ  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Ry. 
Co.,  and  formed  the  first  society.  Little  did 
these  sisters  think  that  the  work  hegun  by  them 
would  be  the  beginning  of  the  present  Ladies 
Society.  They  looked  upon  it  only  as  a  local 
institution,  never  dreaming  of  it  becoming  an 
international  organization  as  it  is  today.  Of  the 
ten  pioneers  who  laid  the  foundation  of  the 
present  organization,  Mrs.  F.  P.  Sargent,  the 
present  Grand  President,  is  the  only  one  that  is 
left  who  still  retains  her  membership  and  who 
has  witnessed  the  good  work  accomplished  from 
day  to  day  since  1884. 

The  second  lodge  was  established  in  Strat- 
ford, Ontario,  and  when  the  lodge  at  Tucson  was 
disbanded,  by  the  members  moving  from  the  city 
and  for  other  causes,  Mrs.  Sargent  became  a 
member  of  Good  Endeavor  Lodge  at  Stratford, 
where  she  remained  until  the  institution  of  Hazel 
Lodge  No.  3  at  Peoria,  Illinois,  when  she  with- 
drew and  became  a  member  of  the  same.  The 
second  lodge  was  not  organized  without  many 
drawbacks,  and  very  little  encouragement  was 
offered  from  the  wives  and  families  of  the  fire- 
men. Only  five  became  charter  members,  and 
that  after  five  months  of  hard  work.  But  those 
five  faithful  women  labored  with  a  will  and 


through  their  efforts  the  Ladies  Society  was  con- 
tinued. 

From  1884  to  1890  were  dark  days  for  the 
Society.  The  members  worked  hard  in  1886  to 
have  a  grand  lodge  instituted,  but  failed.  It 
was  not  until  the  convention  of  the  Brotherhood 
of  Locomotive  Firemen,  held  at  San  Francisco, 
Cal.,  in  September  1890,  that  the  Ladies  Society 
was  officially  recognized  by  the  Brotherhood  of 
Locomotive  Firemen.  This  recognition  was  ac- 
corded through  the  untiring  efforts  of  Grand 
Master  Sargent,  who  ably  supported  the  claims 
of  the  Society  as  an  auxiliary  to  the  Brother- 
hood ;  and  from  that  time  on  the  Society  has 
been  encouraged  by  the  members  of  the  Brother- 
hood. At  this  convention  (San  Francisco)  the 
charter  was  ordered,  prepared  and  presented  to 
the  Ladies  Society,  which  at  that  time  was  com- 
posed of  fourteen  lodges,  with  a  membership  of 
one  hundred  and  eleven.  It  was  at  this  time 
that  Mrs.  E.  A.  Ball,  of  Stratford,  Ontario,  was 
appointed  Grand  President,  and  Mrs.  M.  E. 
Moore,  of  the  same  place,  Grand  Secretary  and 
Treasurer.  The  appointments  were  made  by 
Grand  Master  Sargent.  These  sisters  at  once 
went  to  work  on  the  plan  mapped  out  for  them, 
and  as  a  result  only  six  lodges  came  in  under 
the  charter.  How  slow  and  discouraging  was 
the  work  at  that  time  none  but  those  appointed 
to  carry  it  on  will  ever  know. 

Up  to  this  time  there  had  been  little  or  no 
printing  done.  All  rituals  and  by-laws  were 
copied  with  pen  and  ink.  When  the  first  conven- 


666 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


tion  was  held  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1892,  two 
new  lodges  had  been  added  to  the  list,  and  the 
membership  was  then  three  hundred.  Nine  dele- 
gates answered  the  roll  call.  All  work  was  done 
gratis,  and  all  grand  officers  paid  their  own  ex- 
penses to  the  convention.  At  this  convention 
(Cincinnati,  Ohio)  the  Grand  President  and  the 
Grand  Secretary  and  Treasurer  were  each  voted 
a  salary  of  $50.00  per  year.  A  resolution  was 
adopted  providing  for  a  full  set  of  books  for  the 
Grand  Secretary  and  Treasurer.  Grand  Master 
Sargent  very  kindly  offered  to  get  up  the  forms 
for  the  books,  and  also  to  have  the  rituals  and 
by-laws  printed.  His  offer  was  gratefully  ac- 
cepted, and  he  assisted  the  Society  in  every  pos-- 
sible  way,  making  himself  almost  indispensible 
to  the  grand  officers  and  the  members  at  large. 

The  Society  continued  to  grow  slowly  but 
steadily.  During  the  year  1899  thirty-five  new 
lodges  were  organized,  with  a  total  membership 
of  over  two  thousand.  During  the  same  year  a 
new  insurance  plan  was  adopted,  and  the  number 
of  members  participating  in  this  insurance  fea- 
ture is  over  two  (2000)  thousand.  The  sum  of 
$100.00  is  paid  to  the  beneficiary  of  the  deceased 
members.  During  the  time  since  the  insurance 
system  has  been  established  the  sum  of  $1190.00 


has  been  paid  in  death  claims.  There  are  many 
of  the  lodges  that  pay  a  weekly  sick  benefit.  The 
present  membership  of  the  Society  is  nearly  3000, 
with  132  subordinate  lodges. 

The  blessings  that  have  come  with  the  Ladies 
Society  should  need  no  reference  at  my  hands. 
The  help  and  encouragement  that  has  been  given 
to  the  brothers  and  their  families  is  well  known 
to  all.  When  we  look  back  and  mark  the  pro- 
gress that  has  been  made  since  those  ten  women 
laid  the  foundation  of  the  Society  in  1884,  we 
have  every  reason  to  feel  proud  of  its  growth. 
The  Society  has  ever  made  it  an  aim  to  cultivate 
a  spirit  of  harmony,  to  promote  sociability,  and 
to  draw  into  friendly  relationship  the  lady  mem- 
bers of  the  families  of  the  brothers  of  the  Brother- 
hood. They  have  adopted  as  their  motto,  Friend- 
ship and  Charity ;  both  of  which  are  fully  exem- 
plified in  its  daily  work.  The  motive  which 
prompted  the  organization  of  the  Society  by  the 
ten  women  at  Tucson  was  founded  upon  the 
conditions  which  surrounded  the  firemen  and  their 
families  at  that  time;  and  ever  since  it  has  been 
the  cardinal  principle  of  the  order,  whose  mem- 
bers are  ever  ready  to  extend  a  friendly  and  help- 
ing hand  to  the  firemen  and  their  families. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


667 


BROTHERHOOD  OF  RAILROAD  TRAINMEN. 


D.  L.  CEASE,  EDITOR  RAILROAD  TRAINMEN'S  JOURNAL. 


THE  Brotherhood  of  Railroad  Trainmen 
dates  its  organization  from  September 
23rd,  1883,  but  the  Organization  was 
actually  started  several  months  prior 
to  that  time,  when  the  brakemen  and  switchmen, 
employed  at  Albany,  New  York,  by  the  Delaware 
and  Hudson,  organized  the  Capitol  City  Aid 
Association,  having  for  its  purpose  the  payment 
of  benefits  during  the  period  of  sickness  or  in- 
jury of  its  members,  and  the  train  and  yard  men 
at  Oneonta,  New  York,  being  taken  with  the  idea 
started  an  organization  of  the  same  character, 
but  through  a  misunderstanding  with  the  parent 
organization  at  Albany,  they  resolved  to  go  it 
alone,  and  during  the  month  of  July  1883,  they 
organized  Oneonta  Lodge,  of  the  Brotherhood 
of  Railroad  Brakemen.  This  organization  was 
intended  as  a  purely  local 'affair,  but  news  of  it 
went  out  through  the  press  and  so  many  letters 
of  inquiry  were  received  by  the  men  at  Oneonta, 
that  they  resolved  to  make  the  organization  a 
national  one  and  accordingly  on  September  23rd, 
1883,  they  organized  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the 
Brotherhood  of  Railroad  Brakemen  and  the  lodge 
at  Oneonta  became  Lodge  No.  I  of  the  Organi- 
zation. 

The  railroad  men  of  Canada  became  in- 
terested and  on  November  29th,  1885,  the  first 
lodge,  No.  1 68,  was  organized  in  the  Dominion, 
at  Moncton,  N.  B.  Since  that  time  the  Organi- 
zation has  been  doing  business  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada  as  the  Brotherhood  of  Rail- 
road Brakemen  and  after  the  change  of  name, 
as  the  Brotherhood  of  Railroad  Trainmen. 


In  1889  the  convention  changed  the  name 
of  the  Brotherhood  to  the  one  it  now  bears,  for 
the  reason  that  the  old  name  was  not  considered 
comprehensive,  or  representative,  enough  for  the 
different  vocations  of  the  members  of  the  Organi- 
zation, some  of  them  being  conductors,  baggage- 
men, switchmen,  trainmen  and  others  being  in 
other  departments,  the  name  was  changed  to  meet 
their  wishes. 

The  insurance  feature  of  the  Brotherhood 
became  effective  October  ist,  1883,  and  at  that 
time  the  amount  payable  at  death,  or  total  dis- 
ability, was  $300.00.  This  amount  has  varied 
at  different  times,  having  been  advanced  by  the 
different  conventions,  until  now  the  insurance 
is  of  the  graded  order  and  the  policy  can  be  car- 
ried by  the  member  for  either  $400.00,  $SoD.oo, 
or  $1,200.00,  and  the  amount  is  payable  in  the 
event  of  death  or  total  disability. 

The  protective  feature,  or  the  grievance  ma- 
chinery as  it  is  sometimes  called,  is  responsible 
for  the  betterment  in  conditions  that  has  marked 
the  progress  of  the  Organization.  The  material 
welfare  of  the  men  in  train  and  yard  service  has 
been  marked  by  a  decided  progression  and  in 
every  respect,  concerning  wages  and  conditions 
of  employment,  the  men  have  been  benefitted. 

At  the  present  time  the  Brotherhood  of  Rail- 
road Trainmen  has  a  membership  of  40,000,  and 
bank  account  of  close  to  $350,000.00  and  is  enjoy- 
ing a  season  of  contented  prosperity  within  itself 
and  a  satisfactory  condition  of  affairs  with  its( 
employers. —  (From  the  Locomotive  Firemen's 
Magazine,  August,  1900.) 


668 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


669 


LADIES'  AUXILIARY  TO  THE  B.  OF  R.  T. 

BY  MRS.  RAY  N.  WATTERSON,  GRAND  MISTRESS. 


REAMBLE:— To  unite  the  families  of 
the  Brotherhood  of  Railroad  Trainmen ; 
to  promote  their  welfare  socially,  moral- 
ly, and  intellectually,  and  to  encourage 
them  in  all  things  pertaining  to  the  good  of  the 
Brotherhood,  this  auxiliary  has  been  organized. 

Convinced  that  it  is  for  the  good  of  the 
Brotherhood  in  general  and  our  own  welfare, 
that  a  mutual  good  feeling  should,  at  all  times, 
exist  between  both  organizations,  it  shall  be  our 
constant  aim  and  endeavor  to  create  and  main- 
tain the  same.  Such  are  the  aims  and  intentions 
of  the  Ladies'  Auxiliary  to  the  Brotherhood  of 
Railroad  Trainmen. 

To  Sister  Sophia  Granger  is  due  the  honor 
of  first  conceiving  the  idea  of  the  organization  of 
the  wives,  mothers,  sisters  and  daughters  of  rail- 
road trainmen. 

To  this  end  a  petition  was  circulated  by  her 
among  the  families  of  trainmen  at  Fort  Gratiot, 
(now  North  Port  Huron)  Michigan. 

At  the  biennial  session  of  the  Grand  Lodge, 
Brotherhood  of  Railroad- Trainmen,  held  at  Co- 
lumbus, Ohio,  in  1888,  this  petition  for  permis- 


sion to  organize  an  auxiliary  was  presented  to 
that  honorable  body  and  permission  was  given 
to  organize  the  Ladies'  Auxiliary  to  the  Brother- 
hood of  Railroad  Trainmen.  Accordingly,  Janu- 
ary 23,  1889,  the  Grand  Lodge  was  organized 
with  twenty-five  charter  members.  The  growth 
of  the  Order  during  the  first  three  and  one-half 
years  was  very  slow,  thirty-one  lodges  being 
organized  during  that  time.  At  the  present  time 
there  are'igi  lodges,  with  a  membership  of  about 
5,000. 

Through  our  beneficiary  department  we  have 
been  the  means  of  relieving  much  distress  and 
with  the  kind  hand  of  sisterly  love  have  smoothed 
the  dark  hour  of  bereavement  in  many  homes. 

Since  our  organization  we  have  paid  out, 
in  beneficiaries  alone,  $43,415.00.  Our  Order, 
after  nearly  twelve  years  of  earnest  work,  is  in 
a  prosperous  condition.  We  have  passed  the 
epoch  in  which  an  organization  of  women  is 
considered  with  disfavor  and  we  feel  confident 
that  our  efforts  which  have  been  of  a  character 
productive  of  a  financial  and  moral  benefit,  are 
appreciated  by  our  parent  organization,  the 
Brotherhood  of  Railroad  Trainmen. 


670 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


671 


ORDER  OF  RAILROAD  TELEGRAPHERS. 

* 

H.  B.  PERHAM,  EDITOR  RAILROAD  TELEGRAPHER. 


THE  Order  of  Railroad  Telegraphers  was 
organized  at  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa,  on 
June  9,  1886.     For  the  first  five  years 
of  its  existence  it  was  a  fraternal  asso- 
ciation designed  to  bring  the  railroad  telegraphers 
into  closer  relationship  and  curb  the  indiscrimi- 
nate teaching  of  telegraphy  which  was  proving  to 
be  a  great  detriment  to  the  business. 

At  the  sixth  annual  convention,  held  in  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  in  1891,  it  adopted  a  protective  fea- 
ture similar  to  that  of  other  railway  labor  organi- 
zations. The  growth  of  the  order  in  comparison 
with  other  railway  labor  organizations  has  been 
slow  on  account  of  the  telegraphers  being  scat- 
tered over  the  country  and  the  difficulty  in  get- 
ting any  number  of  them  together.  Railroad 
telegraphers  are  mostly  employed  at  points  where 
only  one  man  is  necessary  to  transact  the  busi- 
ness. In  the  early  days  the  order  met  with  stren- 
ous  objections  from  the  officials  who  considered 
telegraphers  as  men  employed  in  a  confidential 
capacity,  but  the  telegraphers  came  to  the  con- 


clusion that  a  man  who  would  be  loyal  to  his 
employer  must  first  be  loyal  to  himself  and  join 
the  organization  of  his  class.  During  the  four- 
teen years  of  the  Order's  existence,  it  has  been 
instrumental  in  shortening  the  hours  of  labor, 
increasing  the  rates  of  pay  and  establishing  the 
rights  of  its  members  on  all  the  important  lines 
of  railway  in  the  United  States  and  Canada.  It 
has  placed  the  business  of  telegraphy  on  a  higher 
plane  than  it  ever  occupied  before,  by  insuring 
just  treatment  and  continuity  of  employment. 

On  January  1st,  1898,  the  Order,  by  referen- 
dum vote,  adopted  a  Mutual  Benefit  Department 
plan  providing  death  benefits  for  all  members 
initiated  after  that  date,  and  any  others  of  the 
old  members  who  might  wish  to  participate  there- 
in. This  department  issues  certificates  in  three 
series  of  $300,  $500  and  $1000  each. 

During  the  year  1899  the  new  department 
paid  out  $17,700  in  death  claims.  The  Order  is 
in  a  flourishing  condition. — (From  the  Locomo- 
tive Firemen's  Magazine,  of  August,  1900.) 


PART    IV. 


MISCELLANEOUS  MATTER. 


TRANSPORTATION  ADVANCEMENT. 


A  concise  article  showing  the  evolution  of  Locomotive  Development  and  growth  of  Transportation 

Facilities. 


BN  no  other  field  of  activity  is  the  progress  of 
the  Nineteenth  Century  better  typified  than 
in  the  improvements  which  have  taken  place 
in  the  means  of  transportation.    One  hun- 
dred years  ago  travel  and  traffic  were  nearly  all 
confined  to  the  road  and  natural  waterway.    The 
first  turnpike  company  in  the  United  States  was 
chartered  in  1790,  and  between  1792  and  1794 
constructed  a  turnpike  between  Philadelphia  and 
Lancaster,  though  the  building  of  these  improved 
roads  in  the  United  States  was  hardly  begun  until 
the  nineteenth  century  was  nearly  twenty  years 
old.    In  Great  Britain  the  construction  of  turnpike 
roads  was  carried  on  during  the  last  quarter  of 
the  eighteenth  century. 

The  earliest  idea  of  steam  locomotion  of 
which  there  is  any  authentic  information,  was 
advanced  by  Isaac  Newton  in  1690.  His  device 
was  a  very  primitive  and  clumsy  affair,  consisting 
of  a  carriage,  surmounted  by  a  spherical  boiler, 
with  a  steam  pipe  projecting  straight  backward, 
the  re-actionary  force  of  the  steam  issuing  there- 
from upon  the  atmosphere  pushing  the  carriage 
ahead.  The  steam  was  controlled  from  the  front 
by  a  handle  and  cock. 

For  about  eighty  years  after  the .  Newton 
engine  was  made  there  was  no  appreciable  pro- 
gress in  this  line  of  inventions,  when  in  1769, 
Nicholas  Cugnot,  a  French  artillery  officer, 
through  an  appropriation  made  by  the  French 


war  department,  made  an  engine  of  the  high 
pressure  class,  with  cylinders  and  pistons  calcu- 
lated for  rotary  force.  After  a  few  unsatis- 
factory experiments  it  was  abandoned. 

The  earliest  experiments  of  this  character 
in  the  United  States,  were  in  1790,  when  Nathan 
Read,  of  Salem,  Massachusetts,  made  a  machine 
to  be'  propelled  by  steam.  This  was  called  the 
''  Read."  To  Mr.  Read  belongs  the  honor  of 
contriving  the  vertical  boiler  and  fire  box  of  many 
tubes. 

In  1800,  Richard  Trevithick,  of  London, 
constructed  a  road  engine  which  he  called  the 
"  Trevithick."  This  engine  was  put  into  use 
between  the  years  1802  and  1804  on  the  Penycla- 
wan  Tramway,  in  South  Wales.  It  sometimes 
attained  a  speed  of  from  four  to  five  miles  an 
hour  on  a  level  surface.  This  is  the  earliest 
practical  use,  on  record,  of  an  engine  on  any  rail- 
road in  the  world.  It  is  claimed  to  have  been 
the  earliest  high  pressure  engine,  no  condensa- 
tion of  steam  being  required.  It  weighed  about 
five  tons  and  consumed  two  hundred  pounds  of 
coal  in  drawing  five  loaded  wagons  nine  miles  in 
four  hours  and  five  minutes.  A  model  of  this 
engine  is  in  the  South  Kensington  Museum,  of 
London. 

In  1808,  Mr.  Trevithick  built  the  "catch 
me  who  can,"  which  weighed  about  eight  tons 
and  was  the  first  locomotive  used  on  rails  in  the 


676 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


city  of  London.  It  was  exhibited  on  a  circular 
track  in  Euston  Square,  but  was  finally  derailed 
and  abandoned. 

The  next  locomotive  known  to  have  been 
used  successfully  was  called  the  "  Blenkensop," 
and  was  built  in  1811,  by  Matthew  Murray  and 
John  Blenkensop.  It  weighed  five  tons  and  drew 
a  load  of  ninety  tons  at  the  rate  of  three  and  one- 
half  miles  an  hour. 


THE  "NEWTON." 

Model  in  Field  Columbian  Museum,  Chicago,  111. 

Following  this  came  the  "  Puffing  Billy," 
iu  1813,  which  was  the  work  of  William  Hedley, 
of  England.  In  this  engine  were  several  im- 
provements over  those  previously  mentioned.  • 
It  had  two  vertical  cylinders,  with  piston  rods 
connected  to  beams,  centered  at  each  end — a  con- 
trivance which  was  styled  the  "  Grasshopper." 

The  "Brunton"  was  built  in  1813,  by  William 
iSrunton,  it  being  called  the  "Mechanical  Tra- 
veler," or  "Horse-Leg  Locomotive,"  from  the 
fact  that  it  was  propelled  by  the  motion  of  two 
legs  which  extended  to  the  ground  in  the  rear. 


The  first  locomotive  to  be  successfully  used 
for  a  period  of  time  was  built  in  1814,  by  George 
Stephenson,  and  was  run  over  a  year  on  the  Kil- 
lingworth  colliery  roads,  in  England,  and  drew 
thirty  tons,  four  miles  per  hour. 

Locomotive  building,  as  a  commercial  enter- 
prise, was  founded  by  George  Stephenson,  who 
built  a  second  engine  in  1815  and  a  third  in  1816, 
which  was  furnished  with  steel  springs.  On  this 
engine  was  used  for  the  first  time  in  locomotive 
building,  a  chimney  provided  with  a  blast  fur- 
nace. 

One  of  the  most  rapid  strides  in  the  advance- 
ment of  locomotive  development  was  when  Marc 
Seguin,  of  Paris,  in  remodeling  one  of  Stephen- 
son's  engines,  in  1828,  changed  the  boiler,  which 
was  of  cylindrical  shape,  with  a  single  tube  run- 
ning lengthwise  through  it,  into  a  multi-tubular 
boiler  —  the  first  of  the  kind  ever  used.  He 
greatly  increased  the  draft  by  using  a  fan,  and 
demonstrating  the  fact  that  small  tubes  running 
from  the  furnace  to  the  chimney  increased  the 
power  of  evaporation  by  the  engine. 

George  Stephenson,  "the  father  of  rail- 
ways," was  born  at  Wylam,  Northumberland, 
England,  June  9,  1781,  the  son  of  a  poor  colliery 
laborer.  Accident  gave  him  an  opportunity  of 
putting  in  motion  a  steam  engine  which  needed 
repairs,  and  in  1812,  he  was  made  engine-wright, 
at  Killingworth  Colliery.  He  originated  the  ' 
steam  blast,  which  was  introduced  into  his  second 
locomotive,  built  in  1815.  The  first  railway 
built  by  him,  opened  in  1822,  eight  miles  long, 
was  so  successful  that  in  the  next  year  he  was 
appointed  engineer  of  the  railway  authorized  to 
be  constructed  between  Stockton  and  Darlington, 
and  in  1825  of  the  Liverpool  &  Manchester  line, 
which  was  begun  in  1826.  He  had  in  the  mean- 
time set  up  an  establishment  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  locomotives,  at  Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 
On  October  6,  1829,  his  engine,  the  Rocket  at- 
tained an  average  speed  of  fourteen  miles  per 
hour,  and  a  short  distance  was  driven  at  the  rate 
of  twenty-nine  miles  per  hour.  He  died  August 
12,  1848. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


677 


The  Rocket  was  completed  in  1829.  It  was 
a  multi-tubular  boiler  engine,  weighing  five  tons, 
and  was  pronounced  by  mechanical  experts  the 
most  perfect  locomotive  in  existence. 

The  first  patent  granted  in  the  United  States 
for  a  locomotive  engine  was  issued  in  1828  to 
Dr.  Howard,  of  Baltimore.  The  design  was 
never  realized  in  construction,  but  the  invention 
marks  the  initial  effort  of  its  kind  in  the  United 
States. 

The  first  locomotive  ever  used  in  the  United 
States  was  the  "  Stourbridge  Lion"  its  front  be- 
ing ornamented  with  a  lion.  It  was  built  by 
Foster  Rastrick  &  Co.  at  Stourbridge,  England. 
It  is  said  that  the  earliest  use  of  an  engine  on 
this  coYitinent,  was  when  this  engine  made  an 
experimental  trip  August  8,  1829,  at  Honesdale, 
Pa.,  on  the  tracks  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Canal  Co.,  which  ran  from  the  Honesdale  mines 
to  the  terminus  of  the  canal. 

The  first  locomotive  built  in  the  United 
States  and  the  second  engine  used  in  this  coun- 
try, was  made  at  West  Point  Foundry,  in  New 
York,  in  1830,  for  the  South  Carolina  Railroad, 
and  was  called  the  "  Best  Friend,"  of  Charleston. 
It  arrived  in  Charleston,  S.  C,  October  23,  1830, 
and  was  placed  on  the  road  November  2,  1830. 
1  he  second  locomotive  was  made  by  the  same 
company  and  for  the  same  railroad.  The  third 
engine  was  also  made  by  the  same  company  for 
the  Mohawk  &  Hudson  railroad,  in  1831.  It 
weighed  three  tons. 

The  "Atlantic"  (see  illustration  page  70)  was 
designed  and  built  by  Phineas  Davis,  of  York,  Pa.. 
and  the  first  of  the  "Grasshopper"  class.  This 
is  the  oldest  American  locomotive  in  existence 
and  the  only  pioneer  engine  on  American  roads, 
cither  of  American  or  foreign  construction,  now 
in  original  form.  In  actual  service  sixty  years, 
a  record  unparalleled  by  any  locomotive  in  any 
part  of  the  world.  The  "Atlantic,"  which  was 
the  Davis  perfected  construction  following  the 
"  York,"  was  placed  in  service  on  the  Baltimore 
&  Ohio  railroad  in  the  summer  of  1831,  and  un- 
ti1  withdrawn  for  the  purpose  of  exhibition  in 
the  spring  of  1893  was  never  off  duty.  No  ma- 


terial changes  were  made  in  the  engine  as  the 
years  went  by.  It  was  after  a  time  relegated  to 
switching  service  and  finally  found  place  in  the 
yard  company's  shops  at  Mount  Clare,  where 
for  a  long  number  of  years  it  was  constantly 
under  steam,  proving  especially  advantageous  up- 
on short  curves  and  in  and  out  of  shops,  where  a 
large  engine  could  not  be  used.  A  cab  and  tank 
were  the. main  improvements,  and  they  were  re- 
cently removed  in  order  to  restore  the  locomo- 


THE  "SEGUIN." 
Model  in  Field  Columbian  Museum,  Chicago,  111. 

tive  to  its  orginal  form.  The  "Atlantic  "  was  a 
great  improvement  upon  the  "York"  in  all  re- 
spects. Its  weight  was  six  and  one  half  tons, 
and  being  geared  by  its  spur  and  pinion  so  as  to 
make  two  revolutions  of  the  road  wheels  to  one 
of  the  cranks,  its  speed  was  proportionately  great 
for  which  its  tubular  boiler  and  fan  blast  for  its 
anthracite  coal  fuel  offered  abundance  of  steam. 
It  was  designed  for  speed  in  propelling  passen- 
ger trains,  hence  only  one  pair  —  as  drivers,  and 
on  which  pair  nearly  two-thirds  of  its  weight  was 
made  to  rest.  The  "Atlantic"  averaged  from 


678 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


twelve  to  fifteen  miles  per  hour  against  an  extreme 
grade  of  thirty-seven  feet  to  the  mile  and  a  curve 
of  four  hundred  feet  radius.  The  "Atlantic"  is 
today  as  orginally  constructed  thus  enabling  a 
study  of  progress  of  the  period  and  consequent- 
ly of  value,  historically.  (This  engine  can  be 
seen  in  the  Field  Columbian  Museum,  Chicago.). 

The  "Hercules,"  (see  illust.  page  68)  was  de- 
signed and  built  by  Eastwick  &  Harrison,  of 
Philadelphia,  and  was  the  first  locomotive  in 
the  world  with  equalizing  frames  and  levels. 
Andrew  M.  Eastwick,  in  successfully  solving  the 
problem  of  the  distribution  of  weight  upon  driv- 
ing wheels  made  possible  the  operation  of  locomo- 
tives of  a  much  more  powerful  build  than  any 
known  up  to  1837;  in  fact  brought  into  being 
the  father,  it  might  be  said,  of  the  mighty  hun- 
dred-ton engines  of  today.  The  "Hercules"  was 
the  wonder  of  its  time  and  its  then  enormous 
weight  of  fifteen  tons  was  regarded  with  grave 
skepticism  by  most  builders.  Doubts  were  free- 
ly expressed  that  it  would  not  turn  curves  or 
go  into  switches  without  trouble  owing  to  its 
weight.  The  road  it  was  built  for,  the  Beaver 
Meadow,  in  Pennsylvania,  had  a  flat  rail  but 
five-eights  of  an  inch  thick  and  two  and  one  half 
inches  wide,  laid  upon  continuous  string  pieces 
of  wood  with  mud  sills  underneath.  The  "  Her- 
cules "  when  placed  in  service  was  an  undeniable 
success  and  marked  the  commencement  of  a  new 
era  in  locomotive  history.  Eastwick  introduced 
under  the  rear  end  of  the  main  frame  a  separate 
frame,  in  which  two  axles  were  placed,  one  pair 
above  and  one  pair  behind  the  fire  box.  This 
separate  frame  was  made  rigid  and  vibrated  up- 
on its  center  vertically.  The  weight  of  the  engine 
rested  upon  the  center  of  the  sides  of  this  separ- 
ate frame  through  the  intervention  of  a  strong 
spring  above  the  main  frame,  the  separate  frame 
being  held  in  place  by  a  pedestal  bolted  to  the 
main  frame,  the  centers  of  the  main  frame  vibrat- 
ing upon  a  journal  sliding  vertically  in  this 
pedestal.  Shortly  after  the  completion  of  the 
'Hercules"  it  was  seen  that  a  more  perfect 
equalization  of  the  weight  on  each  of  the  driving 
wheels  would  be  obtained  if  a  separate  and  inde- 
pendent equalization  lever  was  placed  on  each 


side  of  the  engine.  This  was  an  improvement 
invented  by  James  Harrison,  Jr.  The  equali- 
zation frame  of  the  "  Hercules "  was  at  once 
altered  by  making  the  two  sides  of  the  frame 
two  independent  beams  and  discarding  the  end 
connections.  (Full  size  working  reproduction 
constructed  from  original  drawings  and  data 
furnished  by  the  sons  of  both  inventors,  may 
be  seen  at  the  Field  Columbian  Museum,  Chi- 
cago. ) 

The  "Mount  Clare"  (see  illust.  page  72)  was 
designed  and  built  by  James  Murray,  of  Balti- 
more, in  1845.  I'1  writing  of  the  "  Mount 
Clare,"  Mr.  Murray  said :  "  This  engine  was  de- 
signed by  me  and  built  in  the  B.  &  O.  Company's 
shops.  The  object  being  to  remedy  certain  de- 
fects relative  to  the  valve  gear  and  to  the  posi- 
tion of  the  spur  and  pinion  wheel  of  the  Winans 
geared  locomotive  at  a  time  when  we  still  had 
but  little  else  than  two  and  one-quarter  by  five- 
eighth  inch  flat  bar  rail  on  a  wooden  string  piece 
between  Baltimore  and  Harper's  Ferry  and  feared 
to  introduce  larger  wheels  and  greater  spread 
of  wheel  base  than  had  previously  been  deter- 
mined practicable.  The  cylinders  were  placed 
inside  and  immediately  under  the  smoke  box, 
the  wheel  having  a  diameter  of  thirty-five  inches 
and  the  gearing  so  proportioned  as  to  make  them 
equal  to  fifty  inches  in  diameter.  The  valve 
gear  did  not  embrace  'cams,'  as  this  was  the  fault 
in  the  Winans  geared  engine  which  I  intended 
to  avoid.  The  valves  had  considerable  lap  on 
the  induction  sides  and  there  was  an  arrange- 
ment on  the  backs  of  the  valves  by  means  of 
which  the  steam  could  be  cut  off  at  about  half 
stroke."  Mr.Murray  designed  and  constructed 
at  Mount  Clare  the  first  round  house  in  the  world 
for  the  protection  of  locomotives,  with  a  turn 
table  in  the  center.  (Full  size  working  repro- 
duction constructed  by  detailed  drawings  made 
by  Mr.  Murray,  may  be  seen  at  the  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum,  Chicago.) 

"The  Dragon,"  (see  illust.  page  74)  was  de- 
signed and  built  by  M.  W.  Baldwin,  of  Philadel- 
phia, in  1848,  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  examples 
of  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  extant.  Iii 
October  1847,  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


679 


Company  advertised  for  proposals  for  four  en- 
gines to  burn  Cumberland  coal  and  the  order 
was  taken  and  filled  by  Mr.  Baldwin  with  such 
number  of  his  eight-wheel  connected  machines. 
This  was  the  first  one  which  was  delivered  and 
is  shown  just  as  taken  out  of  the  service  in  the 
yard  of  the  company's  rolling  mill  at  Cumberland, 
after  forty-five  years  continuous  duty.  Baldwin, 
in  the  early  years  of  his  work,  had  the  usual 
ups  and  downs  which  characterized  the  estab- 
lishing of  a  great  business.  He  was  not  an  im- 
pulsive man,  on  the  contrary,  he  was  most  de- 
liberate and  he  had  to  satisfy  himself  pretty 
thoroughly  tljat  the  innovation  was  one  that  would 
stand  the  test  of  hard  usage  before  he  would 
adopt  it.  His  first  flexible  truck  engine  was  com- 
pleted in  1842  and  had  six  wheels  connected. 
This  plan  of  construction  was  modified  and  im- 
proved until  1844  when  the  six-wheel  connected 
engine  had  become  so  successful  as  to  enab'.e 
the  increase  of  size  up  to  eighteen  and  twenty 
tons  weight.  Within  a  year  or  two  eight-wheel 
connected  engines  were  built,  two  for  the  Phila- 
delphia &  Reading  railroad  weighing  up  to  twen- 
ty-five tons.  These  were  the  first  upon  which 
Baldwin  placed  sand  boxes  and  also  the  first  on 
which  roofs  were  introduced  over  the  foot-board, 
up  to  this  time  simply  a  rail  being  the  only  pro- 
tection afforded  the  engine  man.  The  latter 
added  curtains  at  the  sides  and  front,  but  by  the 
time  the  "  Dragon  "  was  built,  Baldwin  had  in- 
troduced the  cab  with  sides  and  roof,  sash  and 
glass.  In  the  "  Dragon  "  he  also  introduced  an 
innovation  in  the  shape  of  a  grate  with  a  rocking 
bar  in  the  center,  having  fingers  on  each  side 
which  interlocked  with  projections  on  fixed  bars, 
one  in  front  and  one  behind.  It  was  operated 
from  the  foot-board. 

The  "Perkins"  (see  illust.  page  76)  was  de- 
signed by  Thatcher  Perkins,  of  Baltimore,  and 
was  built  by  the  B.  &  O.  at  the  Mount  Clare 
shops,  in  1863.  It  is  the  first  of  the  type  of  the 
heavy  ten-wheel  locomotives.  This  engine  pos- 
sesses a  very  great  interest  for  its  various  sym- 
metrical and  graceful  lines  throughout.  It  is  the 
earliest  example  of  a  type  of  locomotive  now  in 

36 


general  use  for  heavy  passenger  trains  running 
upon  fast  schedules. 

The  B.  &  O.  "600,"  1876,  (see  illust.  p.  78) 
was  regarded  as  representative  of  the  highest 
type  of  American  locomotives  twenty-five  years 
ago. 

It  is  generally  conceded  that  the  first  rail- 
road for  passenger  traffic  in  England  was  the 
Stockton  &  Darlington  line,  fifteen  miles  in 
length.  This  road  was  projected  by  Edward 


THE  "BRUNTON." 

Model  in  Field  Columbian  Museum,  Chicago,  111. 

I'ease  and  executed  by  George  Stephenson. 
Koyal  assent  was  given  April  19,  1821,  and  the 
first  rail  was  laid  with  considerable  ceremony 
at  a  point  near  St.  John's  well,  in  Stockton,  May 
23,  1822,  and  it  was  completed  and  opened  for 
traffic  September  27,  1825. 

The  first  freight  line,  in  England,  on  which 
steam  was  used  was  the  Hutton  railway,  a  short 
track  of  eight  miles,  built  from  the  Hutton  Col- 
liery to  the  docks  at  Sunderland,  on  the  banks 
of  the  river  Wear.  This  was  opened  November 


680 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


18,  1822.  Stephenson  was  the  engineer  of  this 
line  and  used  five  locomotives  of  his  own  design. 
They  were  called  "  iron  horses  "  by  the  people 
in  the  neighborhood. 

The  Liverpool  &  Manchester  railroad,  thir- 
ty-seven miles  long,  was  commenced  in  1826, 
and  opened  to  the  public  September  15,  1830. 
The  gauge  was  four  feet,  eight  and  one-half 
inches.  The  surveys  for  this  road  were  made 
in  the  face  of  strong  opposition,  the  surveyors 
sometimes  being  mobbed  by  those  interested  in 
coaches,  etc. 

From  this  small  beginning  grew  the  present 
immense  railway  system  of  Great  Britain,  con- 
sisting of  over  18,000  miles  and  costing  $3,750,- 
000,000  or  over  $200,000  per  mile. 

The  earliest  railroad  built  in  this  country 
was  a  tramway,  constructed  in  1826,  from  the 
vicinity  of  Bunker  Hill  monument  to  a  point  at 
tide-water  for  the  purpose  of  hauling,  by  horse 
power,  the  material  used  in  rearing  that  historic 
shaft. 

In  1827  another  road  was  constructed  from 
the  Mauch  Chunk  mines  to  the  Lehigh  canal. 

The  charter  for  the  present  Baltimore  & 
Ohio  railroad  was  secured  in  1827,  and  July  4, 
1828,  the  first  shovel  full  of  earth,  in  connection 
with  the  laying  of  the  tracks,  was  turned  by 
Charles  Carroll,  of  Carrollton,  the  only  survivor 
of  the  Signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Indepen- 
dence. When  he  took  the  initial  part  in  the  cere- 
mony, he  was  ninety-four  years  of  age,  and  in 
common  with  all  witnesses  of  the  act,  contem- 
plated only  animal  power  as  the  means  of  loco- 
motion. 

In  1829,  the  laying  of  rails  began  in  Balti- 
more, and  on  May  22,  1830,  the  road  to  Ellicott's 
Mills,  a  distance  of  thirteen  miles,  was  opened. 
Washington  and  Baltimore  were  formally  con- 
nected by  railroad  on  Tuesday  August  25,  1835. 

The  charter  of  the  South  Carolina  Railroad 
was  granted  December  19,  1827,  and  the  road 
was  begun  January  9,  1830,  and  was  completed 
in  1833.  The  distance  was  135  miles  and  was 
the  longest  railroad  in  the  world.  This  was  the 
first  corporation  to  apply  locomotive  traction  to 


the  operation  of  its  line;  and  it  was  on  this  road 
that  the  first  continuous  run  of  100  miles  was 
ever  made.  This  was  also  the  first  railroad  to 
carry  the  U.  S.  mail. 

The  construction  of  the  Mohawk  &  Hudson 
railroad  (now  a  part  of  the  New  York  Central) 
was  begun  in  1830  and  completed  in  1831.  It 
extended  from  Albany  to  Schenectady  and  the 


STEPHENSON'S  "ROCKET,"  1829. 

Model  in  Field  Columbian  Museum,  Chicago,  111. 


''DeWitt  Clinton,"  with  its  train  of  three  coaches 
made  its  first  regular  trip  from  the  former  to  the 
latter  city  on  the  9th  of  August  1831,  attaining 
on  this  trip  a  maximum  speed  of  fifteen  miles  per 
hour.  This  was  the  first  steam  railway  train 
in  the  state  of  New  York. 

The  Boston  &  Worcester  railroad  was  opened 
for  business  on  Saturday,  September  20,  1834, 
from  the  former  city  to  West  Hopkinson,  a  dis- 
tance of  twenty-four  miles,  though  thirteen  miles 
of  this  road  were  in  operation  prior  to  this  time. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


681 


On  September  23,  1834,  the  Portsmouth  & 
Roanoke  railroad,  between  Portsmouth  and  Suf- 
folk, Va.,  was  opened.  November  following, 
the  Philadelphia  &  Trenton  railroad,  twenty- 
cight  miles  in  length,  commenced  operations. 
Two  trains  daily  were  placed  in  service  on  this 
line,  one  being  provided  with  locomotive  power 
while  the  other  was  drawn  by  horses. 

The  Boston  &  Providence  railroad,  which 
had  been  completed  from  Boston  to  Canton,  fif- 
teen miles,  in  September  1834,  was  finished  the 
following  year,  and  the  first  train  passed  over 
the  entire  line  on  Tuesday,  July  27,  1835.  The 
Wilmington  &  Susquehanna  railroad  was  opened 
to  the  public  June  27,  1835. 

The  first  national  legislation  in  this  country, 
pertaining  to  railroads,  of  which  there  is  any 
authentic  information,  originated  in  the  United 
States  Senate,  April  23,  1828,  when  a  bill  was  in- 
troduced and  subsequently  passed,  authorizing 
the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  railroad  company  to  im- 
port iron  for  the  purpose  of  building  their  pro- 
jected line.  The  Pennsylvania  railroad  company 
imported  from  England  the  first  steel  used  in  the 
country  for  railroad  construction.  The  first  T 
rails  made  in  the  United  States  were  rolled  at 
Montour  Rolling  Mills,  at  Danville,  Pa.,  in  Octo- 
ber 1845.  The  Bessemer  steel  process  was 
originated  in  1855,  but  the  manufacture  was  not 
fully  established  until  1867.  Twenty-five  hun- 
dred and  fiftv  tons  of  steel  rails  were  made  in 


the  United  States  in  1867,  the  price  being  $120.00 
per  ton. 

That  vast  area,  which  during  the  early  part 
of  the  nineteenth  century  was  known  as  the 
"  Great  American  Desert,"  and  which  knew  no 
railroads  and  a  very  scant  population,  now  fur- 
nishes the  restless  scene  of  some  of  the  chief  rail- 
road enterprises  of  this  country.  A  recent  com- 
parative statement  of  railway  mileage  and  trans- 
portation facilities  shows  the  relative  mileage  of 
the  following  states  in  the  order  in  which  they 
come :  Illinois,  Pennsylvania,  Texas,  Kansas, 
Iowa,  Ohio  and  New  York.  To  the  evolution 
of  the  railway  is  due  the  wonderful  transforma- 
tion of  the  great  middle  west  from  an  unin- 
habited, almost  unknown  region,  to  one  of  the 
most  fertile  spots  in  the  world.  The  transporta- 
tion facilities  have  been  such  as  to  enable  those 
living  in  the  far  western  states  to  engage  exten- 
sively in  the  world's  trade,  and  to  multiply  a 
hundred  fold  the  value  of  the  entire  country 
through  these  means.  These  vast  railways, 
girding  the  globe,  have  changed  the  condition 
of  mankind,  by  bringing  widely  separated  people 
into  direct  contact  with  each  other,  and  by  afford- 
ing a  speedy  and  convenient  exchange  of  the 
products  of  the  world.  The  increase  of  trans- 
portation facilities  marked  a  new  era  in  the  his- 
tory of  our  country  —  an  era  of  better  under- 
standing and  closer  and  more  amicable  relations 
between  the  commercial,  agricultural  and  indus- 
trial interests  of  the  United  States. 


682 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


in 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


683 


LAND  ..  GRANTS. 

BY  STUYVESANT  FISH. 
\ 


ZxTrx^he  first  act  of  congress  granting  lands  in 
aid  of  a  railroad  was  not  that  of  Sept.  20, 
*•*  1850,  and  that  act  neither  mentions  nor 
refers  to  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Co.,  which 
at  that  time  did  not  exist.  Nor  was  the  policy  of 
granting  public  lands  in  aid  of  internal  improve- 
ments even  then  a  new  one.  It  dates  back  at 
least  to  the  earliest  days  of  government  under 
our  present  Constitution.  From  the  beginning 
the  public  lands  were  freely  used  by  congress 
for  all  sorts  of  public  purposes.  They  never 
have  been,  and  it  is  hoped  never  will  be,  held 
as  a  private  owner  might  well  hold  his  lands — 
for  the  sole  purpose  of  getting  the  uttermost 
farthing  out  of  their  sale. 

At  the  outset,  one  thirty-sixth  of  every 
township  in  the  public  domain  was  given  for 
school  purposes.  Increased  population  created 
demand  for  transportation,  and  our  early  statutes 
are  full  of  large  grants  in  aid  of  turnpikes  and 
canals.  Having,  many  years  before,  granted 
lands  to  the  State  of  Illinois  in  aid  of  a  canal, 
the  congress  on  March  2,  1833,  amended  its 
previous  act  so  that  those  lands  might  be  used 
and  disposed  of  by  the  state 

"For  the  purpose  of  making  a  railroad  in- 
stead of  a  canal,  as  in  said  act  contemplated, 
and  that  the  time  for  commencing  and  complet- 
ing said  canal  or  railroad,  whichever  the  State 
of  Illinois  may  choose  to  make,  be  and  is  ex- 
tended five  years." 


The  state,  however,  chose  to  build  a  canal 
and  not  a  railroad. 

GRANT  TO  IOWA  TERRITORY. 

A  grant  was  also  made  by  congress  in  1846 
to  the  then  Territory  of  Iowa  in  aid  of  the  navi- 
gation of  the  Des  Moines  River.  It  became 
the  subject  of  contention  and  of  legislation  by 
the  State  of  Iowa,  which  was  finally  settled  by 
the  act  of  congress  approved  Aug.  12,  1862,  un- 
der which  the  grant  was  in  part  diverted  to  rail- 
road purposes.  While  it  is  fair  to  assume  that 
other  acts  prior  to  that  of  Sept.  20,  1850,  may 
have  granted  lands  in  aid  of  railroads,  I  doubt 
if  any  land  had  up  to  that  time  actually  passed 
thereunder.  It  may  therefore  be  said  that  the 
first  lands  actually  conveyed  by  the  federal 
government  in  aid  of  a  railroad  were  those  de- 
scribed in  the  act  of  Sept.  20,  1850.  But  that 
law  was  entitled : 

"An  act  granting  the  riglit  of  way,  and  mak- 
ing a  grant  of  land  to  the  states  of  Illinois, 
Mississippi  and  Alabama,  in  aid  of  the  con- 
struction of  a  railroad  from  Chicago  to  Mobile." 

The  states  named  were,  of  course,  free  to 
accept  or  decline  this  grant.  They  were  equally 
free  to  build  and  own  the  railroad  themselves, 
or  to  delegate  that  hazardous  work  to  others. 
The  only  obligation  assumed  by  them  through 
its  acceptance  was  "that  if  the  said  railroad 
shall  not  be  completed  within  ten  years,  the 


684 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


said  state  *  *  *  shall  be  bound  to  pay  to  the 
United  States  the  amount  which  may  be  received 
upon  the  sale  of  any  part  of  said  lands  by  said 
state,  the  title  to  the  purchasers  under  said 
state  remaining  valid,  and  the  title  to  the 
residue  revesting  in  the  United  States." 

BUILDING  OF  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL. 

That  act  defined  the  termini  and  the  general 
course  of  the  railroad  to  be  built  in  Illinois, 
fixing  two  points  in  the  interior  of  the  state,  La 
Salle  and  Galena,  one  on  its  northeastern  bor- 
der, Chicago;  another  at  its  extreme  southern 
end,  Cairo,  and  required  it  to  reach  Dubuque, 
Iowa,  which  is  opposite  the  northwestern  cor- 
ner of  Illinois.  That  act  also  prescribed  the 
order  in  which  the  several  parts  of  the  railroad 
in  Illinois  should  be  built. 

It  provided,  among  other  things: 

"That  the  lands  hereby  granted  shall  be  ap- 
plied in  the  construction  of  said  road  and 
branches  respectively,  in  quantities  correspond- 
ing with  the  grant  for  each,  and  shall  be  dis- 
posed of  only  as  the  work  progresses,  and  shall 
be  applied  to  no  other  purpose  whatsoever." 

The  only  reference  in  that  act  to  the  other 
states  is  contained  in  the  final  section,  which 
reads : 

"And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  in  order  to 
aid  in  the  continuation  of  said  Central  Railroad 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  river  to  the  city  of 
Mobile,  all  the  rights,  privileges  and  liabilities 
hereinbefore  conferred  on  the  State  of  Illinois 
shall  be  granted  to  the  states  of  Alabama  and 
Mississippi  respectively  for  the  purpose  of  aid- 
ing in  the  construction  of  a  railroad  from  said 
city  of  Mobile  to  a  point  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Ohio  river,  and  that  public  lands  of  the  United 
States  to  the  same  extent  in  proportion  to  the 
length  of  the  road,  on  the  same  terms,  limita- 
tions and  restrictions  in  every  respect,  shall  be 
and  is  hereby  granted  to  said  states  of  Alabama 
and  Mississippi  respectively." 


ROAD  PLANNED  TO  REACH  MOBILE. 
You  will  not  fail  to  observe  that  nothing  is 
said  as  to  the  location  in  Mississippi  or  Alabama 
further  than  that  the  railroad  should  reach  Mo- 
bile. Reference  is  made  to  this  difference  be- 
cause, in  the  charter  granted  February  10,  1851, 
by  the  State  of  Illinois  to  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  Company,  further  and  more  specific 
provisions  were  inserted  as  to  the  location  of 
the  railroad,  which,  with  those  contained  in  the 
act  of  congress,  entailed  vast  outlays  in  the 
construction  and  a  continued  and  great  expense 
in  the  maintenance  of  the  line.  Especially  is 
this  the  case  in  the  city  of  Chicago,  where  a 
different  location  was  in  vain  sought  for  by  the 
company  in  order  to  avoid  such  expense.  The 
act  of  congress  further  provided  that  the  alter- 
nate sections  of  land  within  six  miles  of  the 
railroad,  which  were  reserved  to  the  United 
States, 

"Shall  not  be  sold  for  less  than  double  the 
minimum  price  of  the  public  lands  when  sold." 

Those  lands  were  then,  and  had  long  been, 
unsalable  at  the  minimum  price.  The  fact  that, 
upon  the  building  of  the  railroad  in  Illinois,  all 
the  lands  near  it  reserved  by  the  government 
were  promptly  sold  at  and  above  double  the 
minimum  price,  demonstrates  that  in  the  mere 
matter  of  money  the  federal  government  gained 
more  than  double  what  it  gave.  It  exchanged 
one-half  of  an  unsalable  asset  for  more  than  the 
price  at  which  it  had  in  vain  been  offering  the 
whole.  Indeed,  it  fared  even  better  by  selling 
vast  quantities  of  land  more  than  six  miles  from 
the  railroad  at  good  prices. 

The  Illinois  Central  Railroad  was  com- 
pleted within  six  years  of  the  passage  of  the 
act  of  September  20,  1850,  in  exact  compliance 
therewith,  and  with  the  even  more  precise  re- 
quirements of  the  charter.  That  other  acts  of 


c,0 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


685 


congress  granting  lands  to  or  in  aid  of  railroads 
were  more  loosely  drawn  is  undoubtedly  true, 
but  in  this  they  did  not  follow  the  model  act  of 
Sept.  20,  1850,  under  which  alone  has  the 
Illinois  Central,  even  indirectly,  ever  received 
any  public  lands. 

The  total  amount  of  public  land  ever  re- 
ceived by  the  Illinois  Central  was  2,594,115 
acres.  The  Illinois  Central  never  received 
any  part  of  the  grant  of  lands  made  for  the 
railroad  from  Dubuque  to  Sioux  City,  326.58 
miles,  embracing,  1,226,063  acres.  It  is  true 
that  the  Illinois  Central  is  operating  under  lease 
the  railroad  from  Dubuque  to  Sioux  City,  and 
that  it  owns  nearly  all  of  the  stock  of  the 
Dubuque  and  Sioux  City  Railroad  Company, 
but  the  Dubuque  and  Sioux  City  Railroad  Com- 
pany and  the  Iowa  Falls  and  Sioux  City  Rail- 
road Company  disposed  of  their  lands  many 
years  before  the  Illinois  Central  owned  a  single  • 
share  or  had  any  control  over  the  affairs  of 
either  of  those  corporations. 

Now,  as  to  the  value  of  the  lands  granted 
by  congress  to  the  State  of  Illinois  through  the 
act  of  September  20,  1850,  you  assume  that  our 
last  sales  were  at  $6.50  per  acre  (which  is  not 
borne  out  by  the  facts),  and  apply  that  value  to 
the  whole,  including  therewith  the  lands  granted 
for  the  railroad  from  Dubuque  to  Sioux  City. 

It  has  been  shown  above  that  the  lands 
were  at  that  time  and  had  long  been  freely  but 
in  vain  offered  at  the  minimum  price,  which  was 
$1.25  per  acre. 

There  were  then  great  quantities  of  Mexican 
war  bounty  scrip  afloat,  which  was  difficult  and 
slow  of  sale  at  from  40  to  50  cents  on  the  dollar. 
There  are  thousands  of  acres  of  land  in  Illinois 
which  were  thus  bought  in  and  about  1850  at 
from  50  cents  to  62/4  cents  per  acre  in  cash. 
The  value  of  the  2,594,115  acres  received  by 


the  Illinois  Central  was  therefore  somewhere 
between  $1,297,057.50  and  $1,621,321.87.  As 
the  act  of  September  20,  1850,  provided  that 
the  railroad — 

"Shall  be  and  remain  a  public  highway,  for 
the  use  of  the  government  of  the  United  States, 
free  from  toll  or  other  charge  upon  the  trans- 
portation of  any  property  or  troops  of  the 
United  States,"  and  that— 

"The  United  States  mail  shall  at  all  times  be 
transported  on  the  said  railroad  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Postoffice  Department,  at  such  price 
as  the  congress  may  by  law  direct." 

GOVERNMENT  AMPLY  REPAID. 

And  as  these  provisions,  in  substance,  also 
apply  to  the  railroad  from  Dubuque  to  Sioux 
City,  it  is  far  within  bounds  to  say  that,  in  the 
carriage  of  troops,  munitions  of  war  and  the 
mails  and  in  other  transportation  for  the  federal 
government  at  reduced  rates,  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral has  long  since  allowed  much  greater  sums 
to  the  United  States  than  the  value  of  all  the 
lands  granted  to  the  State  of  Illinois  to  aid  in 
its  construction.  Moreover,  it  continues  under 
like  obligations  for  all  time. 

From  a  national  and  particularly  from  a 
military  point  of  view  the  value  of  the  Illinois 
Central  during  the  civil  war  in  bringing  to  Cairo 
the  armies  of  the  West  and  in  keeping  them 
supplied  and  equipped  during  four  years  is  past 
calculation.  The  all  but  exclusive  use  thus 
made  by  the  federal  government  of  the  railroad 
during  those  years  not  only  prevented  the  earn- 
ing of  legitimate  revenues,  but  thereafter  sub- 
jected the  company  to  reclamations  by  shippers, 
for  which  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  were 
subsequently  recovered  against  and  paid  by  it. 

The  lands  granted  by  this  same  act  of  Sept. 
20,  1850,  to  the  states  of  Mississippi  and  Ala- 
bama were  by  them  turned  over  to  the  Mobile 
and  Ohio  Railroad.  Those  lands  are  now 


686 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


"estimated  to  be  worth  55  cents  per  acre,  not 
including  town  lots,"  although  they  lie  near  to 
a  railroad  which  has  been  in  operation  for  fifty 
years  and  carries  freight  at  the  lowest  average 
rate  per  ton  per  mile  of  any  in  the  south.  In- 
deed, the  average  rate  per  ton  per  mile  charged 
by  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  during  the  year  ended 
June  30,  1899,  was  5  83-100  mills,  or  somewhat 
less  than  that  charged  by  the  New  York  Central 
and  Hudson  River  Railroad,  which  was  5  9-10 
mills.  As  the  act  of  September  20,  1850,  clearly 
shows,  the  recipients  of  the  government's 
bounty  thereunder  were  the  states  of  Illinois, 
Mississippi  and  Alabama. 

How  ILLINOIS  HAS  FARED. 
Let  us  see  how  Illinois  has  fared  since,  on 
February  10,  1851,  it  incorporated  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Company.  The  charter,  in 
addition  to  requiring  that  the  governor  of  the 
state  for  the  time  being  shall  forever  be  one  of 
the  thirteen  directors  of  the  corporation,  re- 
served to  the  state,  in  lieu  of  taxes,  7  per  cent, 
of  the  gross  receipts  of  the  railroad  to  be  built 
thereunder.  The  charter  also  said  that — 

"In  case  the  persons  incorporated  by  this 
act  shall  fail  or  neglect  to  accept  the  provisions 
of  the  same  and  comply  with  its  conditions 
within  the  time  and  in  the  manner  herein  pre- 
scribed, then  the  same  may  be  accepted  by  any 
other  company  which  shall  be  approved  by  the 
governor,  auditor  and  treasurer  of  this  state." 

Those  conditions  embraced,  among  other 
things,  the  deposit,  with  the  treasurer  of  the 
state,  of — 

"Three  hundred  thousand  dollars  of  regis- 
tered canal  bonds,  or  funded  internal  improve- 
ment bonds  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  or  $200,000  in 
specie,  or  $200,000  of  6  per  cent  United  States 
stock"— 

as  security  for  the  completion  of  at  least  fifty 
miles  of  said  railroad  and  the  indemnification 


of  the  state  of  Illinois  against  all  claims  of  the 
United  States  government  for  the  proceeds  of 
sales  of  lands.  This  is  mentioned  merely  to 
show  that  the  charter  was  in  no  sense  a  largess 
or  favor  to  the  individuals  therein  named,  but 
simply  the  Creation  of  a  corporation  destined 
to  carry  out  the  long-cherished  dream  of  the 
state — the  construction  of  a  central  railroad 
through  its  trackless  prairies.  In  February, 
1837,  an  act  had  been  passed  by  the  legislature 
providing  for  the  building  of  such  a  railroad 
by  the  state,  and  the  sum  of  $3,500,000  was 
appropriated  for  that  purpose.  The  money 
was  to  be  procured  by  the  sale  of  state  bonds. 
Bonds  to  a  large  amount  were  actually  issued 
and  sold  by  the  state.  With  the  moneys  thus 
borrowed  the  state  entered  upon  the  construc- 
tion of  an  extensive  system  of  internal  im- 
provements. 

EFFECTS  OF  PANIC  OF  1837. 

The  financial  panic  which  swept  over  the 
country  in  1837  and  1838  brought  these  enter- 
prises to  an  abrupt  close.  The  borrowed  money 
was  exhausted  and  the  state  was  compelled  to 
suspend  the  payment  of  interest  on  the  public 
debt.  The  bonds  of  the  state  were  discredited 
and  it  was  not  until  1850  that  the  revenues  were 
found  to  be  sufficient  to  even  meet  the  current 
demands  upon  the  treasury  for  ordinary  state 
expenses,  exclusive  of  the  interest  on  the  debt. 
That  debt,  to  the  amount  of  $16,000,000,  was 
then  and  had  long  been  in  default  for  non- 
payment of  interest. 

The  gross  sum  received  by  the  state  out  of 
the  earnings  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
Company  down  to  April  30,  1899,  was  $17,652,- 
930.  In  the  six  years  ended  April  30,  1899, 
these  contributions  to  the  revenues  of  the 
state  amounted  to  $3,856,929.35,  or  an  average 
of  $642,821.56  per  year.  Thus  we  see  that  the 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


687 


State  of  Illinois  has  also  been  well  paid,  and 
will  be  for  all  time.  How  is  it  with  the  people 
living  on  and  near  the  railroad  ? 

The  railroad  built  under  the  charter  granted 
February  10,  1851,  traverses  twenty-nine  of  the 
102  counties  in  Illinois,  among  them  Cook 
county,  in  which  Chicago  lies.  In  population 
the  twenty-eight  counties  other  than  Cook 
served  by  that  railroad  show  an  increase  from 
1850  to  1890  of  370.55  per  cent,  which  is  nearly 
double  that  of  the  seventy-three  counties  not 
served  by  that  railroad  (186.69  per  cent),  and 
decidedly  greater  than  that  of  the  state  at 
large,  including  Cook  county  (349.38  per  cent). 
In  assessed  values  those  twenty-eight  counties 
show  an  increase  of  673.79  per  cent,  which  is 
also  about  double  that  of  the  seventy-three 
counties  (341.70  p5r  cent),  and  much  greater 
than  that  of  the  state  at  large  (574.81  percent), 
even  though  there  is  included  therein  Cook 
county,  with  2,857.93  per  cent  of  increase. 

INFLUENCE  ON  COUNTRY'S  DEVELOPMENT. 

The  proportion  of  the  population  and  of  the 
assessed  values  of  the  whole  state  in  those 
twenty-eight  counties  has  increased  perceptibly 
since  1850  notwithstanding  the  growth  of  Cook 
county,  to  which  the  railroad  has  contributed 
as  much  as  any  one  cause,  while  in  the  seventy- 
three  counties  it  has  fallen  from  being  nearly 
three-quarters  to  less  than  one-half  of  the 
whole. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  allude  to  the  vast  public 
service  performed  by  the  railroad  in  the  car- 
riage of  passengers  and  freight,  to  the  low 


rates  charged  therefor,  to  the  value  of  that  ser- 
vice, to  the  increased  value  thereby  given  to 
land  and  other  matters  which  are  common  to 
all  railroad  history.  That  all  of  the  other 
grants  made  by  congress  in  aid  of  railroads 
were  not  as  well  safeguarded  or  as  honestly 
administered  must  be  admitted.  While  this  is 
to  be  regretted,  a  like  comparison  of  conditions 
prevailing  in  the  locality  at  the  time  those 
grants  were  made  with  present  conditions  will 
in  every  case  bring  out  a  good  showing. 

With  these  facts  before  us  as  to  the  results 
of  the  first  effective  railroad  land  grant,  should 
we  not  rather  extol  the  memory  of  Stephen  A. 
Douglas,  who  was  chiefly  instrumental  in  pas- 
sing the  act  of  September  20,  1850;  of  Clay 
and  Seward,  of  Benton  and  Shields  and  the 
others  who  aided  him  in  bringing  about, 
through  the  granting  of  lands  then  valueless, 
the  upbuilding  of  our  western  civilization  ? 
Eight  generations  of  our  fathers  served  to 
bring  Christianity,  civilization  and  commerce 
to  the  Mississippi  River.  Since  liberal  grants 
of  land  began  to  be  made  in  aid  of  railroads 
we  have  seen  those  blessings  carried  to  the 
Pacific  in  a  lifetime. 

On  reflection,  you  will,  I  feel  sure,  agree 
with  me  in  thinking  that  it  is  not  for  us  who 
enjoy  the  fruits  of  their  labors  to  question  the 
acts  of  those  who  did  this  work,  even  though 
we  may  somewhere  see  motes  and  specks  in  it. 

The  above  appeared  in  the  United  States  Investor, 
(by  whose  permission  it  is  reproduced),  in  reply  to  an 
article  appearing  in  that  journal  September  2,  1899, 
assaulting  land  grants  in  general  and  that  to  the  Illi- 
nois Central  in  particular. 


688 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


689 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  AND  ITS  TRAFFIC. 

BY  MR.  J.  P.  MERRY,  ASST.  G.  P.  A. 


Huong  the  railroads  that  for  nearly  a. half 
century  have  been  identified  with  the 
commercial  and  industrial  develop- 
ment of  the  United  States,  none  is  more  wide- 
ly known  nor  enjoys  more  fully  the  confidence 
of  the  general  public  at  home  and  abroad  than 
the  Illinois  Central. 

Other  lines  have  been  conspicuous  in  their 
respective  localities,  but  the  Illinois  Central,  to 
which  attention  is  invited,  was  not  only  one  of 
the  pioneer  lines  of  the  West,  but  it  came  into 
existence  during  the  early  days  of  the  great 
state  whose  name  it  proudly  bears,  and  for 
nearly  half  a  century  it  has  been  so  intimately 
connected  with  the  nation's  commerce  that  it 
has  become  a  part  of  the  warp  and  woof  of  its 
commercial  fabric. 

After  nearly  twenty  years  of  discussion  re- 
lating to  governmental  aid  by  land  grants, 
which  was  participated  in  by  some  of  the  ablest 
men  in  the  nation,  congress,  in  September 
1850,  made  a  grant  of  land  to  the  State  of 
Illinois  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  a  railroad. 
This  grant  was  subsequently  transferred  by  the 
state  to  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company, 
which  was  chartered  on  the  10th  day  of  Feb- 
ruary 1851.  The  charter  provided  for  the  con- 
struction of  704  miles  of  road,  extending  from 
the  junction  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers 
at  Cairo  to  Dubuque,  Iowa,  and  also  a  branch 


line  to  the  city  of  Chicago.  It  is  quite  evident 
that  the  original  founders  of  this  great  system 
contemplated  it  would  become,  eventually,  the 
great  thoroughfare  between  the  North  and  the 
South,  that  would  afford  rapid  transit  and  ex- 
ceptional facilities  for  the  handling  of  inter- 
changeable products  between  the  two  sections. 
The  charter  referred  to  provided  for  a  land  grant 
of  2,595,000  acres,  most  of  which  was  black, 
rich  alluvial  soil,  and  to  one  acquainted  with 
the  present  value  of  Illinois  lands,  it  would 
seem  that  this  land  grant,  of  itself,  would  have 
furnished  ample  capital  for  the  construction  and 
equipment  of  700  miles  of  road.  Had  there 
been  no  consideration  on  the  part  of  the  com- 
pany other  than  the  construction  and  operation 
of  the  road,  the  charter  might  justly,  perhaps, 
have  been  considered  a  one-sided  affair.  But 
time  has  demonstrated  that  the  provision  of  the 
charter  that  the  company  should  make  annual 
payments  of  7  per  cent,  of  its  gross  earnings  to 
the  state  was  a  far-sighted  and  wise  one,  and 
one  that  from  1855  to  June  30,  1895,  has  con- 
tributed to  the  state  treasury  of  Illinois  no  less 
than  $17,315,607.44.  It  should  also  be  remem- 
bered that  the  population  of  Chicago  at  that 
time  was  but  40,000,  and  of  the  entire  state  of 
Illinois  only  851,470.  The  country  generally 
throughout  the  state  was  sparsely  settled. 
Towns  and  villages  were  few  3nd  far  between. 


690 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Over  11,000,000  acres  of  Illinois  public  lands 
were  unsold.  Not  a  mile  of  railroad  had  been 
constructed  west  of  the  Mississippi  river,  and 
only  11,000  miles  were  completed  or  in  process 
of  construction  in  the  United  States.  At  the 
end  of  1854  the  Illinois  Central  had  completed 
300  miles  of  road.  The  earnings,  however, 
were  insufficient  to  pay  operating  expenses,  not 
to  speak  of  the  interest  on  the  bonded  indebted- 
ness which  was  soon  to  become  due.  Then 
followed  an  entire  crop  failure,  when  the  far- 
mers had  nothing  to  ship  and  no  money  with 
which  to  purchase  lands  or  to  pay  for  what  had 
already  been  purchased.  Following  these  dis- 
couraging conditions  came  the  panic  of  1857, 
when  everything  would  have  been  lost  but  for 
the  stanch  character  of  the  men  who  composed 
the  Illinois  Central  directory.  To-day  it  re- 
quires but  little  effort  to  secure  millions  of 
money  for  any  legitimate  business  enterprise, 
but  it  was  not  so  from  1851  to  1857.  Business 
men  of  the  East  were  skeptical  as  to  the  future 
of  the  West.  Much  of  the  country  was  unde- 
veloped. Farmers,  as  a  rule,  were  poor,  and 
the  immediate  prospects  of  large  earnings  from 
the  new  pioneer  railroad  of  the  West  were  any- 
thing but  flattering.  These  were  times  that 
tried  men's  souls.  The  Illinois  Central  board 
of  directors,  however,  was  equal  to  the  occa- 
sion, and,  like  thousands  of  people  in  the  early 
days  of  Illinois,  it  believed  in  the  future  of  the 
state,  and  it  was  willing  to  risk  money  and 
reputation  in  the  construction  of  what  was 
necessary  to  its  further  development. 

Following  the  panic  of  1857  came  an  era 
of  prosperity.  Every  wagon  road  from  the 
East  was  lined  with  covered  wagons  from  Ohio, 
Pennsylvania  and  New  York  state.  The  reports 
of  the  fertility  of  Illinois  soil  had  reached  be- 
yond the  Alleghanies.  Railroad  lands  were  in 


demand  at  advanced  prices.  Crops  were  good. 
New  towns  were  springing  up  all  over  the  state. 
Earnings  were  showing  a  steady  and  decided 
increase,  and  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  ex- 
tending from  Dubuque  to  Cairo,  and  from 
Chicago  to  a  junction  with  the  main  line  near 
Centralia,  111.,  was  no  longer  an  experiment. 
Then  followed  the  war  of  1861  to  '65,  when  the 
company  was  taxed  to  its  utmost  capacity  to 
handle  government  troops  and  supplies  from 
the  northwest  to  the  junction  of  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  rivers  on  the  south. 

This  is  but  a  single  chapter  from  the  early 
history  of  one  of  the  most  important  transpor- 
tation lines  in  the  United  States.  It  has,  under 
strong,  but  honest  and  conservative  manage- 
ment, continued  to  grow  in  wealth,  usefulness 
and  extent  until  it  now  reaches  directly  one- 
fourth  of  all  the  states  in  the  Union.  It  tra- 
verses the  corn  belt  and  wheat  sections  of  the 
Northwest,  the  dairy  sections  of  the  North,  the 
fruit  and  lumber  sections  of  the  central,  and 
the  cane  and  cotton  belts  of  the  extreme  South; 
and  this  great  system,  organized  in  1851  under 
unfavorable  conditions,  now  owns  or  controls 
lines  aggregating  4,615.01  miles.- 

Reference  to  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
map,  gives  one  a  comprehensive  idea  of  the 
magnitude  of  the  country  reached  by  this  great 
system,  and  the  further  fact  that,  by  reason  of 
its  location,  it  has  advantages  for  the  handling 
of  interchangeable  products  between  the  northern 
and  southern  states  possessed  by  no  other  line. 
It  will  also  be  interesting  to  note  the  population 
of  the  states  traversed  by  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  as  it  appears  in  the  following  table: 

Illinois 4,680,902 

Iowa 2,058,000 

Wisconsin  1,937,915 

Minnesota 1,574,619 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


691 


South  Dakota 330,975 

Indiana .2,192,404 

Arkansas 1,500,000 

Missouri 3,250,000 

Kentucky 1,985,000 

Tennessee 2,000,000 

Mississippi 1,289,600 

Louisiana..  1,118,587 


Total 23,918,002 

From  the  above  it  will  be  readily  seen  that 
this  continuous  line  of  road,  reaching  from  the 
lakes  and  the  Missouri  river  to  the  gulf,  and 
traversing  twelve  of  the  best  agricultural  states 
in  the  Mississippi  Valley,  with  an  aggregate 
population  of  23,918,002,  or  one-third  of  the 
entire  population  of  the  United  States,  is  in  a 
position  to  handle  a  large  percentage  of  the 
grain,  packing-house  and  dairy  products  of  the 
North,  and  the  lumber,  sugar,  rice,  cotton, 
vegetables  and  fruit  of  the  South.  It  is  also  a 
significant  fact  that  the  states  producing  the 
staple  agricultural  products  of  this  country  are 
traversed  by  this  line.  Iowa  and  Illinois,  with 
a  corn  crop  in  a  single  year  amounting  to  565,- 
000,000  bushels,  are  the  great  corn-producing 
states  of  the  Union.  South  Dakota  and  Minne- 
sota excel  in  the  growing  of  wheat.  Wisconsin, 
Northern  Illinois  and  Northern  Iowa  are  fore- 
most in  dairy  products.  Mississippi  ranks 
.  among  the  great  cotton  states  of  the  South, 
while  Louisiana,  in  a  single  year,  produced 
sugar  to  the  value  of  $35,000,000. 

Not  only  has  the  Illinois  Central  excep- 
tional facilities  for  an  interchange  of  domestic 
products  between  the  northern  and  southern 
states,  but  it  has  acknowledged  superior  advan- 
tages in  the  handling  of  grain  for  export  through 
the  port  of  New  Orleans. 

To  one  who  has  not  given  the  matter  close 
attention,  it  is  a  matter  of  great  surprise  to 


know  how  the  fruit  and  vegetable  industry  has 
grown  within  the  past  ten  years  at  points  adja- 
cent to  the  line  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
throughout  West  Tennessee,  as  well  as  through- 
out Mississippi  and  Louisiana,  and  this  busi- 
ness, during  the  winter  as  well  as  summer 
months,  amounts  to  thousands  of  cars,  and  in 
order  to  handle  it  in  the  best  possible  manner 
and  with  the  least  possible  loss  and  delay,  the 
company  has  constructed  in  close  proximity  to 
the  fruit  commission  district  of  Chicago  a  large 
fruithouse,  having  a  frontage  of  106  feet  on 
.South  Water  street,  and  extending  south  700 
feet.  The  structure  is  of  brick,  with  iron 
trusses  and  slate  roof.  Every  facility  is  afforded 
for  the  loading  and  unloading  of  cars  within 
the  house.  A  battery  of  three  125  horse-power 
boilers,  with  smoke  consumers  and  other 
modern  improvements,  has  been  provided, 
which  insures  a  temperature,  even  during  the 
coldest  winter  months,  in  which  fruit  can  be 
handled  without  danger  of  being  frozen.  The 
construction  of  the  building  is  such  that  fruit  is 
not  only  protected  from,  cold  in  winter,  but 
from  sun  and  heat  in  summer.  The  building  is 
lighted  by  electricity,  and  all  heating  by  steam 
controlled  in  such  a  manner  as  to  have  different 
degrees  of  temperature  in  the  various  apart- 
ments, as  the  character  of  the  fruit  handled 
may  demand.  Large  ventilators  are  placed 
along  the  roof  to  open  or  close  at  will.  This 
great  Illinois  Central  fruithouse,  costing  $90,- 
000,  with  a  capacity  of  fifty-six  cars,  is  only 
another  indication  of  the  enterprise  of  the  com- 
pany in  providing  the  best  possible  facilities  for 
handling  business. 

In  no  branch  of  the  service,  however,  are 
the  improved  conditions  more  manifest  than  in 
the  passenger  department.  Large  engines 
capable  of  handling  a  dozen  or  more  cars,  have 


692 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


taken  the  place  of  the  smaller  ones.  Vestibuled 
trains  of  elegant  sleepers,  chair  cars,  cafe 
dining  cars,  coaches,  baggage  and  mail  cars  of 
the  standard  olive  color  are  now  run  on  fast 
time  between  all  commercial  centers  on  the 
system,  and  by  reason  of  these  greatly  im- 
proved conditions  and  facilities  for  handling 
business,  the  Illinois  Central  ranks  as  one  of 
the  leading,  first-class  passenger  roads  of  the 
country. 

As  a  passenger  route  this  line  is  highly 
favored  in  having  thirteen  prominent  terminal 
cities,  with  an  aggregate  population  of  3,147,- 
499,  as  follows: 

Chicago 2,698,575 

St.  Louis 575,237 

New  Orleans 287,104 

Louisville 204,731 

Memphis 112,000 

Dubuque 36,297 

Sioux  City 35,000 

Cedar  Rapids 25,000 

Madison 16,000 

Springfield 35,000 

Helena,  Ark 10,000 

Sioux  Falls 10,000 

Omaha 102,555 

That  this  line  has  become  popular  as  a  pas- 
senger route  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  the 
annual  report  shows  that  from  June  30,  1897, 
to  June  30,  1898,  this  company  carried  one 
mile  263,336,693  passengers,  or  more  than 
three  and  one-half  times  the  entire  population 
of  the  United  States. 

One  of  the  great  lines  that  has  and  is  now 
contributing  so  much  to  the  development  of 
Memphis  is  che  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley 
Railroad,  a  part  of  the  Illinois  Central  system 
extending  from  Memphis  to  New  Orleans,  which 
runs  through  the  most  fertile  sections  of  the 
South,  and  is  now  attracting  the  attention  of 


farmers  and  mill  men  throughout  the  North- 
west -who  are  judges  of  good  soil  and  good 
timber.  Between  Memphis  and  Vicksburg  the 
land  is  especially  adapted  to  the  growing  of 
cotton  and  corn.  Indeed  it  is  not  an  unusual 
crop  to  harvest  sixty  to  seventy-five  bushels  of 
corn  or  a  bale  of  cotton  per  acre,  without  the 
use  of  an  ounce  of  fertilizer.  The  Yazoo  & 
Mississippi  Valley  Railroad  Company  owns 
nearly  500,000  acres  of  the  finest  hardwood 
timber  land  in  the  United  States  located  within 
two  to  fifteen  miles  of  its  line.  This  land  is 
now  being  sold  by  the  land  commissioner  at 
nominal  prices  to  actual  settlers,  and  thus  is 
being  developed  tributary  to  Memphis  an  area 
of  country  that  has  no  equal  in  the  fertility  of 
its  soil,  and  the  variety  of  products  to  which  it 
is  adapted. 

The  tonnage  forwarded  and  received  from 
the  Memphis  station  of  the  Illinois  Central  and 
Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  Railroads  from 
1895  to  1898  inclusive,  aggregating  no  less 
than  7,095,934,000  tons,  and  showing  a 
steady  yearly  increase,  is  the  best  possible  in- 
dication of  the  growth  and  development  of 
Memphis  and  the  country  tributary  to  the  Cen- 
tral Road. 

Few  people  have  any  conception  of  the 
facilities  required  in  order  that  such  an  enormous 
freight  business  as  above  indicated  may  be 
properly  handled.  Already  87,086  square  feet 
of  warehouse,  and  47,650  square  feet  of  plat- 
form room  is  in  use,  and  yet  this  must  be  in- 
creased to  accommodate  the  freight  traffic  of 
this  great  company.  The  present  warehouse  of 
the  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  Railroad  at 
Memphis,  used  for  the  delivery  of  sugar,  mo- 
lasses and  carload  freight  alone,  is  308  feet  in 
length  by  46  feet  in  width,  with  an  annex  122 
by  40.  At  Beale  street  is  another  400  feet  by 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


693 


50,  with  a  covered  platform  annex  200  feet  long 
by  70  feet  wide  at  one  end  and  40  at  the  other, 
devoted  exclusively  to  the  delivery  of  package 
freight.  At  Calhoun  street  the  Illinois  Central 
freight  house  is  500  feet  long  by  75  feet  wide, 
with  no  less  than  eighteen  receiving  doors  and 
six  tracks  side  by  side  with  a  capacity  for  storing 
108  cars.  Here  is  done  the  day  loading  of 
merchandise,  under  precisely  the  same  system 
as  in  use  at  Chicago.  For  the  handling  of  cot- 
ton, platforms  of  large  dimensions  are  in  use, 
one  of  which  is  650x50  feet,  another  120x40, 
and  still  another  150x75.  To  accommodate  this 
immense  traffic  in  freight  it  requires  fifteen 
freight  trains  daily  in  and  out  of  Memphis,  213,- 
783  feet  of  track  room  sufficient  to  handle  4,000 
cars  has  become  a  necessity,  and  in  addition  to 
the  above,  this  company  is  now  expending 
$150,000  in  the  construction  of  a  convenient  and 
modern  freight  yard  at  South  Memphis. 

Improvements  are  also  being  made  at  the 
Poplar  Street  Passenger  Station  in  order  to 
furnish  ample  and  excellent  facilities  for  the 


handling  of  the  great  passenger  traffic  of  this 
company,  which  amounts  to  $350,000  annually, 
from  the  sale  of  tickets,  and  which  requires 
eleven  passenger  trains  daily  in  and  out  of 
Memphis.  It  is  generally  conceded  that  the 
persistent  and  continued  efforts  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Company  has  done  more  than 
all  other  agencies  combined  to  turn  the  export 
trade  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  from  its  unnatu- 
ral but  long  continued  route  across  the  Alle- 
ghany  Mountains,  to  the  natural  and  easy  course 
by  the  way  of  the  Gulf  ports;  and  in  this  Mem- 
phis has  not  suffered.  Indeed,  every  through 
train  contributes  to  the  sum  total  of  the  growth 
and  development  of  the  city.  To  the  975 
employes  connected  with  the  Illinois  Central 
and  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  Railroads,  now 
permanently  located  at  Memphis,  many  others 
will  be  added;  and  in  every  possible  way  this 
company  will  continue  to  manifest  a  genuine 
interest  in  everything  that  tends  to  the  growth 
and  expansion  of  Greater  Memphis.  —  From 
Memphis  Scimitar,  April  1899. 


694 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Scene  in  the  Yazoo  Delta. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


695 


AT  NINETY  MILES  AN  HOUR. 


Saving;  a  Day  Between  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific. — Experiences  on  Racing  Locomotives  in 

Record-Breaking;  Runs. 

BY  CLEVELAND  MOFFIT. 


tj**  t£*  (&  V ™  (I?*  V™ 


THEY  call  it  a  race  for  a  million,  but  that 
gives  small  notion  of  what  has  been 
going  on  these  recent  months  between 
Chicago  and  the  Missouri  river,  ever 
since  the  great  mail-hustling  order  was  sent  out 
by  long-headed  managers  on  the  first  day  of 
1899.  Huge  locomotives,  tearing  through  the 
night  faster  than  locomotives  ever  before  were 
driven ;  rival  engineers  keyed  up  beyond  what 
human  nerves  can  bear,  but  bound  to  "get  there, 
or  smash  something;''  superintendent's,  train- 
dispatchers,  and  their  kind  lying  awake  of  nigths 
figuring  out  how  the  schedule  may  be  shaved 
down  ten  minutes — all  this  is  exciting  enough ; 
but  the  struggle  now  on  between  the  Chicago 
&  Northwestern  and  the  C.  B.  &  Q.,  or  rather  the 
struggle  that  each  one  of  these  roads  is  making 
against  all  records  in  the  world,  stands  for  much 
more  than  any  paltry  million-dollar  mail  contract 
that  may  be  awarded  from  Chicago  to  Omaha. 
It  stands  for  a  business  day  saved  in  crossing  the 
continent.  It  means  that  tons  of  mail  from  the 
Atlantic  coast  now  reach  California  and  Oregon 
so  that  bankers  and  business  men  there  receive 
their  drafts  and  other  money  papers  before  three 
o'clock  on  a  certain  day,  instead  of  at  noon  on 
the  following  clay.  It  means  a  day  saved  in 
steamer  connections  for  China  and  the  Orient. 
And  a  very  cl.eVer  statistician  were  needed  to  say 
what  that  is  worth. 

17 


Thanks  to  courtesies  of  railroad  officials  and 
post-office  authorities,  we  may  now  watch  the 
carrying  of  this  transcontinental  mail  in  the  hot- 
test, maddest  part  of  its  sweep  between  the 
oceans;  we  may  journey  with  it  across  Illinois 
and  Iowa,  where  level  ground  and  keenest  com- 
petition offer  such  a  spectacle  of  flying  mail  ser- 
vice as  has  not  been  seen  before  since  letters  and 
engines  came  upon  the  earth. 

It  is  8 130  P.  M.,  any  night  you  please,  and 
for  miles  through  the  yards  of  East  Chicago 
lights  are  swinging,  semaphore  arms  are  moving, 
men  in  the  clicking  signal  towers  are  juggling 
with  electric  buttons  and  pneumatic  levers,  tar- 
get lights  on  a  hundred  switches  are  changing 
from  red  to  green,  from  green  to  red ;  everything 
is  clear,  everything  is  all  right ;  the  Lake  Shore 
Mail  is  coming,  with  eighty  tons  of  letters  and 
papers  in  its  pouches.  Relays  of  engines  and  en- 
gineers and  firemen,  the  picked  men  of  the  road 
and  the  pet  locomotives,  have  brought  these 
messages,  this  news  of  the  world '  thus  far  on 
their  journey.  Up  the  Hudson  they  have  come 
and  across  the  Empire  State  and  along  the  shores 
of  Lake  Michigan,  nearly  a  thousand  miles  in 
twenty-four  hours,  which  is  not  so  bad.  Former- 
ly this  same  mail  reached  Chicago  at  midnight, 
and  did  not  go  on  again  until  three  in  the  morn- 
ing. Now  we  shall  see  it  start  for  Omaha  in  a 
single  hour,  and  before  that,  it  must  be  unloaded 


696 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


and  piled  into  vans  and  hauled  across  the  city, 
then  loaded  again.     Only  a  local  transfer  here; 
hut  watch  it  if  you  would  have  some  idea  of  the. 
hurry  involved  in  this  business. 

Outside  the  station  ten  of  the  largest  mail- 
wagons  wait,  drawn  up  like  fire-engines,  two  big 
horses  for  a  wagon.  The  platform  crew  work 
like  circus  men  packing  the  big  tents  away. 
There  is  a  rumbling  of  trucks,  a  bumping  and 
thudding  of  leather,  and  presently  off  go  the 
horses  west  on  YanBuren  street,  north  on  Pa- 
cific avenue,  then,  swinging  into  Jackson  Boule- 
vard (where  no  other  heavy  traffic  is  allowed), 
they  make  a  dead  run  for  the  river,  with  the 
same  right  of  way  that  ambulances  have ;  and  the 
drivers  cease  not  to  ply  their  whips  as  they  near 
the  bridge :  they  know  that  a  city  ordinance 
holds  the  draw  for  the  passage  of  this  mail. 

So  six  wagons  reach  the  Burlington  station 
at  Canal  street,  with  horses  in  a  lather.  Mean- 
while the  others  have  dashed  through  Sherman 
street  and  Fifth  avenue  to  the  Wells  street  station 
of  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern.  This  latter 
is  the  longer  journey  by  some  five  minutes,  but 
the  Northwestern  vans  make  a  compensating 
gain  in  backing  right  up  to  a  platform  near  the 
waiting  train,  while  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  pouches 
must  be  slid  down  a  chute,  then  handled  on 
trucks.  This  whole  operation  of  transfer  is  ac- 
complished in  half  an  hour,  more  or  less  (as  the 
mail  is  heavy  or  light)  ;  and  it  is  a  thing  to  re- 
member, like  some  giant  foot-ball  game,  the  way 
these  steady-legged,  quick-handed  men  send  the 
pouches  flying  out  of  the  vans  and  into  the  cars, 
dragging  and  tossing  and  spinning  them  through 
the  air,  until  all  are  stowed  away. 

And  now  begins  the  effort  of  steam  and 
brain  and  skill  of  the  hand ;  now  start  the  trains. 
Perhaps  some  distant  eye  far  above  can  watch 
them  speed  to  the  west,  two  fire-spots  creeping 
through  the  darkness  in  pursuit  of  the  setting 
stars,  one  might  fancy.  Side  by  side  they  go, 
with  slight  divergence,  the  Burlington  keeping 
a  little  more  south-ward ;  side  by  side  they  cross 
the  Mississippi ;  then  come  together  as  the  sun 
is  rising,  and  pause  on  the  Missouri's  banks,  this 
stretch  over.  Both  trains  cover  the  500  miles 


in  about  ten  hours,  including  stops,  slow-downs, 
and  delays  of  every  kind :  which  means  that  both 
attain  a  velocity  at  times  of  eighty,  ninety,  or  a 
hundred  miles  an  hour ;  some  claim  as  much  as 
120  miles  an  hour  for  short  distances,  but  this 
cannot  be  verified,  since  no  instrument  has  yet 
been  devised  that  will  make  reliable  record  of 
these  great  bursts.  The  Northwestern  route  is 
ten  miles  shorter  than  the  Burlington  (489.9 
against  500.2  miles).  On  the  other  hand,  the 
Northwestern  flyer  leaves  Chicago  at  ten  o'clock, 
while  the  Burlington  train  leaves  at  9.30. 

By  schedule  time  the  two  reach  Omaha  at 
about  eight  in  the  morning  (the  Northwestern 
at  8.15,  the  Burlington  at  7:55),  and  no  man  can 
say  that  one  is  better  or  faster  than  the  other. 
Yet  this  is  true,  that  both  do  more  than  has  ever 
been  done  by  any  other  train  in  the  world  run- 
ning daily. 

It  is  a  fine  thing  to  know  the  men  who 
drive  the  engines  on  these  trains ;  just  to  see  them 
is  something,  and  to  make  them  talk  (if  you  can 
do  it)  is  better  business  than  interviewing  most 
celebrites  you  have  heard  about. 

To  this  end  I  set  out  one  evening  early  in 
January  for  the  great  round-house,  of  theNorth- 
western  road. that  lies  in  the  outskirts  of  Chi- 
cago. A  strange  place,  surely,  is  this  to  one 
who  approaches  it  unprepared;  a  place  where 
yellow  eyes  glare  out  of  deep  shadows,  where 
fire-dragons  rush  at  you  with  crunching  and 
snortings,  where  the  air  hisses  and  roars.  It 
might  be  some  demon  menagerie,  there  in  the 
darkness. 

To  this  place  of  fears  and  pitfalls  I  came  an 
hour  or  so  before  starting  time,  and  here  I  found 
Dan  White,  one  of  the  Northwestern  crack-a- 
jacks,  giving  the  last  careful  touches  to  locomo- 
tive 908  before  the  night's  hard  run.  In  almost 
our  first  words  my  heart  was  won  by  something 
White  said.  I  had  mentioned  Frank  Bullard  of 
the  Burlington  road,  a  rival  by  all  right's,  and  im- 
mediately this  bluff,  broad-shouldered  man  ex- 
claimed :  "Ah,  he's  a  fine  fellow,  Bullard  is,  and 
he  knows  how  to  run  an  engine."  White  would 
fight  Bullard  at  the  throttle  to  any  finish,  but 
would  speak  only  good  words  of  him. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


697 


"Tell  me,"  said  I,  "about  the  great  run  you 
made  the  other  night."  From  a  dozen  lips  I 
had  heard  of  White's  tremendous  dash  from  Chi- 
cago to  Clinton,  Iowa. 

"Oh,  it  wasn't  much ;  we  had  to  make  the 
time  up,  and  we  did  it.  Didn't  we  Fred?" 

This  to  the  fireman,  who  nodded  in  silent 
assent,  but  said  nothing. 

"Yon  made  a  record,  didn't  you?" 

"Well,  we  went  138  miles  in  143  minutes; 
that  included  three  stops  and  two  slow-downs. 
I  don't  know  as  anybody  has  beat  that  —  much." 

By  dint  of  questioning  fv  dreiw  from  this 
modest  man  some  details  of 'his  achievement. 
The  curve-bent  stretch;  of  seventeen  miles  be- 
tween Franklin  Grove  and  Nelson-j they  did  in 
fourteen  minutes,  and  a  part  of  this,  beyond 
Nachusa,  they  took  at  an  eighty-mile  pace.  They 
covered  five  miles  between  Clarence  and  Stan- 
wood  in  three  minutes  and  a  half,  and  they  made 
two  miles  beyond  Denison  at  over  a  hundred 
miles  an  hour.  As  the  mail  rushed  west,  word 
was  flashed  ahead  that  a  hair-raising  run  was 
being  made,  and  crowds  gathered  at  the  stations 
to  cheer  and  marvel.  Lights  burned  late  that 
night  in  farmers'  houses,  and  at  every  signal 
station  along  the  way  a  group  of  eager  men 
were  waiting. 

"There  must  have  been  500  people  on  the 
platform  at  Dixon,"  said  White,  telling  the  story, 
"and  they  looked  to  me  like  a  swarm  of  ants,  just 
a  black,  wriggling  mass,  and  then  they  were 
gone.  We  came  on  to  a  bridge  there  after  a 
big  reverse  curve  with  a  down  grade,  and  I  guess 
no  one  will  ever  know  how  fast  we  were  going 
that  night,  as  we  slammed  her  around  one  way 
and  then  slammed  her  around  the  other  way. 
It  was  every  bit  of  ninety  miles  an  hour.  You 
got  all  you  wanted,  didn't  you,  Fred  ?" 

The  fireman  looked  up,  torch  in  hand,  -and 
remarked  in  a  dry  monotone:  "Coin'  through 
Dixon  I  said  my  prayers,  and  hung  on,  stretched 
out  flat.  That's  what  I  done." 

"Fred  and  I,"  continued  White,  "both  got 
letters  about  the  run  from  the  superintendent. 
I  fere's  mine,  if  you'd  like  to  read  it." 


The  pleasure  of  the  two  blackened  men  over 
this  graciousness  of  the  superintendent  was  a 
thing  to  see.  For  a  bit  of  crumpled  paper  such 
as  that  White  showed  me  I  believe  they  would 
have  taken  the  Mississippi  at  a  jump,  engine 
train  and  all.  Superintendent's  orders,  superin- 
tendent's praise,  there  is  the  beginning  and  end 
of  all  things  for  them. 

It  was  only  a  short  ride  I  took  this  night 
in  the  cab  of  908,  five  miles  through  the  yards 
to  the  Northwestern  station,  where  the  mail-cars 
were  waiting.  But  I  felt  the  power  of  the  great 
creature,  and  thrilled  with  the  throbbing  of  her 
brave  heart.  What  splendid  courage  she  has, 
I  thought,  as  we  moved  along  swiftly  among 
the  shadows.  How  kind  she  is  to  us,  poor  puny 
men ! 

As  we  lay  by  the  platform  waiting  for 
orders,  White  took  me  down  on  the  tracks,  and 
explained  how  the  switches  are  operated  by  com- 
pressed air  from  the  towers. 

"Listen !"  he  said ;  "you'll  hear  it  hiss  as  the 
rail  moves  over.  Look  out  for  your  feet ;  it 
would  take  one  of  them  clean  off  if  the  jam 
caught  it.  And  it's  no  fun  to  lose  a  foot ;  I 
tried  it  once  with  this  one." 

He  held  up  his  right  foot. 

"What's  the  matter  with  it?"  said  I. 

"Nothing,  only  it's  half  gone.  Shoe's 
stuffed  with  cotton.  Engine  driver  rolled  over 
it." 

Then  he  told  how  a  few  years  before  he  had 
been  working  under  his  locomotive  when  she  had 
suddenly  started  forward  (a  cylinder  cock  not 
carefully  closed),  and  how  he  managed  to  escape, 
all  but  his  right  foot. 

"I  was  laid  up  for  a  good  many  months, 
but  the  company  stood  by  me  nobly ;  that's  the 
way  they  always  treat  disabled  men,  and  here 
I  am  to-day  as  sound  as  a  dollar.  Well,  good- 
bye, sir." 

Five  minutes  later  they  are  off  for  the  West, 
with  various  Northwestern  officials  waving  en- 
couragement. White's  effort  and  the  strength 
of  908  will  take  the  train's  250  tons  one  third 
of  the  way  to  Omaha.  Then  a  second  engine  and 
engineer  and  fireman  will  do  a  second  stretch ; 


698 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


then  a  third  relay  will  finish  the  run.  Three 
engines,  three  engineers,  and  three  fireman  — 
these  are  needed  by.  either  road  for  the  journey 
one  way. 

The  first  long  ride  on  one  of  these  splendid 
locomotives  was  with  the  Burlington  flyer,  with 
590  at  her  head  and  Frank  Billiard  at  the  throttle. 
It  is  said  that  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works 


These  words  to  me  from  Bullard,  first-class 
engine-driver  of  the  C.  B.  &  Q.,  a  long,  loosely 
joined  man  with  the  eye  and  build  of  a  scout. 
As  he  spoke  they  were  coupling  us  to  the  mail- 
cars,  in  preparation  for  the  start.  In  overalls 
and  sweater  I  have  come,  with  typewritten 
authority  to  make  the  run  that  night.  This  was 
in  the  first  week  in  January,  the  second  time 


Drilling  Machine  used  in  Shop  Work. 


never  turned  out  a  faster  'engine  than  this  590. 
The  man  must  be  a  giant. whose  head  will  top 
her  drivers,  and  for  all  her  seventy  tons,  there 
is  speed  in  every  line  of  her.  She  is  a  young 
engine,  too.  only  four  years  old,  and  Bullard 
swears  he  will  back  her  in  the  m'atter  of  getting 
over  rails  to  do  anything  that  steel  and  steam 
can  do.  "She's  willing  and  gentle,  sir,  and  easy 
running.  You'll  see  in  a  minute." 


Bullard  had  drawn  the  throttle  for  Burlington 
on  the  new  fast  schedule.  Burlington  lay  off 
there  in  Iowa,  on  the  Mississippi,  with  all  the 
night  and  all  the  State  of  Illinois  between  us. 

Xow  the  train  stands  ready,  three  mail-cars 
and  the  engine,  not  a  stick  besides.  No  Pull- 
man comforts  here,  no  bunks  for  sleeping,  no 
man  aboard  who  has  the  right  to  sleep.  Every- 
thing is  hustle  and  business.  Already  the  mail- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


699 


clerks  are  swarming  at  the  pouches,  like  printers 
on  a  rush  edition.  See  those  last  bags  swung 
in  through  the  panel  doors!  Not  even  the  presi- 
dent of  the  road  may  ride  here  without  permit 
from  the  government. 

Billiard  takes  up  a  red,  smoking  torch,  and 
looks  590  over.  He  fills  her  cups  and  prods  a 
two-foot  oiler  into  her  rods  and  bearings.  Dan 
Cleary,  the  fireman,  looks  out  of  his  window  on 
the  left,  and  chews  complacently.  Down  the 
track  beside  him  locomotive  1309  backs  up,  a 
first-class  engine  she,  but  590  bulks  over  her  as 
the  king  of  a  herd  might  over  some  good,  or- 
dinary working  elephant.  As  she  stands  here 
now,  purring  through  her  black  iron  throat,  590 
measures  sixteen  feet  three  inches  from  rails  to 
stack-top.  Both  engines  blow  out  steam,  that 
rolls  up  in  silver  clouds  to  the  electric  lights. 

•  Bullard  climbs  to  his  place  at  the  right, 
and  a  hiss  of  air  tells  that  he  is  testing  the 
brakes.  Under  each  car  sixteen  iron  shoes  close 
against  sixteen  wheels,  and  they  stay  there. 
Down  the  length  of  the  train  goes  the  repair  man 
with  his  kit,  and  makes  sure  that  every  contact 
is  right.  He  then  pulls  a  rope  four  times  at  the 
rear,  whereupon  four  hissing  signals  answer  in 
the  cab.  Bullard  shuts  off  the  air. 

"It's  all  there  is  to  stop  her  with,"  says  he, 
"so  we  take  no  chances  with  it.  She's  got  high- 
speed brakes  on  her,  590  has — no  pounds  to 
the  inch.  Twenty-four,  Dan,"  he  adds,  and 
snaps  his  watch.  "We  start  at  thirty." 

Dan  chews  on.  "Bad  wind  to-night,"  he 
says ;  "reg'lar  gale." 

Bullard  nods.  "I  know  it;  we're  fifteen 
minutes  late,  too." 

"Make  Burlington  on  time?" 

"Got  to;  you  hit  it  up,  and  I'll  skin  her. 
Twenty-six,  Dan." 

Four  minutes  to  wait.  Two  station  officials 
come  up  with  polite  inquiries.  The  thermome- 
ter is  falling,  they  say,  and  we  shall  have  it  bit- 
ter cold  over  the  plains.  They  reach  up  with 
cordial  hand-shakes.  I  pull  my  cap  down,  and 
take  my  stand  behind  Bullard.  Our  side  of  the 
cab  is  quite  cut  off  from  the  fireman's  side  by  a 
swelling  girth  of  boiler,  which  leaves  an  alley- 


way on  either  side  wide  enough  for  a  man's  body 
and  no  wider.  Bullard  and.  I  are  in  the  right- 
hand  alley-way,  Bullard's  back  and  black  cap 
just  before  me.  Dan  with  his  shovel  is  out  on 
a  shaky  steel  shelf  behind,  that  bridges  the  space 
between  engine  and  tender.  This  is  where  he 
works,  poor  lad !  We  are  breathing  coal  dust 
and  torch  smoke  and  warm  oil. 

"F-s-s-s-s-s,"  comes  the  signal,  and  instant- 
ly we  are  moving.  Lights  flash  about  us  every- 
where, green  lights,  white  lights,  red  lights,  a 
phantasmagoria  of  drug-store  bottles.  The  tracks 
shine  yellow  far  ahead.  A  steady  jarring  and 
pounding  begins,  and  grows  like  the  roar  of  battle. 
The  cab  heaves  with  the  tugging  of  a  captive  bal- 
loon. Our  speed  increases  amazingly.  We  seem 
constanly  on  the  point  of  running  straight 
through  blocks  of  houses,  and  only  escape  by  sud- 
den and  disconcerting  swayings  around  curves 
that  all  lead,  one  will  vow,  straight  into  black 
chasm  under  the  dazzle.  Whoever  rides  here  for 
the  first  time  feels  that  he  is  ticketed  for  sure  de- 
struction, understands  that  this  plunging  engine 
must  necessarily  go  off  the  rails  in  two  or  three 
minutes,  say  five  minutes  at  the  latest ;  for  what 
guidance,  he  reasons,  can  any  man  get  from  a 
million  crazy  lights,  and  who  that  is  human  can 
avoid  a  snarl  in  such  a  tangle  of  bumping 
switches?  I  am  free  to  confess,  for  my  own 
part,  that  I  found  the  first  half  hour  of  my  ride 
on  590  absolutely  terrifying. 

Thus,  at  break-neck  speed,  we  come  out  of 
Chicago,  all  slow-going  city  ordinances  to  the  con- 
trary notwithstanding.  We  are  chasing  a  trans- 
continental record  schedule,  •  and  have  fifteen 
minutes  to  make  up.  I  breathe  more  freely  as 
we  get  into  open  country.  We  are  going  like 
the  wind,  but  the  track  is  straighter,  and  the 
darkness  comfortable.  I  begin  to  notice  things 
with  better  understanding.  As  the  lurches  come, 
I  brace  myself  against  the  boiler  side  without 
fear  of  burning :  that  is  something  learned ;  I 
find  out  later  that  I  owe  this  protection  to  a  two- 
inch  layer  of  asbestos.  I  catch  a  faint  sound  of 
the  engine-bell,  and  discover,  to  my  surprise, 
that  it  has  been  ringing  from  the  start ;  indeed 
it  rings  without  ceasing  all  the  way  to  Burling- 


700 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ton,  the  rope  pulled  by  a  steam  jerking  contriv- 
ance, but  the  roar  of  the  engine  drowns  it. 

Deep  shadows  enwrap  the  cab,  all  the  deeper 
for  the  glare  that  flashes  through  them  every 
minute  or  two  as  Dan,  back  there  on  his  iron 
shelf,  stokes  coal  in  at  the  red-hot  door.  Two 
faint  lights  burn  for  the  gauges  —  a  jumping 
water  column  in  front,  a  pair  of  wavering  needles 
on  the  boiler.  These  Bullard  watches  coolly, 
and  from  time  to  time  reaches  back  past  me  to 
turn  the  injector  cock,  whereupon  steam  hisses 
by  my  head.  For  the  most  part  he  is  quite  still, 
like  an  Indian  pilot,  head  forward  at  the  look- 
out window,  right  hand  down  by  the  air-brake 
valve,  left  hand  across  the  throttle  lever,  with 
only  a  second's  jump  to  the  reversing  lever  that 
rises  up  from  the  floor  straight  before  him.  As 
we  race  into  towns  and  roar  through  them,  he 
sounds  the  chime  whistle,  making  its  deep  voice 
challenge  the  darkness.  At  curves  he  eases  her 
with  the  brakes.  And  for  grades  and  level 
stretches  and  bridges  he  notches  the  throttle  up 
or  down  as  the  need  is.  Watch  his  big  strong 
grip  on  the  polished  handles !  Think  of  the 
hours  he  spends  here  all  alone,  this  man  who 
holds  life  and  death  in  his  quick,  sure  judgment! 

Now  he  catches  the  window  frame  and  slides 
it  open.  A  blast  sweeps  in  like  an  Arctic  hurri- 
cane. Bullard  leans  out  into  the  night  and  seems 
to  listen.  "Try  it,"  he  cries,  but  his  voice  is 
faint.  I  put  my  head  out,  and  come  into  a  rush 
of  air  billows  that  strangle  like  breakers. 

"Greggs — Hill — three — miles — long.  Let — 
her — go — soon."  He  closes  the  window.  And 
now,  as  we  are  clear  of  the  grade,  begins  a  burst 
of  speed  that  makes  the  rest  of  small  account. 
Faster  and  faster  we  go,  until  the  very  iron 
seems  alive  and  straining  underneath  us.  I  am 
tossed  about  in  hard  pitches  The  glow  of  the 
furnace  lights  up  continuously.  There  is  no 
sense  of  fear  any  longer.  It  is  too  splendid  what 
we  are  doing.  Of  course  it  means  instant  death 
if  anything  breaks.  Let  the  massive  side  rod 
that  holds  the  two  drivers  snap,  and  a  half-ton 
knife  sweeping  seventy  miles  and  hour  will  slice 
off  our  cab  and  us  with  it  like  a  cut  of  cheese. 
Did  not  an  engineer  go  to  his  death  that  way  on- 


ly last  week  on  the  Union  Pacific  run  ?  After  all, 
why  not  this  death  as  well  as  any  other?  Have 
we  not  valves  and  tubes  in  our  bodies  that  may 
snap  at  any  moment? 

"How — fast?"     I  call  out. 

"Eighty — miles — an — hour,"  says  Bullard 
close  to  my  ear,  and  a  moment  later  pulls  the 
rope  for  a  grade  crossing.  "  "Ooooo — Ooooo — 
Oo — Oo,"  answers  the  deep  iron  voice,  two  long 
and  two  short  calls,  as  the  code  requires.  "Year 
— ago — killed — two — men — here,"  he  shouts  as 
we  whizz  over  the  road.  "Struck — buggy — 
threw — men — sixty — feet."  I  wonder  how  far 
we  would  throw  them  now. 

In  the  206  miles'  run  to  the  Mississippi  we 
stop  only  twice — for  water,  at  Mendota  and  at 
Galesburg — nine  minutes  wasted  for  the  two, 
and  the  gale  blowing  harder.  Our  schedule 
makes  allowance  for  no  stops ;  every  minute 
from  our  actual  going  is  so  much  "dead  time" 
that  must  be  fought  for,  second  by  second,  and 
made  up.  Drive  her  as  he  will,  with  all  the  cun- 
ning of  his  hand,  Bullard  can  score  but  small 
gains  against  the  wind.  And  some  of  these  he 
loses.  At  Mendota  we  have  made  up  seven 
minutes,  but  we  pull  out  thirteen  minutes  late. 
At  Princeton  we  are  fifteen  minutes  late,  at 
Galva  fourteen  minutes,  at  Galesburg  eight 
minutes,  but  we  pull  out  twelve  minutes  late. 
Then  we  make  the  last  forty-three  miles,  includ- 
ing bridges,  towns,  grades,  and  curves,  in  forty- 
four  minutes,  and  draw  into  Burlington  at  1.22 
A.  M. — on  time  to  the  dot.  This  because  Bul- 
lard has  sworn  to  do  it ;  also  because  the  road 
beyond  Galesburg  runs  west  instead  of  south- 
west, and  it  is  easier  for  a  train  to  bore  straight 
through  a  gale,  head-on,  than  to  take  it  from  the 
quarter.  But  be  sure  of  this,  that  whoever  covers 
forty-three  miles  of  railroad  in  forty-four  con- 
secutive minutes  travels  much  of  the  way  at  an 
eighty  or  ninety-mile  pace. 

We  took  the  big,  steady  curve  at  Princeton, 
a  down-grade  helping  us,  at  a  hundred  miles  an 
hour,  so  Bullard  declares,  and  what  he  says  about 
engine-driving  I  believe.  Indeed,  these  great 
bursts  can  be  measured  only  by  the  subtle  senses 
of  an  expert,  since  no  registering  instrument  has 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


701 


been  devised  to  make  reliable  record.  Across 
the  twin  high  bridges  that  span  the  Bureau  creeks 
we  shot  with  a  rush  that  left  the  reverberations 
far  back  in  the  night  like  two  short  barks.  And 
just  as  we  rounded  a  curve  before  these  bridges 
I  saw  a  black  face  peering  down  from  the  boiler 
top,  while  a  voice  called  out:  "Wahr — wahr — 
wahr — wahr."  To  this  startling  apparition  Bui- 
lard,  undisturbed,  replied:  "Wahr — wahr — wahr 
—wahr."  Then  the  head  disappeared.  Dan 
was  telling  Bullard  that  he  had  seen  the  safety 
light  for  the  bridges,  first  visible  on  his  side,  and 
Bullard  was  answering  something  about  hitting 
it  up  harder.  How  these  men  understand  one 
another  in  such  tumult  is  a  mystery  to  one  with 
ordinary  hearing,  but  somehow  they  manage  it. 

Half  way  between  Kewanee  and  Galva  a 
white  light  came  suddenly  into  view  far  ahead  I 
knew  it  for  the  headlight  of  a  locomotive  com- 
ing toward  us  on  the  parallel  track.  Already 
we  had  met  two  or  three  trains,  and  swept  past 
them  with  a  smashing  of  sound  and  air.  But 
this  headlight  seemed  different  from  the  others, 
paler  in  its  luster,  not  so  steady  in  its  glare.  The 
ordinary  locomotive  comes  at  you  with  a  calm, 
staring  yellow  eye  that  grows  until  it  gets  to  be 
a  huge  full  moon.  But  it  comes  gradually,  with- 
out much  jumping  or  wavering.  This  light 
danced  and  flashed  like  a  great  white  diamond. 
I  watched  it  with  a  certain  fascination,  and,  as 
it  came  nearer  and  nearer,  realized  that  here 
was  a  train  of  different  kind  from  the  others, 
coming  down  on  us  at  terrific  speed.  And  Bul- 
lard shouted  :  "Number — Eight — with — the — 
mail."  Then  added  as  she  passed  like  the  gleam 
of  a  knife:  "She's — going — too." 

And  going  she  certainly  was,  as  I  learned 
the  next  day  at  the  company's  office  in  Burling- 
ton. For  sixty-two  minutes  they  had  held  her 
at  Council  Bluffs,  this  train  No.  8,  this  East- 
bound  flyer,  waiting  for  the  Union  Pacific  mail. 
She  had  started  for  Chicago  one  hour  and  two 
minutes  late — and  she  made  the  time  up.  Her 
last  relay  from  Burlington  was  done  by  big  loco- 
motive 1083,  Sam  Dove  driving  her,  and  they 
ran  the  206  miles  in  213  minutes,  stops,  slow- 
downs, everything  counted ;  or  206  miles  in  200 


minutes  actual  running  time.  So  when  these 
sister  trains  came  in  sight,  there  near  Kewanee, 
they  were  hurrying  together  at  an  easy  rate  of 
180  miles  an  hour.  No  wonder  the  headlight 
danced ! 

At  about  half-past  one  this  memorable  night, 
with  the  Mississippi  river  at  my  back,  I  entered 
a  little  hotel  that  faces  the  Burlington  station. 
My  head  rang  as  if  I  had  been  swinging  on  some 
great  church  bell.  And  when  the  night  clerk 
saw  me,  he  nearly  laughed  in  my  face,  for  I 
was  black  with  smoke  and  coal  dust.  Here  was 
a  change  of  plan.  I  had  thought  to  go  straight 
through  with  the  run  to  Omaha;  but  Bullard's 
personality,  the  charm  and  the  mystery  of  it  had 
tempted  me  to  linger  for  a  talk  with  him.  It 
was  plain  I  might  ride  a  lifetime  on  590  and  learn 
nothing  for  all  the  chance  of  conversation  there 
would  be :  as  well  try  to  converse  with  an  officer 
leading  a  charge  of  cavalry. 

But  the  next  day,  with  comfortable  rocking 
chairs  to  sit  in,  and  cigars  to  smoke,  and  a  row  of 
hotel  windows  before  us,  Bullard  and  I  found 
time  for  a  chat,  and  I  was  well  content.  First 
1  asked  him  about  putting  his  head  out  of  the 
cab  window  there  at  Greggs  Hill — and  else- 
where. "Was  it  to  see  better  ?"  said  I. 

No,  said  Bullard ;  "it  was  to  hear  better  and 
to  smell  better !" 

"Hear  what?     Smell  what?" 

"Hear  the  noises  of  the  engine.  If  any 
little  thing  was  working  wrong,  I'd  hear  it. 
"If  there  was  a  wear  on  a  bearing  I'd  hear  it." 
Why,  if  a  mouse  squeaked  somewhere  inside 
of  590,  and  the  mouse  didn't  belong  there,  I 
guess  I'd  hear  it." 

Then  he  went  on  to  explain  that  the  ordi- 
nary roar  of  the  engine,  which  drowned  every- 
thing for  me,  was  to  him  an  unimportant  back- 
ground of  sound  that  made  little  impression  and 
left  his  ears  free  for  other  sounds. 

"I  get  so  accustomed  to  listening  to  an  en- 
gine," he  added,  "that  often  up  home,  talking 
with  my  wife  and  child,  I  find  myself  trying  to 
hear  the  sounds  from  the  round-house.  And 
often,  after  a  run,  I  talk  to  people  as  if  they  were 
deaf." 


702 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


"You  spoke  about  smelling  better." 
"That's  right.     I  can  smell  a  hot  box  in  a 
minute,    or    oil    burning.       All    engineers    can.. 
Why,  there  was — 

This  led  to  the  story  of  poor  Giddings, 
killed  on  590  three  years  ago,  through  this  very 
necessity  of  putting  the  head  out  of  the  cab  win- 
dow. Giddings  had  Dullard's  place,  until  death 
came,  and  he  was  one  of  the  most  trusted  men. 
in  the  Burlington  employ. 


he  put  his  head  out  to  hear  and  to  smell,  the 
way  I've  explained  it. 

"There  must  have  been  a  post  set  too  near 
the  track,  and  anyway  590*3  cab  is  extra  wide; 
so  the  first  thing  he  knew,  and  he  didn't  know 
that,  his  head  was  knocked  clean  off,  or  as  good 
as  that,  and  there  was  590,  her  throttle  wide  open, 
tearing  along,  with  a  fireman  stoking  for  all  he 
was  worth,  and  a  dead  engineer  hanging  out 
the  window. 


Device  for  Inserting  and  Removing  Driving  Box  Brasses. 


"You  saw  last  night,"  said  Bullard,  "how 
the  boiler  in  590  shuts  off  the  engineer  from  the 
fireman.  And  probably  you  noticed  those  posts 
along  the  road  that  hold  the  tell-tale  strings. 
They're  to  warn  crews  on  freight-car  tops  when 
its  time  to  duck  for  bridges.  Well,  Giddings 
was  coming  along  one  night  between  Biggsville 
and  Gladstone — that's  about  ten  miles  before  you 
get  to  the  Mississippi.  He  was  driving  her  fast 
to  make  up  time,  sixty  miles  an  hour  easy,  and 


"So  they  ran  for  eight  miles,  and  Billy 
Maine — he  was  firing — -never  suspected  anything 
wrong,  for  of  course  he  couldn't  see,  until  they 
struck  the  Mississippi  bridge  at  full  speed.  You 
remember  crossing  the  bridge  just  before  we 
pulled  in  here.  It's  2,200  feet  long,  and  we  always 
give  a  whistle  of  extra  warning  before  we  get 
to  it,  and  then  slow  down.  That's  the  law,"  he 
added,  smiling,  "and  besides,  there's  a  draw  to 
look  out  for.  When  he  heard  no  whistle  this 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


703 


lime,  Hilly  .Maine  jumped  around  quick  to  where 
Giddings  was,  and  then  he  saw  he  had  a  corpse 
for  a  partner." 

Another  question  I  asked  was  about  stop- 
ping a  train  at  great  speed.  "I've  done  it,"  said 
liullarcl,  "in  950  feet,  pulling  five  cars,  that  were 
making  about  sixty-two  miles  an  hour.  I  don't 
know  what  I  could  do  with  this  new  train,  only 
three  cars,  and  going  ninety  miles  an  hour. 
That's  a  hard  proposition." 

"Would  you  reverse  her?" 

"No,  sir.  All  engineers  who  know  their 
business  will  agree  on  that.  I'd  shut  the  throttle 
off,  and  put  brakes  on  full.  But  I  wouldn't  re- 
verse her.  If  I  did,  the  wheels  would  lock  in 
a  second,  and  the  whole  business  would  skate 
ahead  as  if  you'd  put  her  on  ice." 

Then  we  talked  about  the  nerve  it  takes  to 
run  an  engine,  and  how  a  man  can  lose  his  nerve. 
It's  like  a  lion-tamer  who  wakes  up  some  morn- 
ing and  finds  that  he's  afraid.  Then  his  time 
has  come  to  quit  taming  lions,  for  the  beasts 
will  know  it  if  he  doesn't,  and  kill  him.  There 
are  men  who  can  stand  these  high-speed  runs 
for  tens  years.  But  few  go  beyond  that  term, 
or  past  the  forty-five  year  point.  Slow  going 
passenger  trains  will  do  for  them  after  that. 
Others  break  down  after  five  years.  Many  en- 
gineers, skilled  men,  too,  would  rather  throw  up 
their  jobs  than  take  the  run  Bullard  makes. 
Not  that  they  feel  the  danger  to  be  so  much 
greater  in  pushing  the  speed  up  to  seventy, 
eighty,  or  ninety  miles  an  hour ;  but  they  simply 
cannot  stand  the  strain  of  doing  the  thing.  And 
even  a  man  of  Bullard's  stoical  temperament 
comes  down  from  his  cab  so  exhausted  after  a 
run  like  ours  that  he  must  rest  entirely  for  twen- 
ty-four hours  before  he  can  make  another  one. 
Thus  an  engineer  of  this  special  class  draws 
full  pay — $185  a  month — for  working  on  alter- 
nate days.  And  for  the  three  relays  between  Chi- 
cago and  Omaha,  six  engineers  are  required  to 
take  the  flyer  West,  and  six  engineers  to  take  it 
East,  twelve  men,  the  flower  of  the  road,  for  a 
round  trip  of  a  thousand  miles,  and  twelve  fire- 
men to  help  them. 


"This  doubling  up  is  what  breaks  my  heart," 
said  Bullard.  "Since  they've  put  on  their  new 
schedule,  I  have  to  divide  590  with  another  fel- 
low. John  Kelly  takes  her  on  the  fast  run  East 
while  I  wait  here  and  rest.  And  so  I've  lost  my 
sweetheart,  and  I  don't  feel  near  as  much  in- 
terest in  her  as  I  did.  You  see,  she  ain't  mine 
any  more.  And  between  you  and  me,"  he  added 
confidentially,  "I  don't  think  590  likes  it  much 
herself ;  you  see,  engines  are  a  good  deal  like 
girls  after  all." 

We  talked  next  of  the  coal  and  water  con- 
sumed between  Chicago  and  Burlington,  seven 
tons  of  the  one,  and  5,000  gallons  of  the  other. 
Then  summing  it  all  up,  I  asked  Bullard  what 
he  really  thought  of  the  new  fast  schedule  and 
the  speed  they  have  to  make. 

"It  isn't  for  me  to  think,"  said  Bullard; 
"but  I'll  tell  you  this,  it's  the  hardest  game  I 
ever  got  up  against.  My  wife  says  she  hopes 
for  just  one  thing :  that  they  won't  start  me  off 
some  night  too  far  behind  time." 

"What  do  you  mean  ?" 

"Why,"  he  answered  with  modest  hesita- 
tion, "my  wife  knows  that  if  they  do,  I'll — I'll 
— why,  she  knows  I'll  make  it  up.  And  even 
as  it  is,  she  don't  sleep  any  nights  until  she  hears 
my  long  whistle  over  the  bridge." 

Good  luck  to  Bullard,  I  say,  and  all  men  of 
his  kind. 

That  night,  in  workmen's  garb  again,  I 
made  my  way  to  a  gloomy  round-house,  ready 
for  the  run  to  Omaha.  I  was  to  ride  the  second 
relay,  as  far  as  Creston,  on  locomotive  1201, 
with  Jake  Myers  in  the  cab,  so  I  had  been  in- 
formed. Being  hours  ahead  of  time,  I  saw 
something  of  round-house  life. 

First,  I  followed  a  gaunt,  black-faced  Swede,' 
with  stubby  beard,  through  his  duties  as  locomo- 
tive hostler ;  saw  him  take  the  tired  engines  in 
hand,  as  they  came  in  one  after  another  from  hard 
runs,  and  care  for  them  as  stable  hostlers  care 
for  horses.  There  were  the  fires  to  be  dropped 
in  the  clinker  pit,  coal  and  wood  to  be  loaded  in 
from  the  chutes,  the  water-tanks  to  be  filled, 
sand-boxes  looked  after,  and,  finally,  there  was 
the  hitching  fast  of  the  weary  monsters  in  empty 


704 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


stalls,  whither  they  were  led  from  the  lumbering 
turn-table  with  the  last  head  of  steam  left  over 
dead  fire-boxes.  And  now  spoke  the  Swede : 

"Dem  big  passenger  engines  can  werry 
easy  climb  over  dem  blocks  and  go  through  the 
round-house."  This  from  Gus  Andersen,  as  he 
showed  me  past  a  great  semi-circle  of  cold  en- 
gine-noses, ranged  along  not  two  feet  from  the 
brick  wall. 

Later  on,  in  the  dimly-lighted  locker-room, 
I  listened  to  round-house  men  swapping  yarns 
about  accidents,  and  to  threats  of  a  fireman 
touching  a  certain  yardmaster  set  apart  by 
general  consent  for  a  licking. 

Finally  an  Irishman  came  in,  James  Byron, 
and  for  all  his  good-natured  face  he  seemed  in 
ill  humor.  It  turned  out  that  he  had  just  re- 
ceived a  hurry  order  to  take  1201  out  in  Myer's 
place. 

"Jake  is  sick,"  said  he,  "and  .they've  sent 
for  me.  But  I'm  sick,  too.  Was  in  bed  with 
grip.  Just  took  ten  grains  of  quinine.  Say,  I 
ain't  any  more  fit  to  run  an  engine  than  I  am  to 
run  a  Sunday-school. 

Then  he  began  pulling  on  his  overalls,  while 
the  others  laughed  at  him,  told  him  he  was 
"scared"  of  the  fast  run,  and  said  good-by  with 
mock  seriousness. 

But  Byron  showed  himself  a  good  soldier, 
and  soon  was  working  over  1201  with  a  will, 
inspecting  every  inch  of  her,  torch  in  hand,  and 
he  assured  me  he  would  take  her  through  all 
right,  grip  or  no  grip. 

And  take  her  through  he  did.  At  1.16  A. 
M.,  my  old  friend,  locomotive  590,  brought  the 
flyer  up  from  Chicago,  six  minutes  ahead  of  the 
schedule.  Kelly  had  done  himself  proud  this 
time.  And  six  minutes  later,  on  time  to  the 
minute,  we  drew  out  behind  1201,  with  Byron 
handling  her,  and  seventy  tons  of  mail  following 
after. 

Our  fireman  was  named  Bellamy.  He  wore 
isinglass  goggles  against  the  heat,  and,  in  his 
way,  he  was  a  humorist,  as  I  discovered  present- 
ly, when  he  came  near  me  (we  were  running  at 
a  sixty-mile  gait)  and,  grinning  like  a  Dante 


demon,  remarked  slowly :  "Say — if — we — go — 
in — the — ditch — will — you — come — along?" 

The  first  feature  of  this  run  was  some 
trouble  with  a  feed  pipe  from  the  tank,  which, 
brought  us  to  sudden  standstill  in  the  open  night 
with  a  great  hissing  of  steam. 

"What  is  it?"  I  asked  of  Bellamy,  while 
Byron,  grumbling  maledictions,  hammered  under 
the  truck. 

"Check-valve  stuck ;  water  can't  get  into  the 
boiler." 

"How  did  he  know  it?" 

"Water-gauge." 

"What  if  he  hadn't  noticed  it?" 

Bellamy  smiled  in  half  contempt.  "Say  if 
he  hadn't  noticed  it  for  fifteen  minutes,  we'd  have 
been  sailing  over  them  trees  about  this  time — 
in  pieces.  She'd  have  bust  her  boiler." 

Five  minutes  lost  here,  and  we  were  off 
again,  running  presently  into  a  thick  fog,  then  in- 
to rain,  and,  finally,  into  a  snow  storm.  Never 
shall  I  forget  the  illusion,  due  to  our  great 
speed  that  the  flakes  were  rushing  at  us  hori- 
zontally, shooting  upward  in  sharp  curves  over 
the  engine's  headlight.  And,  as  we  swept  on, 
the  shadow  of  1201  advanced  beside  us  over  the 
stretch  of  white  snow  as  smoothly  and  silently 
as  the  tail  of  an  eclipse.  The  engine  itself  was 
a  noisy,  hurrying  affair,  but  the  engine's  shadow 
was  as  calm  and  quiet  as  a  cloud.  And  I  recall 
that  the  swiftness  of  our  rush  this  night  caused 
in  me  neither  fear  nor  any  particular  emotion. 
Yet  this  was  practically  the  same  experience  that 
had  stirred  me  so  the  night  before  on  590. 

We  reached  Creston  on  time,  as  Byron  said 
he  would,  and  of  what  happened  during  the  last 
relay  from  Creston  on,  or  what  engine  drew  us, 
or  who  the  engineer  was,  I  have  no  knowledge, 
for  I  passed  the  early  morning  hours  in  troubled 
sleep,  curled  up  on  a  pile  of  pouches  in  the  rear 
mail-car.  I  may  add  that  my  sleep  was  troubled 
for  good  and  sufficient  reasons :  first,  because 
there  was  need  of  changing  my  hard  couch  at 
intervals  so  that  the  crew  could  handle  what  I 
was  sleeping  on ;  also  because  the  motion  here* 
is  even  more  violent  than  on  the  locomotive. 
There  were  double  curves  in  western  Iowa  that 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


705 


made  those  mail-cars  look  like  a  battlefield.  It 
was  bundles  of  newspapers  flying  through  the 
air,  and  poor  devils  of  mail-clerks  stretched  on  the 
floor  hugging  the  iron  racks.  Any  one  who,  as 
a  boy  has  indulged  in  the  noble  sport  of  "crack- 
ing the  whip''  will  understand  why  the  mail-car 
at  the  tail  of  a  train  gets  more  swing  on  a  hard 
fast  curve  than  the  engine  at  the  Jiead.  And  as 
for  danger,  there  is  really  much  more  here  than 
anywhere  else,  for  the  mail-cars  rest  light  on  their 
trucks,  compared  with  the  great  mass  of  a  loco- 
motive. Besides  that,  a  locomotive's  weight  is 
low  while  the  tons  of  pouches  in  the  mail  cars, 
often  piled  nearly  to  the  roof,  lift  the  center  of 
gravity  high. 

Not  on  this  ride,  then,  but  on  subsequent 
ones,  both  on  the  Burlington  and  the  Northwes- 
tern, I  got  an  idea  what  duty  it  is  a  man  under- 
takes in  choosing  the  career  of  railway  mail  clerk. 
And  frankly,  I  can  think  of  no  occupation  that 
puts  harder  tax  upon  mind  and  body.  To  begin 
with,  the  mail  crew,  during  their  "on  days," 
which  alternate  with  "off  days,"  are  called  up- 
on to  work  sometimes  seventeen  hours  in  twen- 
ty-four ;  one  set  of  men,  for  instance,  begin  hand- 
ling the  mail  at  3  P.  M.  in  Chicago,  and  keep 
at  it  steadily  until  they  reach  Omaha  at  8  A.  M. 
the  following  day.  Furthermore,  they  must  re- 
member and  have  literally  at  their  fingers'  ends 
such  a  mass  of  names,  places,  railroad  routes, 
etc.,  as  would  cause  the  despair  of  a  lightning 
calculator.  Each  clerk  on  this  run  must  know 
the  precise  location  of  1,079  separate  post-offices 
in  Nebraska,  of  1,904  in  Iowa,  of  1,800  in  Ohio 
(only  a  part),  of  1,100  in  Michigan  (only  a 
part),  of  1,200  in  Missouri  (only  a  part),  of 
720  in  Colorado,  of  660  in  South  Dakota, 
705  in  Illinois  (only  a  part),  of  about  1,000  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  so  on  for  Indiana,  Wisconsin, 
and  all  the  western  states. 

In  addition  to  these  separate  places,  amount- 
ing to  about  18,000  in  all,  each  mail-clerk  must 
know,  and  be  able  to  say  instantly,  how  any 
particular  letter  will  reach  its  destination  by  the 
quickest  and  best  connection ;  that  is,  must  have 
an  intimate  knowledge  of  a  labyrinth  of  large 
and  small  routes,  spreading  over  the  whole 


region.  To  test  his  readiness  of  information, 
I  took  up  a  handful  of  letters  from  one  of  the 
pouches  and  read  off  the  towns  to  one  of  the 
men,  who  answered  thus,  in  mail-clerk  jargon : 

Elk  Creek — "Columbus  and  Atch.  Lincoln 
south." 

Nelson — "Neb.  City  and  Superior.  Num- 
ber two." 

Ainsley — "Lincoln  and  Bill.  Train  forty- 
one.  Number  two." 

Liberty — "K.  C.  and  Ox.     Wymore  east." 

Carleton — "St.  Jo  and  Grand  Island,  via 
Jotown." 

Julian — "Omaha  and  K.  C.  Train  ten. 
South  of  Neb.  City." 

Rock  Bluff— "Goes  to  Plattsmouth  (Dist.) 
no  office. 

Oak — "Lenwood  and  Superior.  Seward 
east." 

Friend — "Peajack  and  Denver.      No.  one." 

And  so  on  for  letters  and  papers  without 
end,  all  dealt  out  swiftly,  hour  after  hour,  through 
the  night,  into  some  500  pigeon-holes,  in  ten 
letter-cases  (this  for  a  single  car),  and  some 
1 20  pouches  packed  in  neatly  through  the  car's 
length,  with  mouths  held  open  by  iron  frames. 

And  the  head  man  of  the  crew  (six  in  all) 
must  see  to  it  that  the  mail  is  so  assorted  and 
classified  that  the  Galesburg  pouch  for  Santa 
Fe  connections  will  be  ready  to  throw  off  at 
Galesburg,  and  the  two  Burlington,  pouches 
ready  to  throw  off  at  Burlington,  and  the  five 
( htumwa  pouches  ready  at  Ottumwa,  and  so  on, 
the  work  being  done  stage  by  stage,  as  the  flyer 
rushes  west-ward.  And  every  man  of  the  crew 
must  stand  for  his  own  mistakes — at  the  throat 
of  each  pouch  being  placed,  before  it  is  closed 
the  name  of  the  clerk  who  filled  it.  No  wonder 
these  young  men  require  four  or  five  "days  off" 
after  a  like  number  of  "days  on"  for  the  work 
of  studying  and  memorizing.  And  right  well  do 
they  earn  their  wages,  which  vary  from  $900  to 
$1,300  a  year,  and  which  stop  (perhaps  this  is 
worth  noting)  on  the  very  day  when  one  of 
them  is  killed  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty,  for 
the  pension  system  of  our  government  has  never 
been  extended  to  these  obscure  heroes  of  the 


706 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


pouches,   who,  nevertheless,  are  called   upon   to 
expose  their  lives  constantly. 

So,  every  clay  of  the  year  now,  with  weary 
clerks,  but  well-assorted  mail,  these  wonderful 
rival  flyers  of  the  Northwestern  and  the  Burling- 
ton draw  into  Council  Bluffs  at  about  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  as  their  schedules  re- 
quire. Before  January  I,  1899,  this  mail  would 
have  reached  Council  Bluffs  at  2.45  P.  M.,  near- 
ly seven  hours  later,  the  start  having  been  five 
hours  and  a  half  later.  And  within  half  an  hour 
of  its  arrival  at  Council  Bluffs  it  is  carried  to 
Omaha,  shifted  from  train  to  train  at  the  Union 
Pacific  transfer,  and  is  rushing  westward  once 
more,  with  fresh  locomotive,  engineer,  and  mail 
crew.  And  so  it  advances  in  its  course,  from 


relay  to  relay,  from  state  to  state,  from  railroad 
to  railroad,  until  the  through  pouches  land  in 
San  Francisco  ninety-eight  and  one-half  hours 
after  their  departure  from  New  York,  which  is 
a  gain  of  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  hours  over 
any  previous  mail  record.  Even  so,  this  gives 
a  transcontinental  average  of  less  than  thirty- 
five  miles  an  hour,  counting  all  the  time  spent, 
which  shows  what  a  fine  achievement  it  is  in 
practical  railroading,  this  run  from  Chicago  to 
Omaha  at  a  fifty-mile  rate,  counting  everything. 
Were  the  same  effort  put  forth  all  the  way,  we 
should  have  a  regular  three  days'  mail  service 
between  the  oceans.  And  that  is  sure  to  come ! 
[Reprinted  by  permission  of  S.  S.  McClure 
Co.] 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


707 


A  RELIGIOUS  RAILWAY. 


N  the  road  once  more,  with  Lebanon 
fading  away  in  the  distance,  the  fat 
passenger  drumming  idly  on  the 
window  pane  and  the  cross  passen- 
ger fast  asleep.  To  me  comes  the  brakeman, 
and  perching  himself  on  the  arm  of  the  seat, 
says:  "I  went  to  church  yesterday."  "Yes?" 
I  said,  with  that  interested  inflection  that  ask 
for  more,  "and  what  church  did  you  attend,"  I 
hazarded.  "Well,"  he  said,  "I  don't  like  to  run 
on  these  branch  roads  very  much.  I  don't  often 
go  to  church,  and  when  I  do  I  want  to  run  on 
the  main  line,  where  your  run  is  regular  and  you 
go  on  schedule  time,  and  don't  have  to  wait  for 
connections.  Good  enough,  but  I  don't  like  it." 
"Episcopal?"  I  guessed.  "Limited  express," 
he  said,  "all  palace  cars  at  $2.00  extra  a  seat; 
fast  time,  and  only  stop  at  the  big  stations.  Nice 
line,  but  too  expensive  for  the  brakeman.  All 
train  men  in  uniform;  conductor's  punch  and 
lantern  silver-plated,  and  no  train-boys  allowed. 
Then  the  passengers  are  allowed  to  talk  back 
at  the  conductor,  and  it  makes  them  too  free  and 
easy.  No,  I  couldn't  stand  the  palace  cars. 
Rich  road,  though.  Don't  often  hear  of  a  re- 
ceiver being  appointed  for  that  line.  Some 
mighty  nice  people  travel  on  it,  too."  "Univer- 
salist?"  I  suggested.  "Broad  gage,"  said  the 
brakeman,  "does  too  much  complimentary  busi- 
ness. Everybody  travels  on  a  pass.  Conduc- 
tor doesn't  get  a  fare  once  in  fifty  miles.  Stops 
at  all  flag  stations,  and  won't  run  into  anything 
but  a  union  depot.  No  smoking  car  on  the  train. 
Train  orders  are  rather  vague,  though,  and  the 
train-men  don't  get  along  well  with  the  passen- 
gers. No,  I  didn't  go  to  the  universalist,  though 
I  know  some  good  men  on  that  road."  "Pres- 


byterian?" I  asked.  "Narrow  gauge,  eh?"  said 
the  brakeman,  "pretty  track,  straight  as  a  rule; 
tunnel  -right  through  a  mountain  rather  than 
go  around  it;  spirit  level  grade.  Passengers 
have  to  show  their  tickets  before  they  get  on 
the  train.  Mighty  strict  road  but  the  cars  are 
a  little  narrow ;  have  to  sit  one  in  a  seat,  and  no 
room  in  the  aisle  to  dance.  Then  there's  no 
stop  over  tickets  allowed ;  got  to  go  straight 
through  to  the  station  you're  ticketed  for,  or 
you  can't  get  on.  When  the  car's  full,  no  extra 
seats,  cars  built  at  the  shop;  hold  just  so  many, 
and  nobody  else  allowed  on.  But  you  don't 
hear  of  an  accident  on  that  road ;  it's  run  straight 
up  to  the  rules."  "May  be  you  joined  the  Free 
Thinkers?"  I  said.  "Scrub  road,"  said  the 
brakeman,  dirt  road-bed  and  no  ballast ;  no  time 
card  and  no  train  dispatcher.  All  trains  run 
wild,  and  the  engineer  makes  his  own  time  just 
as  he  pleases.  Smoke  if  you  want  to;  kind  of 
go-as-you-please  road.  Too  many  side  tracks, 
and  every  switch  wide  open  all  the  time,  with 
the  watchman  sound  asleep,  and  the  target  lamp 
dead  out.  Get  on  as  you  please  and  get  off 
when  you  want  to.  Don't  have  to  show  your 
tickets,  and  the  conductor  isn't  expected  to  do 
anything  but  amuse  the  passengers.  No,  sir,  I 
was  offered  a  pass,  but  I  don't  like  the  line.  I 
don't  like  to  travel  on  a  line  that  has  no  terminus. 
Do  you  know,  sir,  I  asked  a  division  superinten- 
dent where  the  road  goes  to  and  he  said  he  hoped 
to  die  if  he  knew.  I  asked  him  if  the  general 
superintendent  could  tell  me  and  he  said  they' 
didn't  have  a  general  superintendent  and  if  they 
did  he  didn't  know  anything  more  about  the  road 
than  the  passengers.  I  asked  him  who  he  re- 
ported to  and  he  said  'Nobody.'  T  asked  a  con- 


708 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ductor  who  he  got  his  orders  from  and  he  said 
he  didn't  take  orders  from  any  living  man  or 
dead  ghost.  And  when  I  asked  the  engineer 
who  he  got  his  orders  from,  he  said  he  didn't 
like  to  see  anybody  give  him  orders ;  he'd  run 
the  train  to  suit  himself,  or  he'd  run  it  into  the 
ditch.  Now  you  see,  sir,  I'm  a  railroad  man. 
and  I  don't  care  to  run  on  a  road  that  has  no 
time,  makes  no  connections,  runs  nowhere  and 


to  the  next  station.  Every  train  lamp  shines 
like  a  headlight.  Stop  over  checks  given  on  all 
the  through  tickets ;  passengers  can  drop  off  the 
train  as  often  as  they  like,  do  the  station  two  or 
three  days  and  hop  on  the  next  revival  train  that 
comes  thundering  along.  Good,  whole-souled, 
companionable  conductors.  Ain't  any  road  in 
the  country  where  the  passengers  feel  more  at 
home.  No  passes ;  every  passenger  pays  full 


BlRDSEYE  VIEW  OF  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  STATION  AT  WATERLOO,    IOWA. 


has  no  superintendent.  It  may  be  all  right,  but 
I've  railroaded  too  long  to  understand  it."  "Did 
you  try  the  Methodists  ?"  I  said.  "Now  you're 
shouting,"  he  said  with  some  enthusiasm.  "Nice 
road,  eh  ?"  Fast  time  and  plenty  of  passengers. 
Engines  carry  a  power  of  steam,  and  you  don't 
forget  it;  steam  gauge  shows  one  hundred,  and 
enough  all  the  time.  Lively  road.  When  the 
conductor  shouts  'all  aboard'  you  can  hear  him 


tariff  rate  for  his  ticket.  Wesleyan-house  air- 
brakes on  all  trains,  too.  Pretty  safe  road,  but 
I  didn't  ride  over  it  yesterday."  "May  be  you 
went  to  the  Congregational  church?"  I  said. 
"Popular  road,"  said  the  brakeman,  "an  old  road 
too,  one  of  the  very  oldest  in  the  country.  Good 
road  bed  and  comfortable  cars.  Well  managed 
road,  too.  Directors  don't  interfere  with  divi- 
sion superintendents  and  train  orders.  Road's 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


709 


mighty  popular,  but  it's  pretty  independent.  Let 
see,  didn't  one  of  the  division  superintendents 
down  east  discontinue  one  of  the  oldest  stations 
on  the  line  two  or  three  years  ago?  But  it's 
a  mighty  pleasant  road  to  travel  on ;  always  has 
such  a  splendid  class  of  passengers."  "Perhaps 
you  tried  the  Baptist?"  I  guessed  once  more. 
"Ha,  ha!"  said  the  brakeman,  "she  a  daisy,  isn't 
she?  River  road;  beautiful  curves;  sweep 
around  anything  to  keep  near  the  river;  but  it's 
all  steel  rail  and  rock  ballast,  single  track  all 
the  way  and  not  a  side  track  from  the  round 
house  to  the  terminus.  Takes  a  heap  of  water 
to  run  it,  though;  double  tanks  at  every  station, 
and  there  isn't  an  engine  in  the  shops  that  can 
pull  a  pound  or  run  a  mile  with  less  than  two 
gauges.  But  it  runs  through  a  lovely  country, 
these  river  roads  always  do  —  river  on  one  side 


and  hills  on  the  other ;  and  it's  a  steady  climb  up 
the  grade  all  the  way,  till  the  run  ends  where  the 
fountain  head  of  the  river  begins.  Yes,  sir,  I'll 
take  the  river  road  every  time  for  a  lovely  trip, 
sure  connections  and  a  good  time,  and  no  prairie 
dust  blowing  in  at  the  windows.  And  yester- 
day when  the  conductor  came  around  with  a 
little  basket  punch,  I  didn't  ask  him  to  pass  me 
but  I  paid  my  fare  like  a  little  man,  twenty-five 
cents  for  an  hour's  run  and  a  little  concert  by  the 
passengers  thrown  in.  I  tell  you,  pilgrim,  you 
take  the  river  road  when  you  want" —  but  just 
here  the  long  whistle  from  the  engine  announced 
a  station  and  the  brakeman  hurried  to  the  door 
and  shouted :  "Zionsville !  this  train  makes  no 
stops  between  here  and  Indianapolis !" — Bob 
lUirdette  in  Burlington  Haivkcyc. 


710 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD.  COMPANY 


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AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


711 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  TEST  CAR. 


t.™  L  ™  t.  ™  t™  <i*  t." 


The  railway  test  car  whose  description 
follows  was  built  at  the  Burnside  shops  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  at  Chicago.  It  is 
owned  and  operated  jointly  by  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral Railroad  and  the  railway  mechanical  engi- 
neering department  of  the  University  of  Illinois, 
the  car  being  built  by  the  former  and  the  appa- 
ratus and  other  equipment  by  the  latter.  It  is 
designed  for  general  railroad  experimental 
work  and  will  be  adapted  to  the  following  pur- 
poses, for  each  of  which  it  has  its  special 
equipment : 

1.  Measurement  of  train  resistance. 

2.  Autographic  track  inspection. 

3.  Locomotive  road  tests. 

4.  Air  brake  tests. 

5.  Station  tests. 

Hydraulic  transmission  of  the  pressure  and 
motion  has  been  adopted  for  both  the  appara- 
tus for  dynamometric  work  and  for  track  in- 
spection; the  latter,  however,  is  not  being  at 
present  installed. 

The  car  was  designed  under  the  direction 
of  Mr.  William  Renshaw,  superintendent  of 
machinery  Illinois  Central  Railroad;  Prof. 
L.  P.  Breckenridge  of  the  department  of  me- 
chanical engineering  of  the  University  of  Illi- 


nois,   and   Edward    C.    Schmidt,    instructor    in 
railway  mechanical  engineering. 

The  car  itself  was  specially  designed  for 
this  work  and  is  shown  in  Figs.  1  and  2. 
It  has  been  built  particularly  heavy,  in  order  to 
withstand  the  usage  it  will  receive  in  the  heavi- 
est freight  service. 

It  is  45  feet  4  inches  in  length  and  40  feet 
over  the  end  sills,  which  is  as  long  as  is  com- 
patible with  the  necessary  stiffness  and  rigidity. 
It  is  8  feet  4-Hi  inches  wide  inside,  9  feet  IjMi 
inches  outside,  with  an  extreme  width  of  10/4 
feet  over  the  observation  windows.  About  15 
feet  in  the  rear  end  is  occupied  by  the  berths, 
lockers,  closets  and  toilet  room,  leaving  25  feet 
of  working  space,  in  which  are  placed  the 
tables  and  instruments. 

The  lookout  shown  in  the  rear  of  the  car 
affords  facilities  for  observing  the  handling  of 
the  train,  and  in  it  are  placed  the  push  buttons 
controlling  the  signals  to  the  operators  below, 
also  the  pens  which  mark  on  the  dynamometer 
record  the  location  of  mileposts,  stations, 
curves  and  grades.  The  projecting  windows  at 
the  front  end  also  provide  a  means  of  watching 
the  train  and  engine. 


38 


712 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  EMPLOYES'  HOSPITAL,  AT  PADUCAH,  KY. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


713 


THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  EMPLOYES'  HOSPITAL. 


This  Hospital  located  at  Paducah,  Ky.,  is 
one  of  the  finest  institutions  of  its  kind  in  the 
South,  was  founded  on  January  15th,  1884,  by 
the  Chesapeake,  Ohio  &  South  Western  R.  R. 

The  orginal  building,  was  an  old  farm  house, 
located  near  the  site  of  the  present  beautiful 
structure,  and  was  in  charge  of  Dr.  J.  W.  Thomp- 
son, as  Chief  Surgeon  and  President,  with  J.  A. 
Dew,  Secretary,  and  board  of  directors,  consist- 
ing of  Frazier  Briggs,  John  L.  McGuire,  and 
others. 

The  new  hospital  buildings,  costing  about 
$30,000,  were  completed  in  April  1896,  and  with 
the  fine  lot  on  which  they  stand,  valued  at 
$25,000,  were  the  gift  of  C.  P.  Huntington,  of 
New  York,  with  the  stipulation,  that  they  should 
be  forever  used  for  hospital  purposes. 

The  hospital  is  located  on  Broadway,  one 
of  the  principal  thoroughfares  of  Paducah,  and 
stands  in  the  center  of  a  beautifully  laid-out  park, 
dotted  with  shade  trees,  and  with  a  fountain  of 
elegant  design,  on  which  is  carved  the  I.  C. 
monogram. 

The  buildings  are  of  the  most  modern  de- 
sign, having  fine  offices,  laboratories,  operating 
rooms,  and  reception  rooms ;  besides  the  wards 
and  private  rooms  for  patients  willing  to  pay, 
and  are  equipped  with  all  modern  conveniences ; 
steam  heat,  gas  and  electric  lights  and  elevators. 

The  hospital  has  a  capacity  at  the  present 
time,  of  forty-five  patients,  with  separate  wards 
for  the  whites  and  blacks,  and  cares  for  all  I.  C. 
employes  from  Memphis,  Tennessee,  to  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky,  a  district  composed  of  54  local 
surgeons. 


It  is  sustained  by  assessments  taken  monthly 
from  the  salaries  of  the  employes,  on  the  follow- 
ing basis. 

Employes   receiving  $40  per  month  or 

under        -  $  .40 

Employes  receiving  $40  to  $75    -       -  .50 

Employes  receiving  $75  to  $90        -        -  .75 

Employes  receiving  $90  to  $100  and  over  1.00 

The  total  receipts  for  the  year  1899,  were 
$24,308.65;  expenditures,  $18,441.90.  Surplus 
on  hand  Jan.  i,  1900,  $15,096.18. 

The  following  is  a  comparative  statement 
of  the  number  of  patients  treated  for  the  past 
three  vears. 


1897     

Whites. 
.  .      .  .    173 

Black. 
169 

Total. 
342 

1898 

370 

309    .  .  . 

679 

1899.. 

.  .  492.  . 

..393.. 

..882 

Besides  the  882  patients  treated  in  1899, 
there  were  7547  cases  treated,  termed  outside 
patients,  of  which  5141  were  white,  and  2406 
black.  Of  the  882  patients  treated  in  1899,  only 
eleven  died,  which  speaks  volumes  for  the  effi- 
ciency of  the  management. 

Everything  from  basement  to  garret  is  kept 
exquisitely  neat  and  clean,  and  the  highly  com- 
petent physicians  in  charge,  together  with  the 
corps  of  assistants  put  forth  every  effort  to  allevi- 
ate the  suffering  of  those  to  whom  they  adminis- 
ter. The  hospital  is  an  institution,  of  which  the 
officials  and  employes  of  the  Illinois  Central,  are 
justly  proud. 


714 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


GIDEON  HAWLEY, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


715 


OLDEST  OF  LOCOMOTIVE  ENGINEERS. 


IDEON  HAWLEY,  who  runs  an  ac- 
commodation train  on  the  Lake  Shore 
Railroad  from  Conneaut,  Ohio,  to 
Cleveland,  is  the  oldest  engineer  in 
active  service  in  the  United  States.  Mr.  Haw- 
ley,  who  is  73  years  old,  has  been  fifty-two  years 
at  the  throttle.  He  began  railroad  work  as  a 
fireman  in  1846,  when  one  of  his  duties  was  to 
stand  at  the  front  of  the  cabless  locomotive  to 
sprinkle  sand  on  the  tracks  from  a  wooden  pail 
provided  for  the  purpose.  The  wooden  pail  was 
filled  from  some  bank  here  and  there  along  the 
route,  as  time  was  not  a  matter  of  importance. 
In  the  4o's  twenty  miles  an  hour  was  considered 
good  speed  for  a  passenger  train,  while  the 
freights  made  only  seven  miles, 

The  first  place  obtained  by  Mr.  Hawley  was 
on  the  Michigan  Central.  The  wheels  of  the 
tender  were  then  set  by  brakes,  the  only  ones 
by  the  way  on  the  old-time  trains,  and  it  was  the 
duty  of  the  fireman  to  operate  these  brakes. 
He  found  that  his  labors  were  varied  and  exact- 
ing, but  after  four  years  of  service  he  became 
an  engineer,  entering  the  service  of  the  Lake 
Shore  road  in  1852. 

The  engineer  then  had  many  responsibili- 
ties that  are  not  now  put  upon  men  who  operate 
the  great  locomotives.  Headlights  were  not 
used,  and  it  was  risky  work  to  run  an  engine  in 
the  darkness,  especially  when  the  single  tracks 
were  in  use  and  the  railway  companies  did  not 
maintain  their  own  telegraph  lines.  The  cow- 
catcher, however,  was  one  of  the  first  appliances 


although  the  primitive  invention  was  of  very 
different  pattern  from  those  in  use  today. 
Trains  made  their  way  from  one  station  to 
another  depending  on  flagmen  who  were  em- 
ployed in  great  numbers.  These  flagmen  man- 
aged to  obviate  the  need  of  dispatches,  except 
in  cases  of  emergency,  when  messages  were  sent 
at  regular  rates.  There  were  regular  sidings, 
at  which  the  trains  pulled  out  to  allow  those 
coining  in  an  opposite  direction  to  pass.  Mr. 
Hawley  remembers  that  he  spent  many  anxious 
hours  when  he  was  compelled  to  run  his  engine 
on  in  the  hope  that  he  would  make  the  next 
station  before  a  delayed  train  left  it. 

While  employed  on  the  Michigan  Central 
Railroad,  Mr.  Hawley  visited  Chicago,  which 
was  a  flourishing  country  town.  After  leaving 
the  Michigan  Central,  he  obtained  a  position 
on  the  Mad  River  and  Lake  Erie  Railroad  for 
a  short  time,  and  he  ran  his  train  through  a 
wilderness  that  was  sparsely  settled. 

The  Lake  Shore  Railroad,  in  addition  to 
employing  the  oldest  engineer  now  actively  en- 
gaged, has  the  distinction  of  having  the  oldest 
conductor  on  its  payrolls.  He  is  Edward  Page, 
of  Cleveland,  and  he  has  charge  of  the  fast  mail 
trains.  He  was  conductor  of  the  train  that  car- 
ried President  Lincoln  to  his  inauguration  and 
also  of  the  train  that  carried  the  President's 
body  home  from  Washington.  George  Martin, 
who  died  recently  in  Cleveland,  was  the  engineer 
on  both  these  memorable  occasions. — Inter 
Ocecw, 


716 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


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efore  going  on  the  Draw  ;  and  t 
over  the  two  Manchac  Bridges. 
uctors  on  Freight  Trains  shoul 


les  per  hour. 
ile  In  three  minutes.  Freight,  wood,  timber  and  ditching,  a  mile  in  four  minutes. 
e  be  any  risk  in  attempting  to  make  It.  Down  Passenger  take  sideiug  at  half-mile  s 
ys  and  Thursdays.  Returning,  leave  Canton  on  Mondays,  Wednesdays  and  Fridays. 

T.  S.  WILLIAMS,  Gen'l  Sup't. 


speed  than  six 
peed  than  one 
red,  should  the 
undays,  Tues 


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2  will 


All  Engi  rossing  Manchac  at  night  must  be  stopped 
Trains  mu  e  reduced  to  Six  miles  per  hour  whilst  passin 
Engineers  must  use  all  the  time  possible  In  running.  Co 
e  to  do  the  work  at  the  next  station. 
Engineers  must  not  run  over  frogs 
Passenger  trains  must  not  b 
ted  at  a  Station  must  be  report 
Tugaloo.  Passenger  Train  No. 


ll  T 
ak 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


717 


SKETCH  OF  RAILROADING,  IT'S  JOYS  AND  ITS  DANGERS. 

BY  L.  A.  LOUTZENHISER. 


ERHAPS  at  no  time  in  the  career  of  a 
railroad  man  is  the  seriousness  of  life 
brought  home  more  forcibly  than  when 
he  hears  of  the  sudden  death  of  one 
who  but  an  hour  before  had  greeted  him  pleasant- 
ly and  had  then  passed  on  to  his  doom. 

A  few  months  ago  it  was  Mabry;  a  few 
weeks  ago  it  was  Nagle ;  now  it  is  Sinclair  — 
and  not  a  moment's  warning  nor  a  single  word 
of  love  for  those  who  are  bereft  of  friendly 
counsel,  husbandly  solicitude  and  fatherly  care. 

Oh !  how  inadequate  an  elegy  must  be 
framed  for  those  we  love. 

Bright  with  hope,  strong  and  happy  in  the 
'knowledge  that  wife  and  children  are  pro- 
vided for  by  his  personal  labor,  kissing  his  hand 
at  the  corner  and  waving  a  fond  farewell  he 
goes  to  work  with  never  a  thought  of  impend- 
ing peril.  Down  among  a  tangle  of  murderous 
tracks,  lamp  on  arm  and  train  book  in  hand  he 
goes  about  his  calling  singing  a  lullaby  that 
speaks  of  all  he  treasures  most. 

To  me  there  comes  a  knowledge 

In  the  watches  of  the  night, 
Born  in  hours  that  swiftly  vanish 

From  the  dusk  till  day's  broad  light,— 
When  toil  and  cares  weigh  heavy 

And  there  seemeth  naught  to  gain, 
You  are  waiting  for  me,  darling, 

For  to  ease  away  all  pain. 

The  train  is  checked  up  and  bills  received 
at  the  office  where  stories  go  the  round  amid  the 
loud  laughter  of  hearty  men  who  keep  the  gossip 
going  and  who  say  "goodbye"  and  high  ball  the 
conductor  out  of  town,  with  many  a  parting  ban- 
ter of  good  will. 


"Bad  night,  old  boy ;  take  keer  o'  yer  sel'." 
"Same  t'  you,  old  head.  Well,  so  long."  Out 
he  goes  buttoned  up  to  the  chin  against  the  storm, 
singing  again  as  he  climbs  the  slippery  ladders 
and  picks  a  treacherous  pathway  along  the  run- 
ning boards : 

When  the  dreary  hour  of  midnight 

Settles  on  the  world  outside, 
And  the  fierce  wind  shakes  the  casement 

With  a  chill  that  ills  betide,— 
You  are  thinking  of  me  darling, 

And  it  thrills  my  heart  to  know 
That  for  me  through  miles  of  coldness 

I  can  feel  your  heart's  warm  glow. 

Mile  on  mile  and  station  after  station  is 
left  behind ;  trains  are  met,  work  is  done,  and 
wearily  the  night  wears  on.  Back  in  the  caboose 
sits  the  conductor  listening  and  alert  to  the  jar 
and  roll  and  rumble  of  the  cars,  alive  to  the 
"feel"  of  the  train  as  the  slack  runs  up  against 
the  engine  in  the  dips  and  straightens  out  over 
the  knolls,  while  he  sings  as  he  nears  the  jour- 
ney's end : 

For  your  love  is  with  me  ever, 

E'en  though  danger  lurketh  near, 
And  it  turneth  into  gladness 

AH  my  hours  of  grief  and  fear; 
And  from  cold  and  care  and  hunger, 

From  the  snow  and  sleet  and  rain 
I  am  coming  to  you,  darling, 

Coming,  faithful  heart,  again. 

The  trip  is  finished  in  safety  ahead  of  a 
special  and  a  passenger  train  that  he  has  hustled 
and  schemed  to  beat  into  the  terminal,  and  with 
the  weight  of  the  trip  off  his  mind  he  plods 
along  towards  the  office  with  a  bundle  of  bills 


718 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


and  a  present  or  two  for  friends  and  family, 
singing  gaily  — 

I  am  coming  with  the  many 

Whose  brave  hearts  never  quail, 
Who  face  danger  and  destruction, 
•  Life  and  love  upon  the  rail; — 

Unconsciously  he  steps  over  on  the  main 
line,  thinking  he  is  still  on  the  siding.  Swiftly 
up  behind  him  comes  the  limited  express  slip- 
ping over  the  wet  rails  without  a  sound.  They 
have  whistled  for  town  and  are  rolling  up 
through  the  yards  to  the  station.  In  a  mist  o.f 
rain  a  few  yards  ahead  is  a  man  walking  rapid- 
ly, singing :  — 

I  am  coming  to  you,  darling, 
Coming  home  to  love  and  rest;" 


Coming  home  aweary,  weary, 
To  the  heart  that  I  love  best. 

Then  his  quick  ear  catches  a  sound  directly 
behind  him  and  he  casts  a  glance  over  his 
shoulder  to  realize  too  late  his  awful  peril. 

"Almighty  God !     My  wife !     My  child !" 

A  wild  leap  aside  but  all  in  vain;  the  pilot 
beam  strikes  him  in  the  back  and  hurls  him  head- 
long. 

Yet  ere  the  eyes  glaze  in  deatht  the  spirit  of 
that  beautiful  soul  hovers  o'er  the  body  a 
moment  in  its  flight  to  eternal  rest,  while  the 
lips  murmur  gently  — 

Coming  home  aweary,  weary, 
To  the  heart  that  I  love  best. 


Modern  Hydraulic  Punch  and  Shear. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


719 


FAST  RUNS. 


THE  present  is  truly  a  rapid  age.  We  are 
daily  whirled  through  space  at  a  speed 
that  would  have  made  our  grandfathers 
dizzy  and  our  sires  of  revolutionary 
clays  would  be  thrown  into  a  panic,  could  they 
come  to  earth  for  an  hour  and  be  carried  over 
sixty  to  seventy  miles  of  space  during  that  brief 
period  of  time.  Civilization  can  be  measured 
by  the  speed  of  its  transportation  and  this,  the 
closing  year  of  the  nineteenth  century  has  wit- 
nessed the  shattering  of  records  as  no  year  has 
ever  done  before.  In  the  matter  of  ocean  travel 
the  great  German  flyers  have  brought  the  old 
world  and  the  new  within  but  a  few  hours  over 
five  days  apart  and  ere  the  year  closes  even  those 
few  units  of  time  may  be  wiped  out.  But  it  is 
in  railroad  traffic  that  the  most  wonderful  bursts 
of  speed  have  been  witnessed.  Record  has  fol- 
lowed record  to  the  shades  of  obscurity  at  such 
a  rate  that  we  can  but  stop  to  wonder  where  it 
will  all  end. 

In  considering  and  comparing  the  speed  of 
railroad  trains  they  naturally  group  themselves 
into  two  classes,  special  runs  of  greater  or  longer 
distance  and  the  regular  schedule  trains  that  for 
days,  months — at  a  time  fly  across  the  country 
at  the  speed  of  the  eagle. 

In  taking  up  the  subject  of  special  runs,  for 
convenience  we  will  divide  them  into  three  divi- 
sions, very  short  bursts  of  speed ;  longer  runs  not 
greater  than  the  endurance  of  one  engine;  and 
runs  which  require  one  or  more  changes  of  mo- 
tive power  for  their  accomplishment. 

Of  the  first  class,  one  of  the  earliest 
astonishing  runs  occurred  in  1884,  over  the  B. 
&  O.,  when  six  miles  were  covered  at  the  rate 
of  90  miles  an  hour,  which,  allowing  for  possible 


errors,  can  not  be  far  wrong.  This  speed  was 
not  approached  for  six  years,  when  the  Philadel- 
phia &  Reading  Company  sent  a  four  car  train 
over  four  and  one  tenth  miles  at  the  unprece- 
dented rate  of  98.4  miles  an  hour.  In  1892  the 
Central  Railroad  of  New  Jersey  had  an  engine 
pull  a  train  of  equal  size  one  mile  at  the  rate 
of  91.7  miles  an  hour  and  another  mile 
at  97.3  miles  per  hour.  The  following  year  saw 
a  still  greater  breaking  of  records  in  the  per- 
formances of  the  New  York  Central's  famous 
World's  Fair  Flyer,  No.  999,  which  covered  five 
miles  at  the  rate  of  100  miles  an  hour,  one  mile 
at  102.8  and  one  at  102  it  is  said  and  allowing 
for  slight  errors  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  at 
that  time  no  conveyance  had  ever  moved  so 
swiftly  through  space.  In  1895  on  the  Balti- 
more &  Washington  branch  of  the  Pennsylva- 
nia a  train  ran  five  and  one-tenth  miles  at  the 
rate  of  102  miles  per  hour;  in  October  1895  the 
Lake  Shore  &  Michigan  Southern  attained  a 
speed  of  92.3  miles ;  in  September  1897  the  Pitts- 
burg,  Cincinnati  &  St.  Louis  is  said  to  have 
covered  a  mile  at  an  even  hundred  rate.  In  Octo- 
ber of  the  same  year,  the  Pennsylvania  line, 
over  the  same  stretch  of  track  that  the  run  in 
'95  was  made,  ran  a  train  of  two  cars  fifteen  and 
one-tenth  miles  at  a  speed  of  100.7  and  six  and 
nine  tenths  miles  of  this  was  done  to  the  tune 
of  103.5  and  repeated  this  performance  in  June 
1899.  One  of  the  most  remarkable  runs  ever 
made  when  the  weight  of  the  train  is  taken  into 
consideration  was  over  the  lines  of  the  same  road 
near  Philadelphia  when  one  of  its  monster  en- 
gines drew  a  train  of  ten  cars  over  a  stretch  of 
track  nine  and  seven  tenths  miles  long,  at  the 
rate  of  72.6  miles  an  hour,  But  the  fastest 


720 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


speed  ever  attained  by  humanity  was  clone  by 
two  of  the  leading  lines  running  west  from  Chi- 
cago. On  January  2,  1899  the  North  western's 
fast  train  covered  the  fourteen  miles  between 
Siding  X  and  Arion,  la.,  in  seven  minutes,  a  speed 
of  120  miles  per  hour.  The  Burlington,  how- 
ever claims  the  world's  record,  a  run  of  2.11 
miles  in  one  minute  and  twenty  seconds,  a  speed 
of  130  miles  an  hour.  There  was  no  speed  in- 
dicator attached  to  this  train,  but  four  stop 
watches  gave  the  same  time. 

When  the  distance  is  so  great  that  a  change 
of  engines  must  be  made  the  speed  of  necessity 
drops  materially.  The  Lackawanna  road  has  a 
record  of  197  miles,  at  the  rate  of  60.64  miles 
an  hour  while  the  Santa  Fe  made  a  run  of  204.4 
miles  at  56.7  miles  an  hour.  Of  the  longer  runs 
of  this  class  the  performance  of  the  Lake  Shore 
"Special"  in  1895  is  by  far  the  best.  The  dis- 
tance between  Chicago  and  Buffalo,  510  miles 
was  traversed  at  the  rate  of  63.61  miles  an  hour 
and  181.5  miles  of  the  distance  were  done  at  a 
rate  of  68.67  miles  an  hour,  86  miles  at  a  speed 
of  72.91 ;  33  miles  at  a  80.6  rate ;  8  miles  at 
85.44  and  one  mile  at  a  92.3  rate.  In  1897  the 
Union  Pacific  made  a  run  of  519  miles  at  the 
rate  of  55.7  miles  an  hour,  291  miles  at  63.49 
and  for  261  miles  the  speed  attained  was  65.6 
miles  an  hour.  The  same  year  a  Burlington 
train  made  the  run  between  Chicago  and  Denver, 
1025  miles  in  1047  minutes,  at  a  speed  of  58.74 
miles  per  hour,  exclusive  of  stops,  the  world's 
record  for  such  a  distance.  The  same  line  sent 
some  fast  trains  over  the  road  in  1899;  some  of 
the  best  runs  are,  197.3  rniles  at  the  rate  of  64.3 
miles ;  206  miles  at  59.4  miles  and  500  miles  at 
the  rate  of  53.1  miles  an  hour.  On  December 
18,  1899,  one  of  their  trains  leaving  Burlington 
thirty-six  minutes  late  reached  Chicago  on  time, 
running  206  miles  in  209  minutes,  including 
stops,  83  miles  were  made  in  seventy-six  minutes 
and  46  miles  in  thirty-nine  minutes  and  the  en- 
tire run  was  made  against  a  stormy  head-wind. 
Deducting  time  for  mail  and  water,  the  average 
speed  was  above  eighty  miles  an  hour.  The 
same  year  the  Wabash  made  a  run  of  181.1  miles 
at  a  speed  of  64.9  miles  an  hour.  The  New 


York  Central  and  the  Lake  Shore  roads  ran  a 
train  between  New  York  and  Chicago,  a  dis- 
tance of  964  miles  at  an  average  speed  of  48.2 
miles  an  hour. 

Two  famous  transcontinental  runs  were  the 
Cheeney  and  Peacock  specials.  In  the  former, 
made  some  years  ago,  Mr.  B.  F.  Cheeney,  Jr., 
travelled  2267  miles  to  attend  a  meeting  of  the 
board  of  directors  of  that  road,  of  which  he  was 
a  member,  covering  the  distance  in  three  days, 
seven  hours  and  two  minutes,  a  speed  that  would 
have  been  better  had  not  washouts  caused  de- 
lays. The  second,  an  unprecedented  run,  oc- 
curred in  the  latter  days  of  March  1900.  Mr.  C. 
R.  Peacock,  vice-president  of  the  Carnegie  Steel 
and  Iron  Company,  desired  to  attend  a  meeting 
of  the  board,  notice  of  which  he  received  after 
the  departure  of  the  limited  express.  A  special 
was  made  up  for  him  consisting  of  a  Pullman 
sleeper  and  a  combination  car.  Leaving  Los 
Angeles  at  ten  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  March 
27,  they  were  landed  in  Chicago  fifty-seven 
hours  and  fifty-six  minutes  after,  later  by  four 
hours,  twenty-four  minutes  than  they  would  have 
been  had  it  not  been  for  delays.  No  such  run 
was  ever  made  before. 

Of  middle  distance  special  runs  a  high  speed 
has  been  attained.  The  West  Shore  road  sent 
a  train  over  the  line  for  36.3  miles  at  a  seventy- 
two  mile  rate  in  1886.  Nothing  to  compare 
with  this  occurred  until  1893,  when  the  Pitts- 
burg,  Cincinnati,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis  passed 
forty-two  mile  posts  at  a  speed  of  72  miles.  The 
next  year  the  Lake  Shore  &  Michigan  Southern 
ran  forty-two  miles  at  a  seventy  mile  rate,  while 
the  Pennsylvania  line  ran  an  engine  with  one 
car,  on  the  Camden  and  Atlantic  branch,  24.9 
miles,  at  a  speed  of  83  miles.  In  1897  the  Union 
Pacific  ran  a  train  for  forty-two  miles  at  a  70 
mile  rate,  and  on  the  Philadelphia,  Wilmington 
&  Baltimore  branch  of  the  Pennsylvania  lines 
a  speed  of  72.3  miles  was  maintained  by  an  en- 
gine pulling  two  cars  for  a  distance  of  31  miles. 
The  Philadelphia  &  Reading  road  has  a  record 
of  26  miles  at  a  rate  of  85.4,  made  in  1898  by  a 
train  of  six  cars.  The  year  1899  witnessed  some 
remarkable  bursts  of  speed.  The  Northwes- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


721 


tern's  fast  mail  ran  138.1  miles  at  a  rate  of  58.8 
miles,  and  51.3  miles  at  69.9  miles:  the  Atlantic 
trains  of  the  Pennsylvania  lines  ran  24.9  miles  at 
an  83  mile  rate  and  for  30.6  miles  attained  a 
speed  of  81.6  miles  an  hour. 

Of  the  longer  special  runs  within  the  limits 
of  a  single  engine,  the  performance  of  the  Chi- 
cago, Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul,  made  what  for  the 
time,  1896,  was  a  creditable  performance,  cover- 
ing 74  miles  at  the  rate  of  54.2  miles  an  hour, 
while  the  Lake  Shore  and  Michigan  Southern 
sped  over  118  miles  at  a  66.1  miles  rate  of  speed. 
In  1897  the  Empire  State  Express  ran  for  a  dis- 
tance of  148  miles  averaging  68.2  miles.  The 
Wabash  made  a  record  of  66.1  miles  for  a  dis- 
tance of  71.6  miles  in  1898  and  the  following 
year  fell  but  one  tenth  below  that  speed  for  a 
distance  of  105  miles ;  all  records  that  would 
have  seemed  impossible  thirty  years  ago. 

The  Lehigh  Valley  has  a  record  of  43.96 
miles  at  the  rate  of  80  miles  an  hour.  After 
seven  years  endeavor  to  secure  a  trial  of  his 
sheathed  train  Frederick  U.  Adams  at  last  suc- 
ceeded in  the  summer  of  1900  and  demonstrated 
the  correctness  of  his  theory.  A  sheathed  train 
on  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  between  Baltimore  and 
Washington  made  the  following  astonishing 
records : 

il/2  miles  in  i  minute  24  seconds,  or  64.3 
miles  an  hour  . 

3.4  miles  in  3  minutes  i  second,  or  67  miles 
an  hour. 

5.7  miles  in  4  minutes  55  seconds,  or  70 
miles  an  hour. 

6.6  miles  in  4  minutes  58  seconds,  or  80 
miles  an  hour. 

5  miles  in  2  minutes  55  seconds,  or  103 
miles  an  hour. 

20  miles  in  15  minutes,  or  about  80  miles 
an  hour,  while  the  forty  miles  between  stations 
was  made  in  thirty-seven  minutes. 

When  it  comes  to  regular  schedule  runs 
the  American  railroads  are  far  in  the  lead.  Of 
the  fourteen  trains  running  a  mile  a  minute  and 
upward  ten  are  American,  two  are  French  and 


two  English  and  of  the  six  trains  making  six- 
ty-one or  better,  five  are  American  and  one 
French.  The  fastest  scheduled  trains  in  the 
world  are  between  Philadelphia  and  Atlantic 
City.  After  ferrying  they  make  the  run 
from  Camclen  at  the  rate  of  66.6  on  the 
Philadelphia  &  Reading  and  at  the  rate  of  64.3 
miles  per  hour  on  the  Pennsylvania  lines.  For 
a  period  of  fifty-three  days  in  the  summer  of 
1898  they  made  the  run  at  a  speed  of  upwards 
of  seventy  miles  an  hour.  The  Pennsylvania 
road  runs  trains  between  New  York  and  Wash- 
ington, a  distance  of  227  miles  at  the  rate  of 
forty-six  and  forty-seven  and  two-thirds  miles 
per  hour. 

The  Empire  Express  covers  the  distance 
between  New  York  and  Buffalo,  440  miles,  mak- 
ing four  stops,  at  the  average  speed  of  53.4  miles 
per  hour. 

The  Lehigh  Valley  road  has  trains  making 
the  distance  between  Jersey  City  and  Buffalo, 
a  distance  of  450  miles  at  the  average  speed  of 
46.4  miles  per  hour.  The  Chicago,  Milwaukee 
&  St.  Paul  road  has  trains  between  the  first 
named  points  that  average  44.3  m.  h.,  while  the 
Northwestern  sends  trains  through  from  Chi- 
cago to  St.  Paul  a  distance  of  408  miles  at  the 
rate  of  40.2  miles  per  hour.  The  Chicago,  Bur- 
lington &  Quincy  road  has  a  train  running  from 
the  lake  to  Omaha,  a  distance  of  499  miles  at  a 
speed  of  43.8  miles,  as  far  as  Creston,  396  miles, 
at  44.  miles,  and  to  Galesburg,  162^  miles  at 
an  average  of  52.3  miles  an  hour.  Another  of 
their  trains  the  fast  mail,  makes  the  distance  at 
a  rate  from  four  to  five  miles  an  hour  better 
than  this. 

Of  foreign  trains  of  high  speed  may  be 
mentioned,  the  East  Coast  train,  from  London 
to  Edinburgh,  which  covers  the  400  miles  be- 
tween the  cities  at  a  speed  of  50  miles  an  hour ; 
and  the  West  Coast  train,  from  London  to  Glas- 
gow, runs  at  a  rate  of  50.18  miles  per  hour  for 
the  401^-2  miles  between  the  cities.  In  France  the 
Sud  Express  runs  between  Paris  and  Bayonne, 
486^4  miles,  at  the  rate  of  54.13  miles  an  hour, 
while  trains  on  the  same  road  between  Mor- 


722 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ceatix  and  Bordeaux  cover  the  67.15  miles  in- 
tervening at  a  speed  of  61.6  miles  an  hour. 
These  are  the  fastest  trains  abroad.  When  the 
weight  of  train  is  considered,  in  runs  of  the  same 


class,  it  will  be  found  that  the  American  roads 
far  excel  anything  abroad.  Whether  for  short 
or  long  special  runs,  or  for  the  regular  scheduled 
trains,  America  is  far  in  the  lead. 


Modern  Hydraulic  Shear  used  in  Shop  Work. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


723 


"PIONEER"  IN  THE  "BONEYARD.' 


First  Sleeping  Car  Built  by  George  M.  Pullman,  Condemned  and  Retired  from  Service — Has  Traveled 

Forty  Times  the  Earth's  Circumference. 


DINGY  old  sleeping  car  of  primitive 
pattern,  its  sides  battered  and  its  in- 
terior woodwork  cracked  and  warped 
by  age  and  hard  usage,  stands  on  a 
sidetrack  in  a  corner  of  the  main  inclosure  at 
Pullman,  known  as  the  "boneyard."  With  a 
dozen  of  its  fellows,  all  in  advance  stages  of 
dilapidation,  it  has  been  condemned.  It  has 
made  its  last  trip,  and  whether  it  is  to  be  torn 
down  and  its  material  used  in  the  construction 
of  more  modern  rolling  stock,  or  "pensioned" 
and  allowed  to  exist  to  illustrate  the  progress 
that  has  been  made  in  car  building  since  its 
early  days,  will  depend  upon  the  will  of  the 
company.  As  yet  no  orders  touching  its  dis- 
position have  been  issued. 

Unusual  interest  attaches  to  this  antiquated 
coach,  by  reason  of  its  being  the  first  of  its  kind. 
It  was  the  first  sleeping  car  built  by  George 
M.  Pullman.  Constructed  in  1861,  it  was  given 
the  prophetic  name  of  "Pioneer,"  and  in  gilt 
letters,  badly  chipped  and  scaled,  this  name  still 
appears  upon  its  sides.  Its  experiences — if  a 
sleeping  car  may  be  said  to  have  experiences 
— have  been  many  and  varied.  In  1865  it  was 
sent  East  to  return  with  the  funeral  cortege  of 
Abraham  Lincoln.  At  least  ten  Governors  of 
the  State  of  Illinois  have  ridden  in  it,  and  it 
has  transported  many  other  people  prominent 
in  professional,  political,  or  business  lines. 


RETIRED  FIRST  IN  if 

This  is  the  second  time  the  "Pioneer"  has 
been  retired  to  the  "boneyard."  In  1889  the 
company  decided  to  give  it  a  long  rest,  and  it 
was  backed  into  the  scrap  heap,  only  to  be  resur- 
rected and  placed  on  exhibition  during  the 
World's  Fair.  It  was  supposed  that  this  would 
be  its  last  appearance  in  public,  but  an  unlooked- 
for  emergency  came  on  in  the  form  of  the 
Spanish-American  war,  calling  into  use  for  the 
transportation  of  troops  all  the  available  rolling 
stock  of  the  country.  Again  the  "Pioneer"  was 
oiled  up  and  pressed  into  service.  Since  then  it 
has  been  in  constant  usage  until  a  few  days  ago, 
when  it  was  returned  from  San  Francisco  and 
was  condemned. 

Those  who  have  grown  old  in  the  employ 
of  the  Pullman  company  feel  a  sort  of  fellow- 
ship for  this  primitive  coach  and  take  pride  in 
preserving  traditions  concerning  it.  One  of 
these  men,  refreshing  his  memory  by  aid  of  a 
scrap  book,  gave  this  account  of  the  car  and  of 
the  events  leading  up  to  its  construction : 

"When  George  M.  Pullman  made  his  ride 
over  the  New  York  Central  in  the  late  4o's 
he  spent  one  night  in  what  was  termed  a  sleep- 
ing car.  The  use  in  each  section  of  three  berths, 
one  above  the  other,  gave  it  the  appearance  of 
the  hold  of  a  canal  boat.  The  roughness  of  the 
road  caused  a  jolting  of  the  berth  so  severe  that 


724 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


.Mr.  Pullman  could  not  sleep,  and  he  spent  the 
night  in  thinking  of  a  possible  remedy.  The 
idea  that  later  was  developed  into  the  modern 
sleeping  car  came  to  him,  but  he  did  not  have 
the  opportunity  to  use  it  until  1858,  when  he 
transformed  several  day  coaches  belonging  to 
the  Chicago  and  Alton  road  into  sleepers.  They 
were  not  satisfactory.  The  jolting,  though  les- 
sened, was  still  so  great  that  it  was  incompatible 
with  a  good  night's  rest. 

BUILDS  THE  "PIONEER." 
"Then  Mr.  Pullman  risked  his  fortune  on 
his  judgment.  Securing  the  services  of  a  mas- 
ter mechanic,  he  went  to  work,  in  the  same  shops 
in  Bloomington  in  which  he  had  been  building 
makeshifts,  and  there  constructed  a  car  that  cost 
between  $18,000  and  $20,000.  So  expensive 
was  this  innovation  that  practical  railroad  men 
thought  Mr.  Pullman's  idea  impractical.  It  was 
decided  to  charge  $2.00  for  a  berth.  As  the 
price  of  a  berth  in  the  cheaper  cars  was  only 
50  cents,  this  was  thought  exorbitant. 

"The  first  trip  out,  however,  proved  that 
the  venture  would  be  a  success.  The  'Pioneer' 
was  filled,  and  the  passengers  found  it  so  de- 
cided an  improvement  over  the  'rattlers,'  as  the 
sleepers  then  in  vogue  were  contemptuously 
styled,  that  Mr.  Pullman  felt  encouraged  to 
build  others  of  similar  pattern.  This  was  the 
turning  point  in  his  fortunes. 

TYPE  OF  MODERN  SLEEPER. 
"Aside    from    the    improvements    in    work- 
manship, convenience,  and  comfort  the  car  con- 
tained in  an  elementary  form'  the  ideas  still  in 


use.  When  it  was  retired,  in  1889,  it  was 
polished  up  and  employed  to  make  plain  the 
contrast  between  workmanship  as  seen  in  the 
earliest  and  latest  sleepers.  Mr.  Pullman  took 
special  pride  in  showing  it  himself. 

"The  'Pioneer'  has  undergone  several  over- 
haulings  since  it  was  first  turned  out  of  the  shop. 
In  its  earliest  form  it  contained  sixteen  sections, 
with  two  berths  in  each.  Then  a  smoking 
apartment  and  other  comparatively  modern  fea- 
tures were  introduced,  and  to  make  room  for 
these  four  of  the  sections  were  removed.  Be- 
neath the  car  at  first  were  trucks  with  sixteen 
wheels.  Later  trucks  with  but  twelve  wheels 
were  substituted.  The  weight  of  the  super- 
structure now  rests  on  springs  of  a  pattern  far 
in  advance  of  those  used  when  the  car  was  built. 
The  seats  were  upholstered  with  plush,  and  mir- 
rors were  set  opposite  each  berth." 

ITS  RECORD  OF  TRAVEL. 

It  is  estimated  that  the  average  mileage  of 
the  "Pioneer"  has  been  50,000  miles  a  year, 
most  of  which  travel  has  been  over  the  Chicago 
and  Alton  road,  between  Chicago  and  St.  Louis. 
In  the  opinion  of  a  representative  of  the  Pullman 
company,  the  car  has  been  in  use  not  less  than 
twenty-five  of  the  thirty-eight  years  of  its  life. 

"Cutting  this  in  half,"  he  added,  "and  al- 
lowing the  car  to  make  one  trip  between  Chica- 
go and  St.  Louis  every  other  day,  it  has  traveled 
over  forty  times  the  circumference  of  the  earth — 
a  record  that  no  other  car  used  in  the  passenger 
service  of  any  road  can  surpass." — Chicago 
Tribune. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


725 


A  RIDE  ON  THE  PIANO. 


The  Old  Locomotive  Engineer's  Story  Suggests  Rubinstein,  but  it  is  Pretty  Vivid,  all  the  same. 

(Times  Democrat.) 


"I  was  loitering  around  the  streets  last 
night,"  said  Jim  Nelson,  one  of  the  old  locomo- 
tive engineers  running  into  New  Orleans.  "As 
I  had  nothing  to  do,  I  dropped  into  a  concert  and 
heard  a  sleek-looking  Frenchman  play  a  piano 
in  a  way  that  made  me  feel  all  over  in  spots. 
As  soon  as  he  sat  down  on  the  stool  I  knew  by 
the  way  he  handled  himself  that  he  understood 
the  machine  he  was  running. 

"He  tapped  the  keys  way  up  one  end,  just 
as  if  they  were  gauges,  and  he  wanted  to  see 
if  he  had  water  enough.  Then  he  looked  up, 
as  if  he  wanted  to  know  how  much  steam  he 
was  carrying,  and  the  next  moment  he  pulled 
open  the  throttle,  and  sailed  onto  the  main  line  as 
if  he  was  half  an  hour  late. 

"You  could  hear  her  thunder  over  culverts 
and  bridges,  and  getting  faster  and  faster,  until 
the  fellow  rocked  about  in  his  seat  like  a  cradle. 
Somehow  I  thought  it  was  old  '36'  pulling  a 
passenger  train  and  getting  out  of  the  way  of  a 
'special.'  The  fellow  worked  the  keys  on  the 
middle  division  like  lightning,  and  then  he  flew 
along  the  north  end  of  the  line  until  the  drivers 
went  around  like  a  buzz  saw,  and  I  got  excited. 

"About  the  time  I  was  fixing  to  tell  him  to 
cut  her  off  a  little  he  kicked  the  dampers  under 
the  machine  wide  open,  pulled  the  throttle  way 
back  in  the  tender,  and  how  he  did  run !  I 
couldn't  stand  it  any  longer,  and  yelled  to  him 


that  he  was  pounding  on  the  left  side,  and  if 
he  wasn't  careful  he'd  drop  his  ashpan. 

"But  he  didn't  hear.  No  one  heard  me. 
Everything  was  flying  and  whizzing.  Telegraph 
poles  on  the  side  of  the  track  looked  like  a  row 
of  cornstalks,  the  trees  appeared  to  be  a  mud 
bank,  and  all  the  time  the  exhaust  of  the  old 
machine  sounded  like  the  hum  of  a  bumble  bee. 
I  tried  to  yell  out,  but  my  tongue  wouldn't  move. 

"He  went  around  curves  like  a  bullet,  slipped 
an  eccentric,  blew  out  his  soft  plug,  went  down 
grades  50  feet  to  the  mile,  and  not  a  controlling 
brake  set.  She  went  by  the  meeting  point  at  a 
mile  and  a  half  a  minute,  and  calling  for  more 
steam.  My  hair  stood  up  straight,  because  I 
knew  the  game  was  up. 

"Sure  enough  dead  ahead  of  us  was  the 
headlight  of  a  'special.'  In  a  daze  I  heard  the 
crash  as  they  struck,  and  I  saw  cars  shivered  in- 
to atoms,  people  smashed  and  mangled  and  bleed- 
ing, and  gasping  for  water.  I  heard  another 
crash  as  the  French  professor  struck  the  deep 
keys  away  down  on  the  lower  end  of  the  southern 
division,  and  then  I  came  to  my  senses. 

"There  he  was  at  a  dead  standstill,  with 
the  door"  of  the  fire  box  of  the  machine  open, 
wiping  the  perspiration  off  his  face,  and  bowing 
to  the  people  before  him.  If  I  live  to  be  1000 
years  old  I'll  never  forget  the  ride  that  French- 
man gave  me  on  a  piano." 


726 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


COURTESY  OF  WATERLOO  COURIER 


View  of  the  Cedar  River  near  Waterloo,  Iowa. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


727 


CHICAGO  TO  OMAHA  VIA  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  R.  R. 

Features  of  Northern  Illinois  and  Iowa  as  seen  from  the  Car  Window. 


DT  IS  said  of  President  McKinley  that  when- 
ever he  travels  he  loves  to  watch  the  pass- 
ing landscape,  and  that  what  he  sees  from 
a  car  window  is  to  him  as  the  pages  of 
a  book.  So  undoubtedly  it  is  with  the  majority 
of  the  traveling  public.  The  sights  and  scenes 
by  the  way  are  matters  of  entertainment  and  in- 
struction which  become  to  the  observer  (if  the 
coinage  be  allowed)  "car-window -books-of- 
travel."  Volumes  of  wide  scope  and  of  vary- 
ing degrees  of  interest  they  are;  ranging  from 
those  which,  as  in  the  case  of  the  rugged  Rockies, 
suggest  mighty  thoughts  "like  strains  of  mar- 
tial music,"  to  those  picturing  some  quiet  val- 
ley whose  peacefulness  has  "power  to  quiet  the 
restlessness  of  care." 

Somewhat  betwixt  these  two  extremes  are 
the  scenic  attractions  of  the  great  Mississippi 
Valley.  That  it  has  such  attractions  is  well  known 
by  those  who  have  seen  its  vast  rolling  prairies, 
its  timbered  stretches,  its  mighty  rivers  and  their 
innumerable  tributaries,  its  sparkling  lakes,  its 
wide  valleys,  its  picturesque  bluffs  and  its  weird 
outcropping  rock  formations.  Then  there  are 
its  gorgeous  sunsets,  the  play  of  sunlight  and 
shadow  over  its  waving  fields  of  grain,  its  forest- 
like  fields  of  stately  corn,  and  its  interesting 
cities  and  towns.  Many  of  the  latter  are  unique- 
ly picturesque,  and  the  most  of  them  (particu- 
larly those  on  the  Illinois  Central's  western 
lines)  that  have  attained  any  considerable  size 
are  characterized  by  a  quiet  beauty  and  home- 
like air  born  of  an  age  that  caused  their  develop- 
ment to  be  accomplished  along  advanced  lines. 


A  view  of  these  features  will  be  a  revelation  to 
those  who  have  never  traveled  in  the  great  Mis- 
sissippi Valley,  and  whose  erroneous  impression 
of  it  is  that  as  a  whole  it  is  "simply  broad  and 
flat."  Along  the  line  of  the  Illinois  Central  be- 
tween Chicago  and  Omaha  these  physical  char- 
acteristics will  not  only  be  brought  out,  but  the 
trip  as  a  whole  will  develop,  for  the  tourist,  into 
one  of  the  most  interesting  of  those  car-window- 
books-of-travel. 

From  Chicago  the  very  outset  is  auspicious, 
starting  as  the  Central's  through  trains  do,  from 
Central  Station,  beautifully  located  at  Park  Row 
and  the  Lake  Front,  just  off  Michigan  Avenue 
and  over-looking  Lake  Michigan,  the  Lake  Front 
Park,  the  famous  Michigan  Boulevard  and  the 
attractive  eastern  boundary  of  the  heart  of  the 
city.  Immediately  on  leaving  the  station  the 
trains  cross  the  network  of  tracks  forming  the 
Central's  lines  to  St.  Louis,  Memphis,  New  Or- 
leans and  the  south,  and  begin  a  curved  ascent  up 
on  to  its  elevated  roadbed  recently  constructed 
in  connection  with  that  marvel  of  engineering 
skill  known  as  the  Sixteenth  Street  elevation, 
by  which  the  handling  of  the  traffic  of  nine 
steam  railroads,  a  street  car  line  and  a  busy  city 
street,  formerly  all  crossing  at  the  same  grade, 
was  made  safe  and  expeditious.  From  thence 
they  continue  on  out  through  the  western  limits 
of  the  city,  over  the  "Clyde  Viaduct,"  under 
which  are  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  tracks  and  beyond 
which  in  the  distance  on  the  left  may  be  seen 
attractive  suburban  settlements;  past  the  long 
line  of  high-piled  earth  (also  in  the  near  dis- 


728 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


tance  on  the  left)  that  bounds  the  famous  drain- 
age canal ;  on  and  out  into  an  open  rolling  coun- 
try marked  with  the  characteristics  of  a  fertile, 
prosperous  agricultural  region. 

Mark  the  features  of  interest  by  the  way, 
too  numerous  to  be  mentioned  in  detail,  while 
skimming  across  the  northern  section  of  the 
great  State  of  Illinois.  One  of  the  potent  fac- 
tors in  the  development  of  the  country  will  ap- 
peal to  the  attention  in  the  form  of  numerous 
railroads  crossed  under,  over,  or  at  grade.  Thir- 
ty-nine miles  out,  just  before  reaching  the  little 
station  of  Coleman,  the  Fox  River  is  spanned 
by  a  long  high  bridge,  in  passing  over  which  a 
beautiful  landscape  is  to  be  seen.  On  the  right 
a  distant  view  of  South  Elgin  forms  the  back- 
ground of  a  pretty  river  scene ;  on  the  left  the 
river,  with  the  accessories  of  graceful  hills  and 
foliage,  disappears  around  a  bend — to  be  seen 
again  amid  equally  pretty  surroundings  a  mile 
farther  on.  The  long  line  of  track  running  un- 
der the  Central's  bridge  and  disappearing  over 
the  crest  of  yonder  long  high  hill  is  the  electric 
line  between  Elgin  and  St.  Charles  and  Geneva. 
In  passing  the  station  of  Genoa,  some  twenty 
miles  farther  on,  it  may  be  of  incidental  interest 
to  look  back  on  the  right-hand  side  of  the  train 
and  note  the  picture  made  by  the  town  as  it 
lies  half  hidden  by  foliage,  some  distance  back 
from  the  station,  and  to  remember  that  it  is 
located  in  one  of  the  best  dairying  districts  of 
the  country. 

The  approach  to  Rockford  station,  eighty- 
seven  miles  from  Chicago,  is  made  by  first  cross- 
ing a  six  span  bridge  over  the  Rock  River,  the 
latter  divided  where  the  crossing  is  made  into 
two  considerable  streams  by  a  wooded  island. 
Rockford,  located  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  is 
a  manufacturing  city  of  40,000  inhabitants,  and 
on  account  of  its  great  wealth  of  foliage  that 
has  been  set  out  and  developed  supplementary 
to  the  natural  timber  still  remaining,  is  called  the 
"Forest  City."  It  is  in  the  full  sense  a  "pretty 
city,"  but  it  is  not  so  situated  as  to  enable  one 
to  get  much  of  an  idea  of  it  from  a  passing  train. 
There  can  be  seen  from  the  left-hand  car  win- 
dow, however,  directly  opposite  the  station,  a 


typical  scene  of  beauty  in  the  tree-embowered 
Swiss  cottage  nestling  on  the  edge  of  a  low  lime- 
stone cliff,  the  latter  worn  precipitous  by  the 
waters  of  Kent's  Creek,  which  runs  along  its 
base,  and'  over  which  a  vine-bedecked  suspen- 
sion bridge  connects  the  station  and  cottage 
ground.  This  cliff,  by  the  way,  is  but  the  be- 
ginning of  similar  out-cropping  rock  forma- 
tions that  will  be  frequently  seen  in  one  pic- 
turesque form  or  another  along  the  route. 

Twenty-seven  miles  farther  on  and  Free- 
port  is  reached.  It,  too,  is  a  manufacturing  city, 
and  it  has  a  population  of  15,000.  It  is  also 
the  trade  center  of  a  fine  surrounding  agricul- 
tural country.  Like  Rockford,  the  pleasing 
characteristics  which  Freeport  possesses  cannot 
be  seen  from  the  train,  but,  as  for  a  few  miles 
the  latter  follows  the  Pecatonica  River  (on  the 
right),  one  can  get  an  idea  of  the  natural  beau- 
ties of  site  which  the  city  had  for  its  upbuild- 
ing. 

Continuing  on,  the  typical  wayside  country 
towns  of  Lena,  Nora  and  Warren,  the  latter  but 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  Wisconsin  state 
line,  may  excite  a  momentary  interest  in  passing; 
but  at  about  three  miles  beyond  Apple  River 
station  a  point  will  have  been  reached  from 
which  the  scene  begins  to  change.  It  is  the 
highest  point  on  the  line  between  Chicago  and 
the  Mississippi  River,  it  having  an  elevation  of 
1,042  feet  above  sea  level.  Chicago  being  at  an 
elevation  of  589  feet,  it  will  be  seen  that,  with 
minor  intermediate  ups  and  downs  of  grade,  a 
steady  upward  run  has  thus  far  been  made, 
which  from  now  on  changes  and  becomes  for  a 
while  a  somewhat  sharp  decline,  the  grade  drop- 
ping in  the  next  eighteen  miles  to  an  elevation  of 
60 1  feet  at  Galena.  In  that  distance,  however, 
will  be  seen  some  exceedingly  picturesque  coun- 
try, for  at  about  Scales  Mound  station,  reached 
shortly  after  crossing  the  highest  point  west- 
ward, the  road  begins  to  follow  the  east  branch 
of  the  Galena  River  (which  in  time,  near  Galena, 
blends  into  the  Galena  River  proper)  down 
through  the  Galena  Valley.  This  valley  is 
bounded  by  a  high  rolling  country  on  either  side, 
and  is  for  the  most  part  so  narrow  that  the  cul- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


729 


tivated  levels  of  the  bottom  lands  look  like  toy 
gardens  in  comparison  with  the  broad  stretches 
that  have  heretofore  been  encountered.  This 
brings  the  variegated  landscape,  with  here  its 
groups  of  symmetrical  foliage  dense  and  of  wide 
extent  and  there  scattering  or  in  clusters,  with  its 
open  stretches  of  ever-changing  form,  with  its 
occasional  outcroppings  of  rock,  with  its  ravines 
and  gullies,  and  with  ever  the  little  stream  at 
one  side — this  brings  the  landscape  to  a  close 
range,  and  shows  a  scenic  beauty  that  never  fails 
to  please  the  observer.  Shortly  before  reaching 
Galena,  in  one  of  the  many  turns  that  are  made 
in  following  the  water  course  through  the  hills, 
suddenly  a  short  valley  is  opened  up  on  the  right, 
across  the  end  of  which  a  first  and  partial  glimpse 
of  the  unique  and  interesting  City  of  Galena  is 
disclosed,  which  view,  as  the  train  rounds  an- 
other curve,  is  lost  in  a  few  minutes,  only  to 
have  the  city  burst  into  full  view  again  on  the 
final  turn  being  made  that  leads  to  the  station. 

The  compact,  historic  and  picturesque  City 
of  Galena,  located  on  its  amphitheater  of  hills 
and  terraces,  with  the  river  running  through  it, 
lies  in  kaleidoscopic  view  from  the  train  win- 
dows, its  business  and  most  thickly  settled  por- 
tion to  the  right.  Galena  now  has  a  population  of 
7,000,  and  is  historically  interesting  on  account 
of  its  early  importance  in  connection  with  the 
steamboat  trade.  The  river  is  still  open  to  navi- 
gation, by  means  of  a  government  lock,  to  the 
light  steamers  of  the  Mississippi.  By  the  side  of 
one  of  the  tall  church  spires  seen  a  little  to  the 
right  and  projecting  from  one  of  the  higher 
terraces,  is  the  modest  brick  house  from  which 
General  Grant  answered  his  country's  call.  This 
house  is  not  visible  from  the  train,  but,  on  the 
left,  just  as  the  train  crosses  the  carriage  road, 
on  stopping  at  the  station,  a  distant  glimpse  can 
be  had  of  the  residence  presented  him  by  citizens 
and  in  which  he  lived  after  his  return  to  Galena. 
It  is  a  plain  square  brick  house  with  flat  roof 
and  white  trimmings,  setting  on  a  distant  hill 
and  largely  obscured  by  foliage.  From  about 
the  same  point  of  view,  by  looking  back  in  the 
direction  from  which  the  train  has  come,  a  view 
can  be  had  of  the  Grant  monument  in  the  park 


of  the  same  name,  and  one  of  the  boundaries  of 
which  is  the  stone  wall  on  the  left  that  has  been 
followed  by  the  train.  Do  not  mistake  the  plain 
granite  shaft,  that  can  also  be  seen  in  passing, 
for  the  Grant  monument.  The  latter  is  a  full 
length  figure  of  the  General  standing  on  a  granite 
pedestal. 

Immediately  on  leaving  the  station  the  train 
crosses  the  river  (from  which  point  another  view 
of  the  city  can  be  had)  and  continues  down  the: 
valley  for  three  miles  to  Portage,  at  about  which 
point  the  road  ceases  to  follow  the  Galena  River 
and  skirts  the  inward  waters  and  across  the  bot- 
tom lands  of  the  Mississippi  for  about  thirteen 
miles  to  East  Dubuque.  This  little  piece  of 
country  between  Galena  and  East  Dubuque  is 
exceedingly  picturesque  in  its  ever-changing 
panorama  of  hill  and  vale,  of  outcropping  fan- 
tastic rock  formations,  of  timber  growths  and 
of  water  scenes.  At  East  Dubuque,  if  circum- 
stances admit  of  a  glance  ahead,  the  huge  ledge 
of  rock  through  which  the  train  is  to  pass  will 
augment  one's  idea  of  the  geological  nature  of 
the  country  just  run  over,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  eastern  portal  of  the  Illinois  Central's  Du- 
buque tunnel  may  be  seen,  after  passing  through 
which  the  journey  across  the  State  of  Illinois 
will  have  been  completed. 

The  tunnel  is  short,  but  835  feet  in  length 
and  from  it  the  train  emerges  on  to  the  long 
bridge  across  the  Mississippi  River,  from  which 
will  be  seen  grand  views  up  and  down  the  wind- 
ing bluff -bound  stream,  and  also  a  view  of  the 
City  of  Dubuque  with  facades,  roofs  and  towers 
peering  one  above  the  other  in  promiscuous 
array,  as  the  sites  on  which  its  buildings  are 
located  recede  from  the  bottom  lands  to  the  crest 
of  the  hills  beyond.  Paralleling  -the  railroad  on 
the  left  as  the  river  is  crossed  is  the  so-called 
"High  Bridge"  for  carriage  and  foot  passen- 
gers. 

A  most  interesting  and  picturesque  city  to 
visit,  from  a  tourist  point  of  view,  is  Dubuque. 
Acquiring  considerable  wealth  and  standing  as 
a  "steamboat  town"  in  the  earlier  years,  it  kept 
pace  with  the  times  when  the  commercial  condi- 
tions changed,  and  is  to-day  still  prosperous  as 


730 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


;>   jobbing  center  and  a  manufacturing  city.     Its 
present  population  is  about  46,000. 

Leaving  the  "Key  City,"  as  Dubuque  is 
called,  for  the  trip  across  the  length  of  Iowa, 
the  road  runs  south  for  about  a  mile  between  the 
river  on  the  left  and  the  foot  of  a  long  line  of 
high,  wooded  bluffs  on  the  right.  During  this 
time  the  view  of  the  river  and  the  distant  well- 
timbered  hills  and  shore  line  is  simply  grand. 
By  looking  back,  or  up  river,  from  the  left-hand 
side  of  the  train,  a  beautiful  picture  is  also  had 
of  the  city  (showing  particularly  its  irregular 
contour)  and  of  the  upper  river,  the  long  bridges 
and  the  rolling  country  of  the  Illinois  shore. 
A  long  sweep  to  the  right,  passing  through 
"Rock  Cut,"  and  the  ascent  of  Catfish  Creek 
Valley,  by  the  side  of  the  small  stream  of  the 
same  name,  is  begun.  Note  particularly  on  the 
left  the  stone  monument  marking  Dubuque's 
grave  that  sits  so  prominently  on  the  top  of  the 
opposite  bluff;  also  the  pretty  composition  of 
cliff,  rugged  country  and  man's  abode  disclosed 
on  the  right  as  the  curve  is  rounded. 

A  few  miles  farther  on  the  "Three  Brothers" 
will  be  passed,  also  on  the  right.  They  are  but 
one  of  nature's  fantastic  whims  in  leaving  rock 
forms  of  their  proportions  projecting  solitary 
and  alone  above  the  surface.  They  suggest, 
however,  the  mighty  force  in  the  ages  gone  of 
the  waters  that  have  washed  through  this  val- 
ley, wearing  away  all  opposition  but  that  pre- 
sented by  these  now  lone  sentinels.  The  en- 
tire ride  through  this  valley,  which  speedily 
broadens  out  until  it  and  its  stream  are  lost  in 
the  blending  with  the  rolling  country  beyond, 
is  characterized  by  many  a  fair  scene ;  sometimes 
of  ridges  in  the  near  distance  and  then  so  near 
that  the  road  cuts  through  them,  and  sometimes 
broad  and  heavy  ridges  in  the  middle  and  far 
distance  rolling  up  and  intersecting  into  minia- 
ture mountain  formations,  with  heavy  timber 
stretches  and  open  country  in  about  equal  pro- 
portions. 

At  the  little  station  of  Farley,  twenty-three 
miles  from  the  Mississippi,  the  road  has  attained 
an  elevation  of  1,110  feet  from  a  height  of  606 
feet  at  Dubuque,  and  from  thence  on,  the  grade 


with  intermediate  fluctuations,  gradually  drops 
to  852  feet  at  Waterloo,  seventy  miles  beyond. 
From  the  allusions  to  elevations  that  occur  in 
this  description  it  must  not  be  imagined  that  on 
their  account  the  traveler  will  realize  any  percep- 
tible difference  in  the  continuous  smooth  running 
and  average  high  rate  of  speed  of  trains  of  the 
Illinois  Central's  Chicago-Omaha  Line.  Fluc- 
tuating grades  such  as  these  elevations  create 
are  common  to  all  western  roads,  and  are  here 
mentioned  partially  because  they  may  be  interest- 
ing as  facts,  partially  to  aid  the  observer  to  un- 
derstand some  of  the  reasons  for  the  change's  of 
scene,  and  partially  for  the  information  of  those 
mentioned  earlier  in  these  pages  who  hitherto 
have  labored  under  the  impression  that  all  of  the 
great  Mississppi  Valley  is  "simply  broad  and 
flat." 

Westward  from  Farley  the  country  as  a 
whole  becomes  more  open,  and  its  undulations 
longer  and  less  pronounced.  In  fact,  now  has 
been  entered  the  region  of  rich  fine  black  acres 
and  broad  pastures,  the  "immensity  of  the  space" 
of  which  deeply  impresses  those  noting  it  for  the 
first  time.  Do  not  think,  however,  that  it  be- 
comes monotonous.  It  is  quite  the  contrary. 
There  are  the  almost  ever  present  timber  patches, 
either  in  the  distance,  the  middle  foreground,  or 
close  at  hand;  sometimes  of  natural  growth, 
and  sometimes  the  artificial  windbreaks  of  the 
farm  buildings.  The  latter,  by  the  way,  often 
are  interesting  features  of  the  landscape,  and 
it  is  worth  noting  in  connection  with  them  that 
there  will  probably  not  be  a  moment  in  the  jour- 
ney across  the  state,  notwithstanding  the  con- 
secutive miles  and  miles  given  up  entirely"  to 
grazing  or  planting,  but  what  at  least  some  one 
group  of  farm  buildings  will  be  visible  at  some 
point  within  the  horizon,  except  when  the  road 
passes  through  a  cut  or  some  piece  of  woodland. 
Then  there  are  the  quiet  but  growing  country 
towns,  passed  through  at  comparatively  frequent 
intervals,  the  list  of  which  is  too  long  to  be  men- 
tioned as  well  also  as  the  larger  towns  and  cities. 
Finally  there  are  the  numerous  rivers  and  streams 
crossed  or  followed,  views  along  which  add 
variety  to  the  scene.  For  instance  at  Dyersville 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


731 


the  road  crosses  the  north  fork  of  the  Maquoke- 
ta  River,  and  eighteen  miles  farther  on,  at  Man- 
chester, it  crosses  the  Maquoketa  proper. 

Manchester,  a  city  of  about  3,000  inhabi- 
tants, lies  to  the  right  and  back  from  the  station, 
so  that  the  rustic  beauty  of  its  residence  part  is 
not  visible  from  the  train.  The  picture  made 
by  the  bridge,  the  mill,  the  stream  and  the  water- 
fall, seen  on  the  right  as  the  river  is  crossed  just 
before  reaching  the  station,  is,  however,  a  sug- 
gestion of  the  beauties  that  exist  there.  From 
Manchester  a  branch  line  of  the  Illinois  Central 
extends  south  to  Cedar  Rapids. 

Fourteen  miles  beyond,  at  Winthrop,  Buffa- 
lo Creek  is  crossed  and  nine  miles  still  farther 
on  the  Wapsipinecon  is  crossed  at  Independence. 
Independence  is  a  fine  active  trade  center  of 
5,000  inhabitants.  It  is  rather  compactly  built 
and  in  its  physical  characteristics  is  a  very  at- 
tractive place.  The  center  of  its  business  and 
residence  district  is  located  about  three-quarters 
of  a  mile  from  and  to  the  left  of  the  station. 
On  the  right,  immediately  on  leaving  the  station, 
the  river  broadens  out  into  the  semblance  of  a 
lake,  the  waters  of  which,  with  its  numerous 
islands,  make  a  charming  landscape  feature. 

On  approaching  Waterloo,  the  next  town  of 
importance,  and  situated  276  miles  from  Chica- 
go, the  train  follows  for  a  little  distance  the  Red 
Cedar  River,  on  both  sides  of  which  river  th£ 
city  is  located.  The  Red  Cedar,  as  followed  on 
the  approach,  is  on  the  left  of  the  train,  from 
which  can  be  seen  in  pictorial  effect  the  connect- 
ing bridges,  the  dam  and  some  of  the  mercantile 
establishments  that  are  located  across  the  river 
on  the  so-called  "West  Side"  of  the  city.  Just 
before  reaching  the  station,  on  the  right-hand 
side  of  the  train,  the  main  retail  business  street 
of  the  "East  Side"  is  crossed,  giving  a  view  of 
that  feature  of  the  city.  It  is  unfortunate, 
however,  that  the  practically  level  site  of  Water- 
loo precludes  one  from  getting  more  of  an  idea 
of  it  than  is  thus  seen  from  the  train,  for  with 
its  wide  well-shaded  streets  and  its  extensive 
array  of  beautiful  and  comfortable  homes  it  is 
one  of  the  comeliest  cities  of  its  size  in  the  state. 
Its  present  estimated  population  is  12,000,  and 


with  its  score  of  busy  industries  it  enjoys  an 
enviable  prosperity.  The  trains  of  the  Illinois 
Central  for  Waverly,  Charles  City,  Osage  and 
Lyle  make  their  southern  terminal  at  Waterloo, 
although  the  branch  diverges  from  the  main  line 
at  Mona  Junction,  five  miles  farther  on. 

The  altitude  of  Waterloo  is  852  feet,  from 
which  it  follows  that  in  the  seventy  miles  just 
gone  over  there  has  been,  with  the  usual  inter- 
mediate variations,  a  drop  of  258  feet.  West 
from  Waterloo,  to  anticipate  for  a  moment,  the 
average  grade  is  on  the  ascent  for  the  next  seven- 
ty miles,  the  altitude  at  Blairsburg  being  1,227 
feet,  or  a  rise  in  the  distance  mentioned  Of  375 
feet.  From  the  latter  point  on  to  Fort  Dodge, 
a  short  stretch  of  twenty-nine  miles,  another  de- 
scent is  made,  the  altitude  of  Fort  Dodge  being 
1,022  feet. 

Continuing  on  from  Waterloo  and  but  six 
mile  distant,  Cedar  Falls  is  reached.  It  is  a  neat, 
thriving  town  of  about  6,000  inhabitants,  and 
is  also  located  on  the  Cedar  River.  It  lies  hid- 
den to  the  left  of  the  train,  just  over  the  bridge 
that  can  be  seen  on  crossing  the  highway.  From 
the  right  of  the  train,  immediately  on  leaving  the 
station  and  just  before  reaching  the  bridge  on 
which  the  train  will  cross  the  river,  can  be  seen 
a  picture  of  foliage,  river  and  other  accessories 
worthy  of  the  brush  of  a  landscape  artist.  Some 
distance  beyond  the  station,  after  rounding  the 
curve,  by  looking  back  from  the  left  a  distant 
view  of  the  Iowa  State  Normal  School  build- 
ings, located  at  Cedar  Falls,  can  be  seen  outlined 
against  the  sky  from  their  elevated  site. 

Iowa  Falls,  having  a  population  of  3,200 
and  located  in  the  bend  of  the  Iowa  River  on  a 
high  rolling  plateau,  is  the  next  place  to  attract 
particular  attention  en  route,  although  the  inter- 
vening towns  of  Parkersburg  and  Ackley  are 
from  a  commercial  point  of  view  of  importance 
as  trade  centers  for  their  surrounding  country. 
At  Iowa  Falls  the  river  has  cut  its  way  deep 
through  the  rock  strata  underlying  the  region 
thereabout,  with  such  picturesque  effect  as  to 
make  the  locality  famous  for  its  scenic  attrac- 
tions. Among  the  most  noted  of  the  latter  is 
"Rock  Run,"  a  densely  wooded,  rock-bound, 


732 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


<krp  ravine  about  a  mile  in  extent,  through 
which  a  small  tributary  to  the  river  makes  its 
way,  and  lies  hidden  from  all  view  except  to 
those  who  wander  through  its  winding  passage. 
Its  river  entrance  is  under  the  eastern  end  of  the 
long  bridge  over  which  the  train  passes  immedi- 
ately after  leaving  the  station.  In  crossing  this 
bridge  a -scene  breaks  into  view  as  beautiful  as 
unexpected.  On  the  right,  looking  up  the  river, 
are  the  wooded  sides  of  a  deep  gorge  through 
which  the  river  winds ;  while  on  the  left,  still 
more  wild  in  aspect,  can  be  seen  the  precipitous 
face  of  the  rock  ledge  through  which  the 
water  has  eaten  is  way.  On  rounding  the 
curve  after  crossing  the  bridge  at  Iowa  Falls 
there  can  be  seen  on  the  right  the  beginning  of 
a  new  growth  of  the  city  across  the  river;  and 
about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  farther  on,  by 
looking  back  from  the  right,  there  also  may  be 
seen  an  attractive  picture  of  its  roofs  and 
sjeeples  above  the  foliage,  the  city  having  hither- 
to been  hid  by  the  rolling  contour  of  its  site. 

At  Blairsburg  the  elevation  of  grade  pre- 
viously mentioned  is  attained,  and  the  onward 
rush  of  the  locomotive  soon  causes  Webster 
City  to  be  reached,  the  crossing  of  the  Boone 
River  being  made  at  its  outskirts.  Webster 
City  is  an  active,  growing  place  of  about  6,000 
inhabitants.  The  street  that  is  seen  from  the 
left  of  the  train,  although  one  of  the  city's 
several  business  thoroughfares,  is  not  the  main 
business  street,  the  latter  running  parallel  to  the 
tracks  a  few  blocks  away. 

The  run  from  Webster  City  to  Fort  Dodge 
is  made  in  about  thirty-five  minutes,  and  when 
approaching  the  latter  point  one  will  be  well 
repaid  to  watch  from  the  left  of  the  train  for 
the  landscape  that  will  be  brought  to  view. 
About  a  mile  out  from  Fort  Dodge,  as  a  cut  is 
cleared  at  the  crest  of  a  hill  from  which  the  run 
is  made  around  an  easy  curve  down  into  the  sta- 
tion yard,  there  bursts  upon  one  a  charming  vista 
of  the  Des  Moines  Valley,  showing  the  river  of 
the  same  name,  the  wooded  hills,  and  the  dis- 
tant towers  and  steeples  of  the  city  in  the  back- 
ground, emphasized  by  the  little  out-skirting 
homes  and  a  sprinkling  of  foliage  effects  in  the 


middle  and  near  distance.  Fort  Dodge  is  375 
miles  from  Chicago,  has  13,000  inhabitants  and  is 
considerable  of  a  business  mart.  The  center 
of  its  settlement  is  up  over  the  hills  to  the  right 
of  the  station,  a  peep  at  which  can  be  had  over 
the  tree  tops  as  the  train  crosses  the  deep  ravine 
immediately  on  leaving  the  station  to  continue 
the  western  journey.  Crossing  the  Des  Moines 
River  soon  after  and  following  for  a  few  miles 
up  the  Lizard  Creek,  Tara  is  next  reached  in  the 
short  distance  of  six  miles. 

At  Tara  the  Central's  main  line  to  Sioux 
City  and  to  Sioux  Falls  diverges  from  its  main 
line  to  Omaha.  The  latter  continues  in  a 
general  southwesterly  direction,  passing  through 
Rockwell  City  and  Dalkeith  down  into  the  pret- 
ty Boyer  Valley.  After  passing  Rockwell  City 
the  country  begins  to  assume  a  rougher  aspect, 
especially  in  the  vicinity  of  the  crossings  of  the 
Camp  Creek  and  of  the  Coon  River  Valley,  a 
considerable  fill  and  a  long  trestle  being  neces- 
sary for  the  spanning  of  the  Coon  River. 

From  Fort  Dodge  the  grade  has  again  been 
ascending,  the  elevation  reaching  1,271  feet  a 
few  miles  before  reaching  Dalkeith  station,  the 
highest  point  on  the  line  between  Chicago  and 
Omaha.  This  highest  point  marks  the  divid- 
ing line  of  the  watersheds  of  the  Mississippi  and 
Missouri  rivers ;  all  water  courses  hitherto 
passed  or  crossed  since  leaving  Chicago  eventu- 
ally finding  their  outlet  in  the  Mississippi,  while 
the  Boyer  River  and  its  tributaries,  to  be  im- 
mediately in  evidence,  empty  into  the  Missouri. 

From  Dalkeith,  after  running  for  a  while 
over  a  high  plateau,  the  first  of  several  crossings 
of  the  Boyer  River  will  be  made,  at  a  point 
about  five  miles  beyond  the  station.  From  this 
first  crossing  the  river  is  followed  down  and 
through  the  valley.  The  latter,  broad  and  not 
particularly  noticeable  as  a  valley  at  first,  gets 
narrowed  down  by  about  the  time  Deloit  is 
reached,  from  which  locality  on  the  marked  rol- 
ling features  of  the  country  enclose  the  scene 
to  attractive  near  views  of  sunny  slopes,  inter- 
vening plateaus,  and  clustering  shrubbery  and 
timber  growths.  The  opposite  railroad  that 
parallels  the  Illinois  Cental  more  or  less  from 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


733 


now  on  in  to  Councils  Bluffs  is  a  part  of  the 
North-Western  system. 

From  the  station  at  Denison  the  roofs  of 
the  center  of  that  town  can  be  seen  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  road  leading  up  to  it  from  the  left. 
After  leaving  the  station,  however,  and  clearing 
the  end  of  the  ridge  on  which  the  town  is  lo- 
cated, by  looking  back  from  the  left  of  the  train 
a  panorama  of  Denison  is  disclosed.  It  is  a 
picturesque  place  of  3,000  inhabitants  and  a 
trade  and  shipping  center  for  a  prosperous  out- 
lying region.  In  the  broad  pasture  extending 
out  from  the  foot  of  the  town  ridge  the  cele- 
brated herd  of  Black  Poll  Angus  cattle  may  pos- 
sibly be  seen  as  the  train  passes. 

The  road  still  follows  the  fair  Boyer  Val- 
ley until  the  latter  blends  into  the  Valley  of  the 
Missouri,  passing  in  the  interval  Dow  City,  Dun- 
lap,  Woodbine  and  Logan,  and  making  an  over- 
head crossing  of  the  North-Western  both  at 
Woodbine  and  at  Rode.  It  will  be  noted  that 
the  country  becomes  bolder  as  the  broad  Mis- 
souri is  approached,  and  when  about  five  miles 
from  the  Council  Bluffs  station,  from  a  point 
known  as  "The  Narrows,"  the  road  begins  to 
follow  a  long  line  of  bold,  picturesque  bluffs 
running  as  high  in  some  places  as  300  feet  and 
over. 

With  the  Missouri  River  on  the  right  and 
the  train  running  a  sufficient  distance  away  from 
the  bluffs  on  the  left  to  give  one  a  fair  view  of 
their  striking  features,  this  last  run  of  about  five 
miles  from  "The  Narrows"  to  Council  Bluffs 
will  be  one  of  unusual  scenic  interest. 

It  would  be  a  matter  of  amazement  could 
one,  on  a  clear  day,  but  stand  on  the  edge  of 
"Grand  View  Ridge,"  the  crest  of  yonder  highest 
bluff,  and  overlook  the  broad  Missouri  Valley 
with  the  river  coursing  through  it.  There  one 
can  trace  for  miles  not  only  the  present  line  of 
the  river,  but  its  many  "cut-offs"  and  past  shiftl- 
ings  of  channel.  Omaha  can  be  seen  in  the  dis- 
tance, spreading  out  over  its  hills  and  valleys, 
and  with  its  tall  buildings  outlined  against  the 
sky.  It  is  also  an  impressive  sight  to  look  up 
and  clown  the  bluff  line  on  which  one  is  standing 
at  the  rugged  picture  that  is  formed  by  the  sum- 


mits and  ridges.  In  short,  so  immense  and 
varied  in  scope  and  so  bright  and  sparkling  in 
character  is  this  scene  from  "Grand  View  Ridge" 
that  it  can  only  be  designated  as  one  of  grandeur. 

From  the  train,  however,  the  view  is  also 
impressive.  Omaha  "can  be  seen  in  the  distance 
across  the  river.  Also,  in  addition  to  the  bluffs 
on  one  side,  on  the  other  side  is  clearly  defined 
the  broad  sweep  of  the  valley,  including  not  only 
the  present  course  of  the  river,  but  many  inlets, 
lakes  and  cut-offs  where  it  formerly  ran.  The 
body  of  water  over  which  the  train  passes  on  the 
long  trestle  is  one  of  the  so-called  lakes,  which 
at  one  time  was  the  river. 

At  Council  Bluffs  the  trains  stop  at  the  Illi- 
nois Central's  handsome  pressed  brick  station, 
which  for  the  purpose  it  serves  is,  in  harmony 
and  beauty  of  design,  unsurpassed  by  any  sta- 
tion of  its  size  in  the  west.  It  is  of  renaissance 
style  of  architecture.  Council  Bluffs  at  the  Illi- 
nois Central  station  is  987  feet  above  sea  level, 
or  398  feet  higher  than  Chicago.  Its  present 
population  is  about  35,000,  which  it  is  claimed 
is  on  the  increase.  The  site  of  the  city  is  about 
two  miles  back  from  the  river,  at  the  mouth,  in 
the  intervening  valley,  and  on  the  sides  of  a  gap 
between  the  high  bluffs  that  practically  encom- 
pass it.  It  is,  however,  fast  fringing  out  across 
the  bottoms  toward  the  river.  Owing  to  this 
character  of  its  site,  the  physical  beauties  of  the 
city  can  not  be  realized  from  the  train. 

From  the  station  at  Council  Bluffs  the  train 
continues  on  across  the  river  over  the  tracks  and 
bridge  of  the  Omaha  Bridge  and  Railway  Ter- 
minal Company ;  the  Chicago-Omaha  line  of  the 
Illinois  Central  terminating,  516  miles  from  Chi- 
cago, in  the  elegant  new  union  station  at  Omaha. 
From  the  latter  can  be  taken  the  transcontinental 
trains  of  the  Union  Pacific  or  the  Chicago^  Rock 
Island  &  Pacific  railways,  while  those  of  the  Bur- 
lington can  be  taken  from  the  station  of  that 
road,  located  but  about  fifty  yards  away. 

How  about  Omaha?  It  is  a  city  having  in 
the  neighborhood  of  150,000  inhabitants,  and  a 
city  which  its  people  take  pride  in  designating  as 
the  "Gate  City."  It  faces  the  sun-rise  on  a  mag- 
nificent slope  that  sweeps  up  from  the  Missouri 


734 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


River  to  Capitol  Hill,  on  the  crown  and  sides 
of  which  are  massive  public  and  commercial 
buildings.  With  its  business  mart  in  the  fore- 
ground and  its  homes  stretching  up  and  over  its 


varying  surface,  it  is  a  city  "that  stands  sharply 
outlined    against    the    western    sky,"    and    "a 
metropolis  that  any  state  might  be  proud  of."- 
Froni  ///.  Cent.  Folder. 


Scene  in  Cotton  Field  partially  picked,  Yazoo  Valley,  Mississippi. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


735 


MODERN  RAILWAY  SIGNAL  SYSTEM. 


Old-Time  Railroad  Collisions  Now  Practically  Impossible. 


JOHX  BARRY,  an  Englishman  of  wealth, 
found  himself  in  New  York  City  early 
last  June,  desirous  of  reaching  San  Fran- 
cisco in  three  days.  It  was  imperative 
that  he  should  make  steamship  connections  at 
the  Golden  Gate  the  night  of  June  loth,  and  this 
was  the  morning  of  June  7th.  Regular  railway 
travel  between  New  York  City  and  San  Fran- 
cisco is  rapid  in  these  days,  but  not  as  fast  as 
Mr.  Barry  desired  to  travel.  He  made  inquiry 
at  the  New  York  Central,  Delaware  and  Lacka- 
wanna,  Pennsylvania  and  various  other  offices, 
and  ascertained  that  if  he  choose  to  pay  for  it 
he  could  engage  a  special  train  which,  barring 
extraordinary  accident,  would  bring  him  to  the 
Pacific  Ocean  within  the  desired  time.  After 
some  financial  transactions,  not  necessary  to  men- 
tion here,  Mr.  Barry  was  provided  with  a  train 
consisting  of  an  engine,  a  baggage  car,  diner  and 
sleeping  car,  and  left  New  York  at  2  o'clock 
the  afternoon  of  June  7th  over  the  Delaware  and 
Lacka wanna  Railway  for  Buffalo ;  thence  he  was 
to  be  whirled  to  Chicago  via  the  Lake  Shore, 
be  delivered  to  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern 
for  carriage  to  Omaha,  and  by  it  be  given  to 
the  Union  Pacific,  and  at  Ogden  to  the  Central 
Pacific  for  safe  conduct  to  San  Francisco.  He 
made  the  journey  within  the  prescribed  time, 
often  traveling  at  the  rate  of  sixty  and  seventy 
miles  an  hour.  He  crossed  over  25,000  switch 
points,  several  thousand  interlocking  systems, 
by  innumerable  signal  towers  and  semaphores, 
and  at  no  time  was  in  as  great  peril  of  his  life 


as   he   would   be   in   making  an   ordinary   street 
crossing  in  a  crowded  city. 


*  *  *  * 


This  imagined  story  of  Mr.  Barry's  trip  is 
used  for  the  purpose  of  telling  the  greater  story 
of  how  American  railways  protect  human  life 
in  these  days  of  rapid  transit.  A  public  impres- 
sion existed  for  a  long  time  that  railway  corpora- 
tions had  no  particular  objection  to  taking  human 
life.  But  granted  that  the  railways  have  many 
faults  which  might  be  corrected,  investigation 
leaves  no  doubt  that  from  president  to  fireman 
of  the  speeding  locomotive  there  is  a  constant, 
strenuous  effort  to  save  life  and  avoid  accidents. 
Draw  upon  -your  imagination  long  enough  to  be 
either  in  the  Grand  Central  station  of  the  New 
York  Central  or  at  the  Hoboken  station  of  the 
Lackawanna  road.  A  train  has  been  made  up  for 
its  journey  westward.  The  engine  is  coupled  to 
the  heavy  sleepers  and  parlor  cars.  The  engi- 
neer and  fireman  are  examining  all  the  exposed 
parts  of  their  machine.  An  inspector  is  looking 
after  the  condition  of  the  wheels  of  the  cars. 
Another  is  examining  the  air  apparatus.  Out- 
side of  the  train  shed  track  walkers  are  going 
down  the  main  line  looking  after  switchboards, 
the  condition  of  spikes,  rails  and  ties.  The  train 
dispatcher  sits  in  his  room  watching  a  chart 
which  shows  him  the  location  of  every  moving 
car  on  the  entire  system.  He  gives  a  few  orders 
and  the  track  is  ready  for  the  limited,  which  is 
about  to  leave  for  the  West.  Corporate  wealth, 


736 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


corporate  ingenuity,  corporate  necessity  have 
provided  against  every  kind  of  an  accident  pos- 
sible, barring  a  flaw  in  material  and  the  weak- 
ness of  human  nature  itself.  These  two  con- 
tingencies cannot  be  guarded  against. 

*  *  *  * 

Contrast  this  starting  of  a  modern  railway 
train  on  a  journey  from  New  York  to  San  Fran- 
cisco with  the  starting  of  a  railway  train  thirty 
or  fifty  years  ago,  either  from  New  York  to 
Albany,  or  from  Chicago  to  Elgin.  They  say 
that  in  the  old  days  old  Commodore  Vanderbilt 
was  wont  to  take  a  lantern  in  his  hand  and  go 
out  on  the  road-bed  of  the  ancient  Harlem  and 
Hudson  road  and  give  the  proper  signals  by 
which  two  trains  could  safely  pass. 

On  the  Galena  division  of  what  is  now  the 
Chicago  and  Northwestern  road  the  great  peril 
of  travel  was  cows  and  young  calves  which  made 
the  track  their  resting  place,  or  often  inserted 
their  legs  through  culverts  and  lay  there  and 
bellowed  until  either  released  or  run  down.  One 
of  the  trials  of  early  conductors  and  brakemen 
was  the  stopping  of  the  train  and  chasing  cattle 
off  the  track.  They  were  the  cow-catchers  in 
those  days,  and  not  the  pilot. 

Trains  were  not  equipped  with  air,  engines 
did  not  have  emergency  brakes,  auxiliary  air 
cylinders  were  not  on  every  coach,  semaphores 
were  unknown,  signal  towers  unheard  of 
and  interlocking  switches  not  invented.  The 
telegraph  systems  were  crude,  roadbeds  imper- 
fectly made  and  all  signaling  of  a  train  done  by 
use  of  a  whistle  and  the  hand.  In  proportion  to 
the  number  of  miles  of  railway  in  operation 
the  amount  of  human  life  killed  in  railway  ac- 
cidents then  was  four  times  greater  than  that 
taken  now.  There  probably  never  will  come  a 
time  in  which  absolute  safety  can  be  secured. 
Absolute  safety  does  not  exist  anywhere. 

*  *  *  * 

The  engineer  of  the  modern  locomotive 
which  is  to  take  the  train  of  this  story  into  the 
West  is  protected  by  a  system  of  mechanism 
before  which  the  old-time  engineer  would  go 
crazy.  To  begin  with,  his  engine  is  equipped 


with  air  brakes,  as  is  also  every  car  of  his  train. 
His  trucks  are  of  steel.  His  brake  shoes  are 
a  combination  of  hard  and  soft  iron  evenly  dis- 
tributed. His  head-light  is  equipped  with  an 
electric  light  which  makes  the  way  ahead  as 
bright  as  day.  His  bearings  are  adjustable  un- 
der all  conditions  and  prevent  strains  on  wheels 
and  rails.  His  couplers  are  of  the  latest 
standard.  The  conductor  may  communicate 
with  him  at  any  time  either  by  means  of  a  bell, 
a  steam  whistle  or  the  use  of  air.  His  engine 
weighs  in  the  neighborhood  of  160,000  pounds, 
and  has  a  driving  wheel  base  of  fifteen  feet. 
The  cylinders  are  20  by  28  inches.  The  driving 
wheels  have  a  diameter  of  over  sixty  inches,  with 
centers  of  cast  steel  and  flange  tires  on  all  driv- 
ing wheels. 

The  boiler  is  made  for  a  working  pressure 
of  200  pounds.  The  fire  box  is  112  inches  long 
by  42  inches  wide,  and  there  are  275  tubes  each 
fifteen  feet  long.  The  heating  surface  which 
the  fireman  must  take  care  of  is  2,000  square 
feet,  and  the  grate  area  is  32.6  square  feet.  The 
tender  has  thirty-three-inch  wheels  of  cast  iron, 
with  a  wheel  base  of  fifteen  feet  four  inches. 
The  tank  has  a  water  capacity  of  6,000  gallons 
and  a  coal  capacity  of  ten  tons.  There  are 
Tower  couplers,  Westinghouse  brakes,  Hancock 
injectors,  Nathan  triple  lubricators,  Crosby  chime 
whistles,  Ashton  safety  valves,  Leach  sanding 
devices,  Jerome  piston  and  valve-stem  packing, 
Coffin  toughened  steel  driving  axles;  Kewanee 
tender  brake  beam  and  Mclntosh  pneumatic 
blow-off  cocks. 

*  *  *  * 

Such  an  equipment  as  this  was  not  to  be 
found  on  the  locomotives  of  forty  years  ago, 
and  the  danger  in  handling  them  or  being  hauled 
by  them  was  correspondingly  great.  And 
though  the  improvement  in  locomotives  has 
been  remarkable,  that  in  roadbeds  is  as  great. 
The  roadbed  in  the  early  history  of  railroading 
was  about  as  precarious  a  pile,  as  treacherous 
a  mass  of  earth  and  sand  as  could  well  be  thrown 
together. 

To-day  the  whole  aim  of  track  construction 
and  maintenance  is  to  provide  a  smooth  and  even 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


737 


surface  for  the  wheels  of  the  train,  for  which 
purpose  the  rails  must  be  held  as  nearly  as  pos- 
sible in  absolute  surface  and  line,  while  the 
weight  which  they  carry  must  be  distributed  over 
a  large  area  of  the  roadbed  or  subgracle.  A 
cross-tie  system  has  been  introduced  which  places 
from  fourteen  to  eighteen  independent  supports 
under  each  thirty-foot  rail.  Another  system 
adopts  a  concrete  platform,  while  still  another 
provides  that  each  rail  shall  be  supported  on  a 
longitudinal  sill  or  beam  of  concrete,  built  up 
of  blocks  ten  feet  long,  and  so  connected  as  to 
form  continuous  and  practically  jointless  beams. 
Anchor  bolts  are  molded  into  the  concrete, 
but  in  the  chances  of  derailed  wheels  breaking 
the  bolts,  a  renewable  attachment  is  being 
sought.  Additional  improvements  sought  for 
roadbeds  and  now  being  provided  are  those 
which  do  away  with  dust,  metal  ties,  tie  preserv- 
ing process,  switch  frogs  and  frog  substitutes, 
unloaders  and  the  like. 

*  *  *  * 

It  is  absolutely  certain,  then,  that  the  train 
which  is  coming  west  over  the  Central,  the 
Lackawanna,  the  Pennsylvania  or  any  other  of 
the  great  trunk  lines,  is  equipped,  both  as  to  en- 
gine and  car  mechanism,  with  the  best  of  human 
inventions,  and  is  to  pass  over  a  roadbed  that 
the  skill  of  man  is  constantly  watching. 

The  conductor  gives  the  signal  to  start. 
There  is  a  gasp  from  the  locomotive,  a  slight 
spin  of  the  drivers — no  pulling  and  jerking  of 
couplings,  but  an  easy  transition  from  inertia  to 
motion,  and  the  train  is  away.  How  many 
switch  points — the  place  where  a  switch  comes 
in  contact  with  the  main  line  track — the  train 
passes  over  in  leaving  the  yards  of  any  of  the 
companies  centering  in  New  York  City  it  is  im- 
possible to  say. 

They  run  into  the  thousands,  but  are  crossed 
with  so  little  noise  or  jar  that  passengers  in  the 
dining  car  do  not  realize  where  they  are.  The 
misplacing  of  one  would  derail  either  the  entire 
train  or  part  of  it  and  cost  many  their  lives,  but  no 
chances  are  taken  on  misplacement.  The  switches 
are  controlled  either  by  hand  power  and  locked 


when  not  in  use,  or  operated  from  towers  by 
hand  levers  and  electricity  or  compressed  air, 
and  the  approach  of  a  train  to  them  is  protected 
by  semaphores.  The  switches  also  carry  at 
night  signal  lamps  which  show  whether  they  are 
open  or  closed. 

The  train  speeds  through  the  yards  in  this 
fashion.  As  it  approaches  the  first  tower  in 
which  there  is  a  signal  man,  the  engineer  ob- 
serves that  a  wooden  arm,  projecting  from  a 
high  pole  and  extending  over  the  track  his  train 
is  on,  is  down — that  is,  instead  of  standing  out 
at  right  angles  to  the  pole  which  upholds  it — 
and  which  means : 

"Danger  stop." 

It  is  down,  parallel  with  the  pole,  a  sign  of: 

"Track  clear.     Go  ahead." 

The  train  sweeps  by  the  tower  and  the  sig- 
nal man  above  touches  an  electric  button  in  his 
little  coop.  This  signals  to  the  next  tower, 
which  may  be  a  hundred  or  a  thousand  feet  be- 
yond, that  the  main  line  is  occupied  with  an 
oncoming  train  for  which  he  must  give  either  a 
"clear"  signal  or  one  of  "danger,"  and  hold  it 
until  all  chance  of  peril  is  passed.  This  second 
signal  man  passes  the  train  on  to  a  third  and  so 
on  until  it  is  out  of  the  yards,  in  the  open  coun- 
try, and  where  block  signaling  and  protection 
is  less  complicated. 

*  *  *  * 

How  elaborate  this  protection  described  is 
for  trains  in  the  yards  where  constant  switch- 
ing is  going  on  may  be  shown  by  the  adoption 
by  the  Northwestern  road  of  a  system  of  switch 
guarding,  independent  of  the  signal  lamps  used. 
By  the  old  system,  an  engineer  on  an  approach- 
ing train  knew  whether  the  switch  ahead  was 
open  or  closed  by  the  color  of  the  light  placed 
upon  it  at  night  or  the  position  of  its  target  by 
day.  Often,  though,  when  these  showed  "safe- 
ty" he  would  dash  down  upon  the  switch  only 
to  find  when  too  late  that  the  signals  were  right 
but  the  switch  wrong  and  a  wreck  ensued. 

To  prevent  just  this  thing  happening  the 
Northwestern  has  connected  its  switches  with 
a  semaphore  placed  1,000  feet  from  the  switch 


738 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


itself.  If  the  switch  is  closed  its  target  or  lamp 
must  show  this,  and  also  the  semaphore,  for  the 
switch  cannot  move  without  the  semaphore  do- 
ing so  also,  and  vice  versa.  Thus  the  engineer 
is  warned  1,000  feet  away  from  the  switch  as  to 
its  condition  and  has  every  opportunity  to  bring 
his  train  under  control  if  anything  is  wrong. 

Full  conception  of  this  new  protection  can- 
not be  appreciated  until  it  is  understood  that  the 
slow  yard  speed  of  former  years  enjoined  upon 
trains  no  longer  exists,  and  that  it  is  not  unusual 
for  a  passenger  train  to  pass  through  the  yards 
at  the  rate  of  forty  and  fifty  miles  an  hour. 
Especially  is  this  the  case  of  suburban  trains 
like  those  of  the  Burlington,  the  Rock  Island, 
the  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul  and  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral. A  Burlington  train  recently  went  through 
the  Aurora  yards  at  the  rate  of  seventy  miles  an 
hour,  and  the  passage  was  as  safe  as  though  the 
"trick"  were  done  outside  of  town  and  where 
switches  were  few. 

The  Western  Indiana  system  protects  its 
switches  by  a  safety  device  for  block  signaling 
invented  by  the  late  F.  C.  Doran,  the  designer 
of  the  Sixteenth  street  track  elevation.  This 
device  consists  of  the  application  of  a  lock  be- 
tween the  signal  arms  of  a  double  semaphore 
and  the  switch  points  governed  thereby,  operat- 
ing in  such  a  manner  that  when  the  switch  is 
set  for  the  main  line  the  signal  for  the  siding  is 
locked  in  danger  position  and  vice  versa. 

*  *  *  * 

As  if  all  these  precautions  against  accidents 
to  a  train  were  not  enough,  devices  have  come  in- 
to use  by  which  the  engine  itself  sets  danger 
signals  in  the  rear  of  the  train  it  is  hauling  and 
drops  them  when  out  of  the  block  in  which  they 
are  necessary.  This  automatic  setting  is  done 
by  electricity.  The  drivers  of  the  engine,  com- 
ing in  contact  at  a  certain  point  with  an  electric 
current,  complete  a  circuit,  this  in  turn  sets  a 
semaphore  in  the  rear  of  the  train  and  keeps 
other  trains  from  approaching.  When  the  train 
which  has  set  the  signal  is  a  safe  distance  away, 
the  drivers  release  the  signal  and  the  main  line 
is  open  again.  Still  another  device  is  that  by 


which  the  engine  on  passing  a  certain  point  sets 
a  bell  to  ringing  in  a  box  placed  close  to  the 
track  on  a  standard.  This  bell  rings  for  a  cer- 
tain length  of  time,  long  enough  to  let  the  train 
proceed  some  distance  ahead.  While  ringing  it 
can  be  heard  by  the  engineer  of  a  second  train 
approaching,  and  he  is  warned  that  the  way  is 
not  clear. 

It  would  seem  impossible  with  all  of  these 
protections  that  an  accident  could  occur  in  rail- 
road yards,  but  they  do  and  are  usually  trace- 
able to  the  fault  of  a  human  being.  The  mind 
grows  tired  and  the  hand  weary,  and  then  the 
harm  comes.  No  invention  in  the  patent  office 
at  Washington  can  prevent  this. 

But  the  transcontinental  train  is  out  of  the 
yards  safely  and  speeding  toward  the  first  sta- 
tion west  of  New  York.  Apparently  it  is  not 
under  the  guardianship  of  any  official  of  the  road 
save  the  engineer  or  conductor,  but  to  think 
so  is  a  mistake.  Before  it  had  cleared  New 
York  City  the  train  dispatcher  at  that  point  had 
wired  the  first  station  west : 

"No  15,  west  bound,  left  i  p.  m." 

As  the  time  it  is  due  at  the  station  thus 
warned  is  1:20  p.  m.  the  operator"  at  that  point 
marks  on  his  time-table  board : 

"No  15  on  time." 

He  waits  contentedly  for  the  approach  of 
the  limited,  because  under  the  rules  of  the  road 
he  knows  that  it  is  the  only  train  between  his 
station  and  New  York  on  the  west-bound  track 
—in  other  words,  it  is  the  only  train  in  the  block 
formed  between  New  York  and  this  station  and 
no  other  can  enter  until  it  has  passed  out.  This 
is  called  "blocking  by  telegraph.'  Where  this 
system  does  not  prevail  a  system  of  towers  will 
be  found  between  stations  in  which  there  are 
signal  men,  who  give  the  train  as  it  draws  near 
the  signal  to  proceed  and  after  it  has  passed 
display  a  signal  that  no  other  train  can  pass  un- 
til it  has  entered  the  next  block. 

*  *  *  * 

This  is  not  the  only  way  in  which  the  train 
is  protected.  There  are  a  great  many  grade 
crossings  to  be  gone  over  and  at  these  teams, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


cattle  and  pedestrians  are  liable  to  be  met.     Col- 
lisions with  them  are  not  only  feared,  but  are 
usually    expensive   to    the   company.     To   avoid 
these  collisions  large  sign  posts  are  put  up  at 
the  crossings  on  which  is  painted : 
"Look  Out  for  the  Cars." 
Or, 

"Look.  Listen.  Danger." 
The  latter  signal  carries  with  it  an  electric 
bell,  which  the  approaching  engine  starts  to 
ringing  when  it  is  yet  1,000  feet  away.  The 
bell  rings  until  the  train  is  fully  over  the  cross- 
ing. 

Another  protection  is  a  device  for  signal- 
ing to  the  engineer  in  his  cab  warning  of  his 
approach  to  a  station,  with  reference  to  which 
he  may  have  special  orders  requiring  attention. 
One  of  the  officials  of  the  Rock  Island  road  de- 
signed this  new  device.  The  device  consists 
essentially  of  an  order  holder  or  clip  in  an  elec- 
tric circuit,  in  which  is  also  included  a  circuit- 
closer  in  connection  with  a  striking  rod  extend- 
ing below  the  cab  in  position  to  be  struck  by  a 
lifting  block  attached  to  the  ties  at  any  con- 
venient distance  from  the  station. 

It  would  seem,  in  view  of  all  these  precau- 
tions, these  myriads  of  inventions  for  life  pro- 
tection, that  serious  accidents  would  be  next 
to  impossible.  But  they  do  occur,  and  how  they 
occur  is  illustrated  by  the  accident  of  last  July 
loth,  on  the  Southern  Pacific,  at  Newman,  Cal. 
The  road  is  one  which  adopts  extra  precautions 
against  accidents. 

At  Tracy,  thirty-seven  miles  north  of  the 
place  of  collision,  four  trains  received  copies 
of  the  following  order : 

"Monday,  July  10,  1899. — Ow.  July  10, 
1899;  241,  245,  ex.  1725,  1721,  Ac.  O.  K.  D., 
O.  K.  F.  A.  P.,  12  :os  a.  m.  Eng.  1725  and  Eng. 
1721  will  run  extra  Tracy  to  Mendota.  Will 
pass  No.  241,  Eng.  1717,  and  No.  245,  Eng. 
1403,  when  overtaken." 

Train  No.  245,  a  regular  freight,  was  due 
at  Newman  at  2:34  a.  m.,  and  arrived  on  time. 
On  entering  the  station  it  was  protected  in  the 
rear  by  a  semaphore  signal,  displayed  by  a  sig- 


nal man  in  the  tower.  The  freight  took  water 
and  received  no  orders.  Extra  1,721,  carrying 
teachers  to  the  Los  Angeles  convention,  ap- 
proached the  semaphore  signal  a  little  later  at 
high  rate  of  speed.  It  whistled  and  then  slowed 
down  to  a  speed  of  twenty  or  twenty-five  miles 
an  hour.  The  signal  man  in  charge  of  the  sema- 
phore signaled  ''no  orders"  and  the  special 
dashed  on,  into  the  freight,  and  was  wrecked. 
Two  women  were  killed  and  many  injured. 

Investigation  showed  that  the  signal  man 
should  have  displayed  his  red  light  and  stopped 
the  special  before  it  reached  the  semaphore.  His 
plea  of  justification  for  not  doing  so  is  that  the 
special  should  have  been  under  control  when  it 
approached  the  station  and  prepared  to  meet  the 
freight.  However  this  may  be,  the  accident  is 
an  illustration  of  where  men  fail,  a  failure  rail- 
way companies  have  been  trying  to  avoid  ever 
since  they  were  first  put  into  operation. 

*  *  *  * 

If  the  Southern  Pacific  had  been  equipped 
with  a  semaphore  system,  by  which  the  freight 
train  in  entering  the  station  had  automatically 
set  its  own  danger  signal,  the  special  would  have 
stopped  and  the  accident  been  avoided.  But 
passing  this  by  the  trans-continental  train,  which 
has  been  trying  all  of  these  various  safety  guards 
between  Buffalo  and  New  York,  up  through  the 
beautiful  Scranton  Valley  and  back  of  engines 
that  give  forth  no  smoke,  has  reached  Buffalo 
and  is  in  control  now  of  the  Lake  Shore  for  the 
run  to  Chicago. 

Aside  from  semaphores  and  signal  lights 
in  switch  yards,  the  Lake  Shore  protects  through 
the  system  of  blocking  trains  from  station  to 
station  by  telegraph.  This  is  also  done  by  the 
Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul  and  most  of  the  prin- 
cipal trunk  lines.  But  the  trans-continental 
train,  which  is  hastening  toward  the  Pacific,  if 
perfectly  guarded  by  the  systems  named,  has 
dangers  to  avoid  in  coming  in  contact  with  a 
few  great  railway  systems,  where  old-time 
methods  prevail  and  old-time  accidents  are  fre- 
quent. It  is  not  necessary  to  specify,  but  here 
is  the  language  of  a  capable  coroner's  jury  in 


740 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


regard  to  an  accident  on  one  of  the  principal 
roads  in  the  East. 

"We  hold  the  railway  company  primarily 
responsible  for  the  accident,  for  the  reason 
that  it  has  never  established  a  modern  and  ade- 
quate system  of  communication  by  telegraph  be- 
tween all  signal  stations  and  the  main  office. 
Had  this  system  been  in  vogue  the  accident,  in 
our  judgment,  could  have  been  avoided." 

That  verdict  aided  in  not  only  costing  the 
negligent  company  $275,000  in  settling  dam- 
age and  death  claims,  but  also  led  to  the  incor- 
poration in  its  system  of  the  modern  methods  of 
blocking  and  signaling  in  use  on  the  North- 
western, the  Burlington  and  other  first-class 
roads. 

The  trancontinental  train  in  passing  through 
Chicago  passes  over  the  largest  and  greatest  com- 
bination of  switch  tracks  and  main  lines  in  the 
United  States.  It  also  passes  the  next  to  the 
largest,  if  not  the  largest,  interlocking  switch 
lever  house  in  the  country.  This  is  the  one 
operated  by  compressed  air  at  Twenty-second 
street  on  the  Western  Indiana  system.  Sema- 
phores protect  all  approaches  to  this  house  and 
its  tracks,  and  compressed  air  exerted  by  means 
of  lever  opens  and  closes  the  track. 

*  *  *  * 

When  delivered  to  the  Northwestern  the 
train  is  protected  to  Omaha  by  electric  signals, 


tower  houses  and  the  manual  block,  the  auto- 
matic block,  and  blocking  by  telegraph  from 
station  to  station.  It  runs  over  double  track  to 
Ames,  and  flies  as  if  on  a  ballroom  floor.  Track 
walkers  have  inspected  the  way  and  train  dis- 
patchers have  opened  it.  The  transfer  of  the 
train  to  the  Union  Pacific  brings  it  to  the  most 
tedious  and  beautiful  portion  of  the  journey, 
the  long  but  thrilling  climb  over  the  mountains. 

The  protection  given  in  the  mountains  is 
of  that  character  that  covers  a  train  from  station 
to  station,  such  distances  often  being  a  hundred 
miles  or  more.  The  semaphore  system  in  the 
unsettled  portions  is  useless,  and  the  nerve  and 
wit  of  the  train  dispatcher  and  the  telegraph 
operators  must  serve  in  place  of  automatic  ap- 
pliances. 

The  combination  of  both  at  certain  portions 
of  the  line  brings  the  modern  signal  system  to 
as  near  a  state  of  perfection  as  it  can  be  in  this 
day  and  age.  Both  the  Northwestern  and  the 
Burlington  have  made  world  records  on  their 
tracks  under  such  methods  of  blocking.  The 
wonder  is  not  that  so  many  accidents  have  oc- 
curred but  that  so  few  happen. 

As  a  veteran  railroader  puts  it : 

"The  odds  that  any  train  will  meet  with 
even  the  slightest  mishap  in  these  days  is  1,000 
to  i,  if  it  is  operated  on  a  first-class  road." 
(Cliicago  Times-Herald.)  


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


741 


CURLEY  AND  HIS  ENGINE. 


This  was  in  St.  Louis.  A  woman  walked 
into  the  Union  station  and  said  : 

"My  husband  is  dying  in  Chicago.  How 
quick  can  I  get  there?" 

"Eight  hours,"  said  the  gateman.  So  this 
woman,  who  was  reduced  to  a  bundle  of  nerves 
and  many  half-choked  sobs,  took  the  Illinois 
Central  limited  that  left  just  after  12,  and  seated 
herself  in  the  rear  of  the  buffet  car  and  looked 
out  of  her  glass  inclosure  at  the  disappearing 
city  on  the  Mississippi.  The  train  was  just  the 
ordinary,  comfortable  American  express  kind, 
with  a  good  many  places  to  be  easy  in,  and  the 
usual  curious  American  way  of  getting  over  the 
rails  at  a  high  rate  of  speed  without  seeming  to 
be  moving  very  fast.  That's  a  trick  Curley  can 
.  tell  you  all  about.  The  woman  had  been  mar- 
ried to  this  man  that  was  dying  about  twenty 
years,  and  their  life  had  been  of  the  agree-al- 
ways kind.  If  the  man  had  been  in  the  railroad 
business  his  associates  would  have  called  him 
"a  double  compound"  and  the  woman  "a  pusher." 
The  train  seemed  all  too  slow  to  the  woman  as 
it  slipped  out  of  East  St.  Louis  and  headed  for 
Decatur. 

*  *  *  * 

The  engine  was  No.  911  and  the  engineer  a 
man  by  name  J.  Curley,  otherwise  known  as 
the  "Comanche  Indian."  This  title  has  come 
to  him  through  his  manner  of  holding  his  head 
high  and  of  running  his  engine  at  extraordinary 
speed  when  occasion  demands.  His  run  to  Clin- 
ton, where  his  division  ends,  is  a  fast  one  under 
the  most  ordinary  circumstances.  When  a  few 
minutes'  time  is  lost  it  becomes  the  duty  of  Cur- 
ley to  make  it  faster  and  to  always  keep  on  time. 
Monday  he  knew  nothing  of  the  woman  back  in 


the  buffet  car,  nor  of  her  passionate  eagerness  to 
reach  home  swiftly,  and  if  he  had  it  is  doubtful 
if  he  could  have  done  more  than  he  did.  For 
some  unexplained  reason  after  he  left  Alton  he 
lost  ten  minutes  in  time,  and  Clinton  127  miles 
away  with  about  eight  stops  to  be  made.  The 
woman  in  the  buffet  car  noted  the  loss  of  time 
and  suffered  correspondingly.  In  time  a  gentle- 
man who  knew  her  came  and  sat  by  her  side, 
and  to  him  she  lamented  over  the  delay. 

"It  is  nothing,"  said  he.  "We  are  travel- 
ing now  a  mile  a  minute." 

They  took  out  their  watches  and  timed  the 
mile  posts. 

*  *  *  * 

The  roadbed  is  one  of  these  high-graded, 
ballroom-floor  affairs;  the  train,  vestibuled  and 
solid.  There  was  no  swaying  or  jarring  as 
Curley  knocked  off  his  mile  every  minute.  In- 
side the  car,  unless  one  timed  with  a  watch,  the 
speed  did  not  seem  greater  than  forty  miles  an 
hour.  The  man  with  the  woman  suddenly  said : 

"This  last  mile  we've  traveled  in  57  sec- 
onds." 

She  studied  her  own  watch,  occasionally 
looking  up  to  watch  the  gyrations  of  the  rolling 
ball  of  dust  in  the  rear  of  the  train.  Suddenly 
she  called  out : 

"And  that  mile  in  51  seconds." 

This  was  near  Nokomis.  The  dust  ball  in 
the  train's  rear  grew  larger  and  larger  and  re- 
volved more  rapidly.  The  little  stations,  em- 
bowered in  trees,  became  but  dots  of  green  up- 
on the  plain.  The  "Comanche  Indian"  was  mak- 
ing up  time.  Now  came  ten  swift  miles — the 
first  in  59  seconds,  the  second  in  57,  the  third 
in  54,  the  fourth  in  50,  the  fifth  in  49,  the  sixth 


742 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


in  47,  the  seventh  in  50,  the  eighth  in  48,  the  ninth 
in  47  and  the  tenth  mile  in  45  seconds.  Some- 
how this  safe,  easy  swing  through  space  was 
comforting  to  the  woman  in  the  buffet  car.  She 
wished  the  engineer  in  front  on  the  flying  ma- 
chine could  just  understand  how  much  she  ap-  , 
preciated  what  he  was  doing.  Every  mile  gone 
was  one  nearer  the  man  who  was  awaiting  her 
in  Chicago — the  man  who  was  going  on  an- 
other and  still  more  swiftly  journey. 

The  "Comanche  Indian"  has  a  curious  but 
skillful  way  of  handling  his  throttle.  He  coaxes 
it  as  a  mother  -leads  on  a  child.  He  draws  it 
on  easily,  gently,  without  jerk  or  jar.  So  he 
handles  his  air,  giving  all  the  leeway  in  the  world 
for  the  application,  but  calculating  with  such 
nicety  his  distances  and  the  necessity  for  a  stop 
or  slow-up  that  the  train  is  at  a  standstill  before 
the  diminishment  of  speed  i^Jj  noted  or  felt. 
There  are  engineers  that  handle  their  air  and 
throttles  rudely,  and  every  passenger  knows  by 
the  unpleasant  sensations  just  what  is  going  on 
in  the  cab.  But  the  hand  of  Curley  is  as  vel- 
vet covering  steel,  and  so  he  brings  911  onto 
Clinton.  The  woman  kept  checking  off  the  miles 
and  the  companion  with  her  aided.  The  train 
shot  over  the  brow  of  a  hill  and  out  into  the  open. 
There  was  fury  and  furies  in  its  wake,  the  at- 
mosphere rushed  into  a  whip  that  beat  the  bal- 
lasted wav  and  swirled  the  leaves  and  dust  into 


a    tornado    of    rage.     The    woman    clapped    her 
hands  gleefully,  exclaiming: 

"That  mile  was  traveled  in  40  seconds." 
And  so  it  was — 5,280  feet  in  two-thirds  of 
a  minute.  The  speed  but  shows  the  possibili- 
ties of  American  steam  railway  equipment  upon 
a  perfect  roadbed  and  in  the  hands  of  tried  men. 
Curley  was  doing  only  what  his  duty  called 
upon  him  to  do  when  time  was  to  be  made  up. 
He  was  coming  up  the  historic  way  where  the 
slaves  of  fifty  years  ago  found  the  underground 
railroad  and  a  chance  for  freedom.  He  was 
chasing  miles  in  forty  and  fifty  seconds  in  ter- 
ritory where  Logan  and  Lincoln,  and  long  be- 
fore them  Pierre  Menarcl  and  the  Jesuit  fathers 
had  made  history  with  saddle  and  horse  or  the 
slow  canoe  of  Indian  days. 

*  *  *  * 

A  mile  in  41  seconds,  another  in  45,  an- 
other in  50,  one  more  in  55  seconds  and  911  came 
into  Clinton  on  time.  The  woman  in  the  buffet 
car  coming  to  the  man  waiting  for  her  in  Chi- 
cago laid  back  her  head  on  the  pillow  of  her  chair 
and  said : 

"I  can  sleep  the  rest  of  the  way." 

But  of  all  this  911  and  the  "Comanche  In- 
dian" knew  nothing. 

H.  I.  CLEVELAND. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


743 


THE  RAILROAD  MAN. 


NE  of  the  most  excellent  products  of 
the  latter  half  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury is,  undoubtedly,  the  railroad 
man.  In  the  earlier  years  of  his  de- 
velopment he  was  little  known  and  little  re- 
spected. From  a  trade  his  occupation  has  grown 
into  a  science.  His  numbers  have  increased  un- 
til now  he  is  as  the  sands  of  the  sea.  He  has 
penetrated  the  wilderness  and  in  few  spots  of 
civilization  is  he  unknown.  Much  of  the  in- 
ventive genius  of  the  age  has  spent  its  best 
thought  in  the  development  of  the  craft  and  the 
railroad  man  is  himself  a  frequent  and  practical 
inventor.  He  comes  from  all  the  walks  of  life, 
the  high  and  the  lowly,  from  the  country,  the 
village,  the  town,  the  city,  but  from  whatever 
place  he  emanates  life  on  the  rail  has  leavening 
effect  and  moulds  him  into  a  type  distinctively 
his  own. 

He  is  usually  a  man  of  portly  mien  and 
whether  it  be  from  the  sedentary  life  of  the  office 
or  the  jostle  of  the  train  he  takes  on  flesh.  It 
may  be  the  effect  of  the  ozone  evolved  in  swiftly 
moving  through  space,  but  be  what  it  may  his 
form  in  time  is  rounded  out  into  the  full  lines 
of  the  alderman,  which  frequently  he  is  in  the 
thrifty  cities  where  he  makes  his  home.  He  will 
oft  times  advance  and  serve  his  fellow  citizens 
in  the  mayor's  chair  and  again  he  may  enlarge 
his  constituency  and  represent  his  district  in  the 
legislative  halls  as  a  stepping  stone  to  the  highest 
executive  office  in  the  state,  or  become  the  coun- 
sellor of  the  government  as  head  of  some  of 
the  more  important  departments  in  the  admini- 
stration of  the  affairs  of  his  commonwealth. 
Nor  are  the  activities  of  his  brain  confined  to 
the  borders  of  his  state  alone ;  his  voice  is  to  be 
heard  in  the  halls  of  the  national  congress  in  the 

40 


senate  as  well  as  the  house,  and  it  need  be  no 
surprise  if  at  no  very  distant  day  the  chair  of  the 
chief  servant  of  the  nation  at  the  White  House 
be  filled  by  a  railroad  man.  The  breadth  of 
knowledge,  the  width  of  experience,  the  execu- 
tive ability  required  to  successfully  manage  the 
affairs  of  a  great  modern  railway  system  is  as 
great  as  that  required  to  guide  the  ship  of  state 
of  the  great  nations  of  the  earth. 

His  brain  is  alert  and  he  is  keenly  alive  to 
the  events  that  are  transpiring  in  the  busy  world 
of  which  he  is  a  part.  While  at  his  post  of 
duty  his  whole  attention  is  concentrated  to  the 
work  in  hand,  but  in  his  hours  of  leisure  he 
turns  as  heartily  to  the  world  of  sport.  He  has 
his  favorites  in  the  race  for  the  pennant  in  the 
national  game  and  can  give  an  opinion  on  the 
relative  merits  of  the  leading  exponents  of  the 
manly  art  of  self  defense.  He  has  a  fondness 
for  the  theater  and  has  seen  the  foremost  actors 
in  their  best  known  plays ;  he  has  heard  the  lead- 
ing singers  in  their  favorite  roles  and  can  hum 
snatches  from  the  popular  operas  and  the  latest 
songs  of  the  day. 

The  railroad  man  frequently  rises  above  the 
material  world  and  invades  the  field  of  music, 
art  and  literature,  supplying  the  current  maga- 
zines with  articles  of  as  great  interest  and  merit 
as  that  of  writers  who  have  made  a  profession 
of  the  pen.  His  prose  has  a  local  color,  in  writ- 
ing tales  of  the  rail,  that  is  lacking  in  one  who 
is  not  to  the  manor  born  and  his  verse  whether 
set  to  music  or  not,  sings  itself  into  the  hearts  of 
people. 

As  a  ruling  force  in  the  world  the  railroad 
man  is  as  yet  unconscious  of  his  power.  His 
name  is  legion  and  between  the  contending  par- 
ties he  holds  the  balance.  Should  he  unite  his 


744 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


forces  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  his  ruling  the 
western  world. 

In  his  family  he  takes  great  pride  and  the 
evenings  around  the  fireside  with  music  and  song 
are  his  happiest  hours.  His  daughters  have  had 
the  benefit  of  the  best  training  in  art  and  music, 
and  his  sons  the  advantage  of  the  best  of  schools. 
While  he,  himself,  may  have  completed  his  edu- 
cation in  the  little  log  school  house,  the  coming 
representative  of  the  family  is  given  the  best 
opportunity  in  Harvard  or  Yale. 

The  railroad  man  is  eminently  a  social  be- 
ing and  in  addition  to  the  Brotherhood  to  which 
his  occupation  would  naturally  draw  him  he 


is  a  member  of  one  or  more  of  the  orders  which 
find  attraction  for  his  fellow-men.  He  knows 
a  good  thing  when  he  sees  it,  and  has  endured 
the  terrors  of  the  mystic  rites  of  ancient  tribes 
and  clans.  He  feels  the  full  import  of  the  three 
links  and  acts  upon  the  square,  knows  in  what 
sign  we  conquer  and  has  crossed  in  his  pilgrim- 
age the  hot  sands  of  the  desert.  Come  from 
where  he  may,  from  humble  cottage  or  more 
pretentious  home,  life  on  the  rail  rubs  off  the 
rough  corners  and  puts  a  polish  on  the  diamond 
in  the  rough,  making  in  every  situation  a  genial 
courteous  gentleman  of  the  Railroad  Man. 


PHOTO  OF  G.  E.  WAUGH,  FREEP^RT,   ILL. 

Entrance  to  tunnel  between  Monticello  and  Bellville,  Wis,,  on  the  Madison  branch  of  the  Illinois  Central. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


745 


AMERICAN  PASSENGER  SERVICE. 
THE  BEST  IN  THE  WORLD. 


"Not  only  the  best  but  the  cheapest  pas- 
senger service  in  the  world  is  given  by  the  rail- 
ways of  the  United  States,"  said  Vice  President 
Morton  of  the  Santa  Fe  system. 

"In  this  country,"  continued  Mr.  Morton, 
"with  very  few  exceptions — the  'limited'  trains 
between  New  York  and  Washington  and  Chica- 
go— the  second  and  third-class  passenger  travels 
on  the  same  train  as  the  first-class  passenger, 
thereby  covering  distances  just  as  rapidly.  In 
Europe  the  second  and  third  class  passengers 
not  only  have  to  travel  in  inferior  cars,  but  usual- 
ly on  much  slower  trains.  On  many  railroads 
in  America,  especially  throughout  the  West,  re- 
clining chair  cars  are  run  without  extra  cost  to 
passengers.  These  cars  have  chairs  that  make 
very  comfortable  seats  during  the  day  and  can 
be  tipped  back  at  night  for  reclining  purposes, 
and  take  the  place  of  the  faittenil  compartments 
on  European  trains,  for  which  an  extra  charge 
is  made,  which  is  not  less  than  the  Pullman 
tariffs  in  America.  None  but  first-class  passen- 
gers can  use  the  compartment  cars  on  the  con- 
tinent, while  in  the  United  States  second-class 
passengers  have  the  right  to  use  reclining  chair 
cars,  and  without  extra  cost. 

"The  passenger  fares  on  the  continent  are 
very  much  higher  than  they  are  in  America. 
For  example,  take  the  $100  round-trip  passen- 
ger rate  from  Chicago  to  California  and  return, 
good  for  nine  months.  This  covers  a  distance 
of  over  5,000  miles,  going  and  coming,  and  the 
passenger  has  the  option  of  going  out  via  one 
line  and  returning  by  another.  The  round  trip 
rate  from  London  to  St.  Petersburg,  a  distance 


of  1,636  miles,  is  $96.44;  to  Constantinople,  a  dis- 
tance of  2,144  miles,  is  $139.38,  and  the  single 
fare  from  London  to  Brindisi,  a  distance  of 
1,460  miles,  is  $61.80.  There  are  no  distances 
on  the  continent  where  there  is  any  considerable 
travel  that  seem  to  compare  with  the  long  routes 
much  traveled  in  the  United  States,  but  the 
round-trip  rates  from  London  to  St.  Petersburg 
and  Constantinople,  two  important  points  in 
direct  communication,  demonstrate  how  much 
cheaper  travel  for  long  distance  is  in  America 
than  it  is  on  the  continent. 

"The  first-class  fares  for  short  distances  on 
the  continent  will  compare  as  unfavorably  with 
American  rates  for  short  distances.  The  first- 
class  passenger  rate  from  Chicago  to  any  Mis- 
so_uri  river  point,  a  distance  of  500  miles,  is 
$12.50.  The  fare  from  Paris  to  Geneva,  Switzer- 
land, a  distance  of  less  than  400  miles,  is  $14.00. 
Rates  east  of  Chicago  as  a  rule  are  lower  than 
in  the  West. 

"In  addition  to  the  fact  that  the  rates  of 
themselves  are  much  higher  in  Europe  than 
America,  the  supplementary  charges  are  much 
more  excessive.  For  instance,  .one  is  charged  4 
francs  from  Paris  to  Calais,  a  ride  of  five  hours, 
in  addition  to  the  regular  fare,  merely  to  occupy 
a  car  containing  toilet  facilities.  This  car  has 
nothing  more  than  is  to  be  found  in  every  coach 
on  American  railways.  For  the  money  that  is 
charged  for  riding  in  a  continental  coach  con- 
taining the  most  common  toilet  arrangements 
one  could  ride  nearly  all  day  in  this  country  in 
Pullman  cars  containing  every  convenience  and 
comfort,  not  to  say  luxury. 


746 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


OUR  SLEEPERS  BETTER  AND  CHEAPER. 

"Sleeping-car  rates,  as  a  rule,  are  more  than 
twice  as  high  on  the  continent  as  Pullman  rates 
in  this  country,  and  the  accommodations  there 
are  inferior.  From  Paris  to  Calais,  a  ride  of  five 
hours,  the  charge  is  $3.60  for  a  fauteuil  lit,  which 
is  nothing  more  than  a  single  seat  that  draws 
out,  not  at  all  like  a  Pullman  berth,  but  more 
like  our  reclining-chair  cars.  In  such  a  com- 
partment they  furnish  neither  soap,  brushes, 
towels,  nor  attendance — in  some  cases  not  even 
bedding.  That  charge  is  for  a  single  seat,  while 
in  this  country  the  Pullman  rates  are  all  for 
double  berth,  which  will  accommodate  two  per- 
sons. The  regular  sleeping-car  rate  from  Chi- 
cago to  New  York,  for  example,  is  $5.00,  the 
distance  being  980  miles.  The  rate  from  Paris 
to  Monte  Carlo,  a  distance  of  500  miles,  for  sleep- 
ing-car, is  $16.00. 

"In  European  sleeping  cars  there  is  no 
porter  to  dance  attendance  to  your  wishes,  and 
the  conductor  is  obliged  to  make  up  all  berths 
and  look  after  all  passengers.  There  is  no 
separate  toilet-room  for  ladies,  and  the  one  used 
by  both  sexes  is  very  small,  and  is  not  supplied 
with  the  conveniences  to  be  found  in  every  Pull- 
man car. 


"Still  another  extra  charge  increasing  the 
cost  of  travel  on  the  continent,  as  contrasted 
with  America,  is  the  baggage  tariff.  In  many 
countries  in  Europe  you  are  allowed  no  free 
baggage  except  that  which  you  can  carry  in 
your  hand.  In  France  you  are  allowed  only 
fifty-six  pounds,  while  in  the  United  States 
every  passenger  is  entitled  to  have  150  pounds 
of  baggage  transported  free.  Baggage  charges 
in  Europe  increase  the  cost  of  travel  on  an  aver- 
age 25  per  cent. 

"Another  marked  evidence  of  the  liberality 
of  American  railways,  as  contrasted  with  Euro- 
pean customs,  is  the  tariff  for  children.  Here 
all  children  under  5  years  of  age  travel  free, 
and  between  the  ages  of  5  and  12  years  are 
charged  half  rates.  The  railroads  are  quite 
liberal  in  their  constructions  of  this  rule,  and  I 
think  accurate  figures  would  show  that  a  majori- 
ty of  the  children  under  7  years  of  age  travel 
free.  In  Europe  children  from  3  to  6  years  old 
are  charged  half  rates,  all  over  6  paying  full 
adult  fares.  While  there  children  under  3  years 
are  carried  free,  in  most  cases  the  railroads  have 
rules  that  such  children  cannot  occupy  seats, 
but  must  be  held  by  parents  or  nurses  unless 
all  persons  paying  fare  are  comfortably  seated." 
— Chicago  Inter  Ocean. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


747 


THE  AMERICAN  TRAIN  DISPATCHER. 


Mr.  W.  S.  Glover,  chief  train  dispatcher  of 
the  Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy,  speaking 
at  the  meeting  of  the  St.  Louis  Railway  Club, 
gave  some  scraps  of  the  early  history  of  train 
dispatching  in  this  country.  The  first  railroad 
telegraph  line  was  erected  in  1847-8  on  the  Erie 
Railroad,  under  the  supervision  of  Ezra  Cornell, 
the  founder  of  Cornell  University.  Clias.  Minot, 
then  general  superintendent  of  the  Erie  road, 
being  convinced  of  the  value  of  the  telegraph, 
persuaded  his  directors  to  authorize  its  adoption. 
In  1851,  after  the  matter  had  been  discussed  by 
the  stockholders,  officials  and  employes  for  four 
years,  the  latter  were  most  emphatic  in  denounc- 
ing the  undertaking  and  were  unanimous  in  re- 
fusing to  obey  orders  making  meeting  points 
between  trains  by  wire,  but  instructions  were 
issued,  and  train  men  were  forced  into  compli- 
ance. In  the  West  the  Chicago,  Burlington 
and  Quincy  was  the  first  road  to  move  trains 
by  telegraph,  in  the  early  part  of  1863.  Mr. 
C.  H.  Chappell,  now  general  manager  of  the 
Chicago  and  Alton,  was  the  train  dispatcher, 
and  Mr.  F.  C.  Rice,  now  superintendent  of  the 
Illinois  lines  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  and 
Quincy,  the  operator.  Mr.  Robert  Pitcairn, 
now  superintendent  and  general  agent  of  the 
Pennsylvania  at  Pittsburg,  is  among  the  early 
dispatchers,  having  moved  trains  by  wire  in  1855 
and  1856.  He  was  the  first  person  to  introduce 
the  duplicate  order  system  in  Pennsylvania  and 


Virginia,  in  the  early  6os.  He  had  charge  of  the 
movement  of  government  troops  and  munitions 
of  war. 

From  the  crude,  unsatisfactory  manner  of 
thirty  to  forty  years  ago,  with  a  large  per  cent 
of  train  accidents  chargeable  to  the  dispatcher, 
train  dispatching  has  improved  until  to-day  the 
per  cent  of  accidents  is  brought  down  to  a  mini- 
mum. With  the  old  telegraph  register  used  in 
receiving  it  took  thirty  minutes  or  more  to  make 
meeting  points  by  wire.  The  train  orders  were 
written  upon  any  kind  of  paper  and  rewritten 
several  times,  being  sent  to  one  office  at  a  time. 
Each  would  in  most  cases  get  a  different  word- 
ing, and  frequent  were  the  collisions  from  a  lap 
order.  During  the  prevalence  of  the  single 
order,  the  dispatcher  spent  about  one-third  of 
his  time  checking  up  his  orders  to  see  if  he  were 
going  to  have  a  collision,  and  at  about  what 
point  on  the  line  it  would  occur.  But  today 
dispatching  stands  in  the  front  ranks,  made  so 
by  the  American  Railway  Association,  on  whose 
train  rule  committee  are  superintendents  and 
managers  who  have  spent  years  at  the  dis- 
patcher's table.  The  result  of  their  deliberations 
is  the  standard  code,  making  the  labor  of  the 
dispatcher  less  and  his  work  more  accurate  and 
perfect,  and  taking  away  that  terrible  strain  on 
his  mind  that  prevailed  under  the  old  single 
order  system. 


748 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


ENGINEERS  PROVE  FAITHFUL. 


To  the  engineer  belongs  the  most  hazardous 
and  at  the  same  time  the  most  responsible  task 
of  any  of  the  men  who  run  the  train,  and  the 
passengers  on  one  of  the  great  flyers  as  they  loll 
back  in  their  seats  reading  the  most  recent  work 
of  fiction  or  gazing  placidly  forth  at  the  scenery 
scarcely  ever  give  a  thought  to  the  fact  that 
ahead  of  them  is  a  dust  and  oil  begrimed  man 
who,  for  the  time  being,  literally  carries  their 
lives  in  the. hollow  of  his  sweaty  hand,  and  to 
whose  watchful  and  alert  eyes  and  .unflinching 
nerve  they  may  owe  their  escape  from  a  horrible 
death. 

But  so  it  is,  and  this  man  the  engineer, 
usually  of  humble  origin  and  meager  education, 
is  a  man  for  all  that,  and  one  of  force,  and  with 
the  power  and  will,  to  do  and  to  die  in  the  pur- 
suit of  his  duty  should  the  occasion  arise.  It 
is  extraordinary  how  few  cases  there  are  where 
engineers  have  been  found  derelict  in  the  mo- 
ment of  trial.  There  have  been  innumerable 
wrecks  since  railroads  were  first  introduced  into 
the  country,  but  the  record  of  the  number  of 
engineers  who  have  failed  when  the  crucial  test 
came  is  infinitesimal.  It  should  be  remembered 
that  there  is  no  way  in  which  the  courage  of  an 
engineer  can  be  tested,  and  only  by  actual  par- 
ticipation in  a  wreck  can  he  receive  his  baptism 
of  fire. 

When  once  danger  appears  in  front,  an  en- 
gineer's duty  is,  first,  to  close  the  throttle ;  sec- 
ond, to  apply  the  air  brakes ;  third,  to  reverse 
the  engine — that  is,  to  throw  over  the  reversing 
lever,  which  enables  the  engine  to  run  in  the 
opposite  direction  from  which  it  had  been  going ; 
fourth,  to  reopen  the  throttle. 

To  do  these  four  acts  calls  for  but  a  frac- 
tion of  time,  but  where  wrecks  result  the  dan- 
ger is  usually  so  imminent  as  frequently  not  to 
leave  even  sufficient  interval  to  accomplish  them, 
and  often  when  ruins  have  been  cleared  away 
the  body  of  the  faithful  guardian  has  been  dis- 
covered with  his  hand  on  the  throttle,  reverse 
lever,  or  brake,  and  bearing  silent  witness  as  to 


how  far  he  had  got  toward  the  accomplishment 
of  that  duty  which  he  had  yielded  his  life  to 
perform. 


THE  CAR  INSPECTOR. 

Importance  of  his  Work  and  the  Great  Watch- 
fulness Needed. 


It  is  interesting  to  watch  the  trained  car 
inspector  examining  a  long  freight  train  which 
has  rolled  into  the  yards.  He  moves  along  the 
side  of  the  cars  and  notes  off  the  wheels,  brake- 
beams,  bolsters,  rods,  etc.  He  uses  no  ham- 
mer, but  has  his  eyes  open  for  defects.  He  will 
stop  suddenly,  look  carefully  at  a  wheel  and  fol- 
low the  faint  lines  of  a  crack  running,  perhaps 
from  the  flange  to  the  center.  Such  a  wheel  is 
condemned  at  once,  and  the  car  is  shunted  off 
until  a  new  pair  of  wheels  can  be  placed  under 
it.  If  there  is  a  flat  place  on  a  wheel  which 
measures  more  than  two  and  one-half  inches 
across  that  wheel  must  go,  too.  Then  there  may 
be  a  sharp  flange,  and  that  must  be  looked  after. 
A  coupling  may  have  faults,  a  brake  rigging 
may  have  given  out,  and  all  these  things  the 
inspector  must  take  note  of. 

He  must  be  an  honest  man,  as  thousands 
of  dollars'  worth  of  property  and  many  lives 
might  be  sacrificed  in  case  he  neglected  some- 
thing. Box-car  doors  he  looks  at  carefully. 
They  are  dangerous  things  if  they  are  loose. 
Many  an  engineer  and  fireman  has  met  his  doom 
by  having  the  cab  strike  a  loose  car  door.  It 
may  be  hanging  in  place  in  the  yard,  but  when 
it  reaches  a  point  where  a  strong  wind  catches 
it,  out  it  goes,  and  the  passing  train  strikes  it. 
In  such  cases  there  is  a  shower  of  splinters,  a 
broken  cab,  and  it  is  lucky  indeed  if  there  is  no 
one  killed.  Engineers  have  a  dread  of  loose 
doors,  and  are  always  glad  when  a  freight  train 
is  past  them  when  they  are  running  at  full  speed. 

Another  thing  the  inspector  must  watch  is 
the  hopper-bottom  dump  car.  If  the  fastening 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


749 


gets  loose  and  lets  a  load  of  ore  or  limestone 
dimii  on  the  track  while  the  train  is  in  motion 
it  means  a  bad  wreck. 

Taking  all  things  into  consideration,  the 
car  inspector  is  a  very  important  man  in  the  rail- 
way service,  and  efficiency  on  his  part  comes  on- 
ly from  long  experience  and  careful  training. 


A  MECHANICAL  MARVEL. 

What  Sixty  Miles  an  Hour  Means  to  the  Loco- 
motive. 


It  all  sounds  simple  in  the  recital.  The  won- 
der of  the  things  comes  into  view  only  when  one 
reflects  on  the  speed  and  nicety  with  which  cum- 
brous parts  are  made  to  do  their  duty.  The 
piston  and  connecting  bar  of  a  modern  locomo- 
tive weigh  some  600  pounds.  When  the  speed 
is  60  miles  an  hour,  these  parts  travel  back  and 
forth  five  times  a  second.  Ten  times  a  second, 
at  the  end  of  every  stroke,  the  piston  head  is 
at  rest.  It  must  pass  from  this  condition  to  a 
velocity  of  1,800  feet  per  minute  in  one-twentieth 


of  a  second.  The  drive  wheels  measure  more 
than  a  rod  at  every  revolution,  but  when  going 
60  miles  an  hour  they  must  turn  more  than  300 
times  a  minute. 

Sixty  miles  an"  hour  is  the  merest  common- 
place to  the  mind  of  the  up  to  date  railroad  man, 
but  means  other  things  besides  those  described 
that  are  wonderful  to  the  outsider.  It  means  a 
steam  pressure  blow  of  20  tons  on  each  piston 
head  every  tenth  of  a  second.  It  means  that  up 
in  the  cab  the  fireman  is  throwing  into  the  fur- 
nace two-thirds  of  a  ton  of  coal  every  hour. 
No.  900  burns  coal  faster  than  ten  men  can  mine 
it.  It  means  two  quarts  of  oil  every  hour  to 
keep  her  journal  boxes  greased  and  everything 
running  smoothly.  It  means  that  the  engine 
with  its  half  dozen  cars  and  load  of  human 
freight  is  moving  through  space  with  twice  the 
power  of  a  shot  from  a  100  ton  gun.  It  means 
that  the  engineer  has  worked  her  up  to  the 
point  where  she  can  use  every  ounce  of  steam, 
that  he  is  coaxing  her  as  a  jockey  urges  his  mount 
in  a  fierce  race,  and  yet  it  means  that  he  is  ready 
at  a  second's  notice  to  move  the  reversing  lever 
and  apply  the  air-brakes  that  will  stop  the  mighty 
avalanche  within  the  distance  that  it  covers  as 
it  stands  on  the  tracks. — Earl  W.  Mayo  in  Ains- 
lee's. 


750 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


Cotton  Field  in  the  Yazoo  Valley,  Miss. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


751 


A  BUNCH  OF  RAILROAD  INCIDENTS. 


A  LIBERAL  GIVER. 


It  will  be  remembered  that  brakeman  Roy 
I  ekes  of  Freeport  saved  the  life  of  a  deaf  old 
gentleman  at  Galena.  The  engine  was  backing 
up  and  the  old  gentleman  did  not  hear  it  ap- 
proaching. It  was  within  two  feet  of  him  when 
Mr.  Ickes  snatched  him  out  of  harm's  way  at 
considerable  risk  to  himself.  The  rescued  in- 
dividual is  said  to  be  worth  in  the  neighborhood 
of  $75,000.  He  evidently  felt  grateful,  for 
he  hunted  up  Mr.  Ickes  and  reaching  down  in 
his  pocket  drew  out  two  quarters  which  he 
solemnly  presented  to  his  rescuer.  He  accom- 
panied the  gift  with  the  remark  that  he  hoped 
Mr.  Ickes  would  not  spend  the  money  for  drink- 
but  buy  with  it  something  to  wear  in  memory 
of  him.  Mr.  Ickes,  of  course,  was  overwhelmed 
at  this  extraordinary  munificence. 


ARMOUR  AS  A  BRAKEMAN. 


George  A.  Sheldon,  depot  master  of  the 
Lake  shore  station  at  Adrian,  Mich.,  who  died 
October  23,  after  46  years  of  continuous  service 
with  the  Lake  Shore  company,  was  a  veritable 
encyclopedia  of  railroad  incident,  and  his  well- 
told  tales,  if  repeated  in  his  own  select  phrase, 
would  rank  as  classic  literature.  His  narrations 
were  confined  to  actualities,  thus  giving  them 
a  real  value,  says  the  Detroit  News.  He  was 


for  many  years  a  conductor  and  among  the  best 
of  the  incidents  he  related  the  following : 

"One  day  there  stepped  aboard  my  train 
a  well  dressed,  business  appearing  man,  who,  as 
he  tendered  his  fare,  remarked : 

"  'I  see  you  are  still  on  the  road,  Mr.  Shel- 
don.' 

"Yes,  I  am  still  at  it,"  I  replied,  "but  I  am 
not  certain  that  I  remember  you,  though  I  think 
I  have  seen  you." 

"  'Yes  you  have  seen  me  before,'  emphasized 
the  passenger,  'and  while  you  doubtless  have  for- 
gotten it,  I  still  remember  that  you  once  did  me 
the  greatest  favor  of  my  life.  Come  to  my  se?t 
when. you  get  time  and  I'll  tell  you  about  it.' 

"When  I  had  finished  collecting  fares  1 
dropped  into  the  stranger's  seat,  and  he  con- 
tinued :  'Years  ago  I  was  four  days  brakeman 
on  your  train.  At  the  end  of  the  four  days 
you  took  me  aside  and  remarked  in  a  tone  of 
sympathy :  "I'm  sorry  to  have  to  tell  you  so,  but 
the  fact  is,  young  man,  you  are  too  much  of  a 
fool  to  ever  make  a  good  railroader.  Take  my 
advice  and  quit."  I  took  your  advice  and  went 
into  other  business  and  the  result  is  I  have  made 
a  fair  fortune.  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Sheldon,  for 
your  wise  counsel.' 

"What  is  your  name?"     I  asked. 

"  'Phil  D.  Armour,  of  Chicago,'  replied  my 
ex-brakeman,  'and  I  shall  always  remember  your 
kindness.  I  was  a  stupid  railroader  and  you 
advised  for  my  good.': 

"Until  this  interview,"  added  Mr.  Sheldon, 
"I  never  suspected  that  Phil  D.  Armour,  the 
packer,  was  the  brakeman  I  discharged  years 
before." 


752 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


HOW  SHE  GOT  HER  MONEY'S 
WORTH. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mellish  recently  moved  to 
Chicago  from  an  eastern  city  and  rented  a  house 
in  Hyde  Park.  Mrs.  Mellish  made  her  first 
downtown  shopping  trip  a  few  days  ago,  and 
it  was  rather  late  in  the  afternoon  when  she 
had  finished  looking  at  things  she  didn't  want 
to  buy.  Then  she  went  over  to  the  Van  Buren 
street  station,  handed  out  a  quarter  and  asked 
for  a  ticket  to  Hyde  Park.  The  agent  pushed 
out  15  cents  in  change  and  a  perforated  piece  of 
cardboard. 

Mrs.  Mellish  is  a  careful  woman.  Once  she 
heard  of  a  man  who  bought  a  railway  ticket, 
put  it  in  his  pocket  without  examining  ft,  and 
when  he  got  on  the  train  found  that  it  would 
take  him  only  about  half  way  to  the  place  for 
which  he  had  started.  So  she  has  made  it  a 
practice  always  to  be  sure  that  she  is  getting 
what  she  wants  when  she  buys  a  ticket  of  any 
kind. 

"Here,"  she  said  after  she  had  carefully 
read  what  was  printed  upon  her  piece  of  card- 
board, ''this  is  a  ticket  to  Woodlawn.  I  want 
to  go  to  Hyde  Park." 

"It's  all  right,  madam,"  replied  the  man  at 
the  window;  "that  will  take  you  to  Hyde  Park. 
Woodlawn  is  farther  out.  You  can  leave  the 
train  at  any  station  this  side." 

"But  I  don't  want  to  pay  for  a  ticket  to  Wood- 
lawn  when  I'm  not  going  that  far,"  she  de- 
clared. 

"The  fare  is  the  same  to  both  places,"  she 
was  told.  "It  would  cost  you  10  cents  if  your 
ticket  read  Hyde  Park  instead  of  Woodlawn. 
All  passengers  for  Hyde  Park  have  Woodlawn 
tickets.  Step  aside,  please  and  don't  keep  others 
waiting." 

Mrs.  Mellish  put  the  ticket  in  her  purse  and 
went  out  to  the  platform,  where  she  interviewed 
a  number  of  people  on  the  subject  to  make  sure 
that  she  was  not  being  victimized. 

When  Mr.  Mellish  got  home  that  night  his 
wife  was  not  there.  Dinner  time  came,  and  still 


she  had  not  arrived.  Finally,  along  about  7 
o'clock,  the  lady  appeared,  with  her  arms  full 
of  bundles  and  weary. 

"Why,  my  dear,  you  look  as  if  you  had 
walked  home,"  he  said. 

"I  have,  from  Woodlawn,"  she  replied. 

"What  have  you  been  doing  at  Woodlawn  ?" 
he  -asked. 

"Do  you  suppose,"  she  answered,  "that  I'm 
going  to  pay  for  a  ticket  to  Woodlawn  and  get 
off  at  Hyde  Park?  No!  It's  perfectly  out- 
rageous the  way  these  railroad  companies  scheme 
to  get  the  best  of  the  people !" 


THE  ENGINEER'S  STORY. 


"To  run  over  a  man — perhaps  that's  the 
only  thing  of  all  that  shakes  me.  To  see  him  on 
the  track  within  10  or  20  feet  of  you,  to  know 
that  you  can't  stop  to  save  him,  to  feel  the  wheels 
of  the  engine  go  over  his  body,  crunching  out 
his  life — a  man  don't  want  to  experience  that 
more  than  once  in  a  lifetime. 

"It's  worse  with  a  child.  There  was  an 
old  mate  of  mine  in  the  west  when  I  was  rid- 
ing in  the  Union  Pacific — never  mind  his  name : 
he's  dead  now — as  good  an  engineer  as  ever 
stood  in  a  box,  cool,  nerve  like  steel,  had  been 
through  three  wrecks,  a  holdup  and  a  fire.  Well, 
one  day  Jim  was  a  little  behind  his  schedule 
and  made  like  anything  for  the  next  stop.  There 
was  a  crossing  right  in  front  of  him.  He  saw 
that  everything  was  clear,  as  he  thought,  and 
went  right  ahead,  when  all  at  once  out  of  a  clump 
of  trees  there  ran  a  little  golden  haired  fairy- 
right  in  front  of  the  engine.  It  was  all  over 
in  one  instant,  and  when  the  train  stopped  Jim 
dropped  like  a  log.  It  was  two  months  before 
he  crept  back  again  to  work.  But  he  could  never 
come  to  that  crossing  but  he  saw  the  little  girl 
with  her  hair  fluttering  in  the  wind  running  out 
from  the  trees.  And  one  day  he  just  got  off 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


753 


his  engine,  turned  it  over  to  the  second  man 
and  walked  away,  never  to  be  seen  again  until 
bis  body  was  found  in  the  river. — Leslie's 
Weekly. 

SETTLED  FOR  THE  CALICO 
DRESS. 

No  Claim  was  made  by  the  Farmer  for  his  Wife's 
Broken  Limbs. 


"Just  settled  the  strangest  claim  for  dam- 
ages that  I  ever  had"  laughed  the  railroad  claim 
agent.  "I  was  called  down  the  road  the  other 
day  to  look  up  an  accident  that  we  had.  We 
had  run  into  an  old  farmer's  wife,  breaking 
both  of  her  legs  and  an  arm  and  using  her  up 
generally.  I  received  orders  from  the  general 
manager  to  go  post  haste  to  the  point  of  the 
accident  and  settle  for  it,  on  the  best  terms  I 
could  get. 

"Just  before  I  left  the  manager  handed  me 
a  letter  and  said  with  smile  that  I  had  better 
look  into  that,  too,  while  I  was  about  it,  as  it 
would  not  take  me  out  of  my  way.  When  I 
was  settled  for  the  journey  I  took  the  letter  out 
of  my  pocket  and  looked  it  over.  It  was  a  claim 
for  five  yards  of  calico,  with  the  threat  that  if 
we  didn't  settle  for  it  immediately  suit  would 
be  commenced  to  compel  us  to.  The  claim  was 
very  vague,  no  reason  being  given  why  we  should 
pay  for  five  yards  of  calico,  and  I  resolved  to 
look  the  matter  up  to  satisfy  my  own  curiosity 
if  nothing  else. 

"However,  the  other  case  was  more  serious 
so  I  looked  that  up  first,  and  as  I  entered  the 
house  the  old  man,  whose  wife  had  been  nearly 
killed,  said  grimly : 

'  'So  you're  here  te'r  settle  that  thar  claim 
fer  damages?  Will,  it  is  mighty  lucky  that  ye 
have  come,  fer  I  wuz  goin'  ter  start  suit  agin  ye 
right  away.  My  wife  hadn't  worn  that  thar 
dress  more'n  twice  an'  it  wuz  jes'  ez  good  ez 
new.' 


"Like  a  flash  it  dawned  upon  me  that  the 
two  claims  were  identical.  I  managed  to  settle 
with  the  old  man  without  falling  dead,  and  when 
1  left  he  shook  hands  with  me  cordially  and  said 
that  he  guessed  all  this  talk  about  robber  rail- 
roads was  mostly  newspaper  gas  for  political 
effect. —  (From  the  Detroit  Free  Press.) 


WOES  OF  THE  TICKET  SELLER. 


Carelessness  and  Crankiness  of  the  Traveling 
Public  Tend  to  Make  his  Life  a  Burden. 


"Do  you  ever  have  any  troubles?"  asked  a 
ticket  seller  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  The  cause  of  his 
question  was  that  a  few  minutes  before  he  had 
sold  a  couple  of  ladies  tickets  to  a  near-by  village. 
In  a  short  time  up  came  a  long,  lank,  ungainly 
countryman  and  bought  two  tickets  for  the  same 
village.  He  walked  directly  over  to  the  ladies 
who  had  already  purchased  tickets,  and,  after 
half  a  minute's  conversation,  rushed  back  to  the 
ticket  window  and  demanded  the  return  of  his 
money.  There  was  blood  in  his  eye,  and  he  told 
the  ticket  man  what  his  opinion  of  him  was, 
and  it  was  not  flattering.  He  also  informed  the 
ticket  seller  that  it  was  the  duty  of  the  ticket 
seller  to  have  told  him  that  the  ladies  had  pur- 
chased tickets.  His  money  was  refunded. 

Another  case  happened  a  short  time  ago, 
when  a  Western  Congressman  was  on  his  way 
through  this  city.  He  was  riding  on  a  Western 
Union  pass,  and,  by  the  way,  if  there  are  any 
impertinent  passengers  they  are  some  of  those 
who  ride  on  passes.  While  his  train  was  stand- 
ing at  the  depot  he  rushed  into  the  station  and 
wanted  the  operator  to  send  a  telegram  for  him. 
Just  at  the  time  he  came  in  the  agent  was  giving 
orders  to  the  conductor  and  when  a  man  is  giv- 
ing train  orders  he  is  not  supposed  to  do  any- 
thing else.  He  courteously  informed  the  Con- 


754 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


gressman  that  he  would  wait  on  him  in  a 
moment,  knowing  that  the  man  had  plenty  of 
time  before  the  train  left.  The  fellow  was  im- 
patient, and  when  the  agent  went  to  take  his 
message  he  explained  that  he  was  giving  the 
conductor  his  orders  and  could  do  nothing  else. 
The  Congressman  let  out  an  oath  and  -said  he 
didn't  look  as  though  he  could  attend  to  one 
thing  at  a  time,  let  alone  trying  to  do  two.  His 
language  was  decorated  around  the  edges  with 
swear  words  that  would  have  been  the  envy  of 
a  Texas  ranger. 

One  other  incident  occurred  when  the  late 
VV.  H.  H.  Adams  was  President  of  the  Wesleyan 


University.  Mr.  Adams  came  to  the  depot  to 
get  a  ticket.  He  had  a  clergyman's  permit  and 
of  course  his  ticket  was  half  price.  As  it  hap- 
pened an  angular  farmer  wanted  to  go  to  the 
same  place  and  got  to  the  window  in  time  to 
see  what  the  minister  paid  for  his  ticket,  and 
when  the  agent  asked  the  farmer  twice  as  much 
as  he  did  Mr.  Adams  the  farmer  made  a  dread- 
ful howl.  The  agent  pleasantly  explained  that 
the  other  gentleman  had  purchased  a  minister's 
ticket.  "Well,  give  me  a  minister's  ticket,  too, 
then.  A  minister's  ticket  is  good  enough  for 
me." 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


755 


RHYME  OF  THE  RAIL. 


JOHN  G.  SAXE. 


S  inging  through  the  forests, 

Rattling  over  ridges, 
Shooting  under  arches, 

Rumbling  over  bridges, 
Whizzing  through  the  mountains, 

Buzzing  o'er  the  vale, — 
Bless  me!     This  is  pleasant, 

Riding  on  the  rail! 

Men  of  different  "stations" 

In  the  eye  of  Fame, 
Here  are  very  quickly 

Coming  to  the  same. 
High  and  lowly  people, 

Birds  of  every  feather, 
On  a  common  level 

Traveling  together! 

Gentleman  in  shorts 

Looming  very  tall; 
Gentleman  at  large, 

Talking  very  small; 
Gentleman  in  tights, 

With  a  loose-ish  mien; 
Gentleman  in  gray, 

Looking  rather  green. 

Gentleman  quite  old, 

Asking  for  the  news; 
Gentleman  in  black, 

In  a  fit  of  blues; 
Gentleman  in  claret, 

Sober  as  a  vicar; 
Gentleman  in  Tweed, 

Dreadfully  in  liquor! 

Stranger  on  the  right, 
Looking  very  sunny, 

Obviously  reading 
Something  rather  funny. 

Now  the  smiles  are  thicker, 
Wonder  what  they  mean? 

Faith,  he's  got  the  KNICKER- 
BOCKER Magazine! 


Stranger  on  the  left, 

Closing  up  his  peepers; 
Now  he  snores  amain, 

Like  the  Seven  Sleepers; 
At  his  feet  a  volume 

Gives  the  explanation, 
How  the  man  grew  stupid 

From  "Association!" 

Ancient  maiden  lady 

Anxiously  remarks, 
That  there  must  be  peril 

'Mong  so  many  sparks! 
Roguish-looking  fellow, 

Turning  to  the  stranger, 
Says  it's  his  opinion 

She  is  out  of  danger! 

Woman  with  her  baby, 

Sitting  vis-a-vis; 
Baby  keeps  a  squalling; 

Woman  looks  at  me; 
Asks  about  the  distance, 

Says  it's  tiresome  talking, 
Noises  of  the  cars 

Are  so  very  shocking! 

Market-woman  careful 

Of  the  precious  casket, 
Knowing  eggs  are  eggs, 

Tightly  holds  her  basket; 
Feeling  that  a  smash, 

If  it  came,  would  surely 
Send  her  eggs  to  pot 

Rather  prematurely! 

Singing  through  the  forests, 

Rattling  over  ridges, 
Shooting  under  arches, 

Rumbling  over  bridges, 
Whizzing  through  the  mountains, 

Buzzing  o'er  the  vale; 
Bless  me!  this  is  pleasant, 

Riding  on  the  rail! 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY 


MISSOURI  IKE. 


The  story  of  Missouri  Ike, 

Is  a  native  of  the  County  Pike; 

A  railroad  man  he  fain  would  be, 

And  went  to  work  with  C.  R.  I.  &  P. 

That  road  he  left  in  '94, 

And  went  out  to  the  Golden  Shore. 

From  there  to  Tennessee  he  went, 

In  Memphis  his  last  dollar  spent. 

"I'm  on  the  bum  again,"  quoth  he, 

"I'll  go  to  work  for  the  Y.  and  M.  V." 

He  went  to  work  with  S.  K.  White, 

That  high  ball  run — it  was  all  right. 

There  he  stayed  for  thirty  days; 

He  then  thought  he  would  change  his  ways. 

To  Wilson  town  he  went  to  lodge, 

And  went  to  work  with  Joseph  Bodds. 

Joe  is  the  son  of  Erin's  Isle, 

But  I  thought  he  would  stay  awhile; 

Until  one  day  in  early  spring, 

A  flagman  by  the  name  of  Emrich  came  and 

took  his  job  away. 

Now  in  the  South  Ike  would  not  stay, 
But  went  to  the  land  where  they  raise  long  hay. 
Three  months  he  was  in  Omaha; 
Then  went  to  Cameron  to  see  his  pa; 
There  he  did  not  tarry  long, 
And  says,  "I  will  be  moving  on." 
Back  to  the  "Sunny  South"  he  comes, 
And  goes  with  Stanton  on  a  chain  gang  run. 
Now,  Missouri  Ike  as  a  railroad  man, 
Is  excelled  by  few  in  all  the  land, 
But  accidents  are  sure  to  be; 
Ike  left  Vicksburg  on  3-83. 
It  was  a  very  foggy  night; 
He  could  not  see  the  brake-man's  light; 
He  left  Port  Gibson  an  hour  late; 
They  will  make  that  up  as  sure  as  fate. 
As  there  is  nothing  on  the  line, 
They  will  go  to  Wilson  killing  time. 
But  no!  that  was  not  to  be. 
The  train  was  parted— let  me  see — 
It  was  just  five  cars  from  the  caboose, 
Where  that  knuckle  was  broken  loose. 
Missouri  Ike  with  link  and  pin, 
Prepared  to  couple  up  again. 
The  way  John  Farr  came  back,  it  beat  the  band, 
And  mashed  Missouri  Ike's  right  hand. 
One  finger  gone— that  is  not  bad; 
Ten  was  all  he  ever  had. 
The  company's  doctor — his  name's  Quin, 
Will  make  him  good  as  new  again. 
"Go  North,  my  boy,  your  folks  to  see, 
At  the  expense  of  the  old  1.  C., 


And  when  the  summer  sun  is  set, 
Come  back  and  work  with  Bruce  Monette." 
Ike  stayed  with  Monette  for  a  month  or  two; 
Business  got  dull  when  they  pulled  off  the  crew. 
It  is  work  that  Ike  wants,  as  you  all  know; 
So  with  this  little  tale  of  woe, 
Straightway  to  the  train  master  he  did  go. 
Mr.  Bellows  looked  wise,  and  said  with  a  smile, 
"I'll  attend  to  your  case  after  awhile." 
Ike  loafed  around  Wilson  for  a  day  or  two, 
Then    rolled  Tom  Gardner  off  John  Lawton's 

crew . 
Lawton   is  an  old-timer,  and   he  likes   Ike,    I 

know, 

For  back  and  forth  through  the  hills  they  go. 
They  are  just  as  contented  as  they  can  be, 
In  their  little  red  caboose  No.  98943. 
Now,  kind  friends,  this  story  is  true — 
To  prevent  exaggeration  I  will  bid  you  adieu. 


WHAT  THE  CAR  WHEELS  SANG. 


[FRANK  L.  STANTON  in  Atlanta  Constitution.] 


i. 

With  a  scream  of  the  whistle  our  farewell  said, 
And  into  the  blackness  of  night  we  sped 

On  and  on 

To  meet  the  dawn; 

Under  the  sky  where  the  stars  burn  red;     . 
Past  hills  that  stood  where  the  snows  were  shed, 
Ghostly  white  as  the  shrouded  dead; 

On  and  on 

To  meet  the  dawn; 
True  hand  at  the  throttle  and  hope  ahead! 

The  steel  rails  ringing — 

The  swift  wheels  singing; 
"To  kith  and  kin,  O  hearts  that  roam — 
In  vine-wreathed  cot,  and  marble  dome, 
Over  the  world  we  bear  you  home!" 


Whirled   through   the   dark  where   the  black  steed 

drives 
Are  joys  and  sorrows  of  human  lives; 

Laughter  and  weeping, 

And  children  sleeping 

On  the  breasts  of  glad  mothers;  and  wistful  wives; 
The  clang  of  chains  and  the  grip  of  gyves! 

On  and  on 

To  meet  the  dawn 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  EMPLOYES. 


757 


Where  Light  the  soul  of  Darkness  shr  ves! 

The  steel  rails  ringing — 

The  mad  wheels  singing: 

"To  gloom  or  gladness,  O  hearts  that  roam — 
To  darkened  dwelling  or  marble  dome 
Over  the  world  we  bear  you  home!" 


There  are  hearts  that  listen  with  hope  and  fear 
For  the  signal  thrill  of  the  engineer; 

That  throb  and  thrill 

At  that  signal  shrill, 

Does  it  bring  them  the  rose  or  the  rue  to  wear? 
The  song,  the  sigh,  or  the  burning  tear? 

On  and  on 

To  meet  the  dawn — 
The  black  night  dies,  and  the  hills  stand  clear! 

"What  are  you  bringing,  . 

O  swift  wheels  singing — 
O  daisied  meadow  and  dew-sweet  loam?" 
"The  hearts  that  hunger — the  hearts  that  roam- 
Over  the  world  we  bear  them  home!" 


Old  friends,  old  lovers,  in  rapture  wild  — 
Kiss  of  the  mother  and  clasp  of  the  child; 

The  night  is  gone  — 

We  have  met  the  dawn; 
Never  so  gladly  the  sweet  sun  smiled! 
Never  the  spirit  of  Night  beguiled 

The  hand  so  true, 

That  the  throttle  knew— 
Bearing  the  burden  of  mother  and  child 

On  and  on 

To  the  joy  of  the  dawn! 

With  ever  that  song  to  the  hearts  that  roam 
"To  vine-wreathed  cot  and  marble  dome 
Over  the  world  we  bear  you  home!" 


FLANNIGAN  AND  FINNIGAN. 


St.  Louis  is  a  great  town.  A  great  many  great 
things  emanate  from  St.  Louis.  They  write  poetry 
among  the  other  things  they  do  so  well — even  the  rail- 
road men  drop  into  poetry  sometimes,  and  then  it  is 
truly  great.  The  authorship  of  "The  Beautiful  Snow" 
and  the  "Junius  Letters"  has  never  been  discovered, 
and  the  same  fate  is  in  store  for  this  idyllic  effusion 
from  St.  Louis,  entitled  "Flannigan  and  Finnigan": 


Superintindint  wus  Flannigan; 

Boss  av  the  siction  wus  Finnigan. 

Whiniver  the  kyars  got  offen  the  track 

An"  muddled  up  things  to  the  divil  and  back, 

Finnigan  writ  it  to  Flannigan, 

After  the  wrick  wus  all  on  agin. 

That  is,  this  Finnigan 

Repoorted  to  Flannigan. 

When  Finnigan  furst  writ  to  Flannigan, 
He  writed  tin  pages,  did  Finnigan. 
An'  he  tould  just  how  the  smash  occurred; 
Full  many  a  tejus,  blunderin'  wurd 
Did  Finnigan  write  to  Flannigan 
After  the  kyars  had  gone  on  again. 
That  wus  how  Finnigan 
Repoorted  to  Flannigan. 

Now,  Flannigan  knowed  more  than  Finnigan — 

He'd  more  idjucation,  had  Flannigan; 

An'  it  wore  him  clane  and  completely  out 

To  tell  what  Finnigan  writ  about 

In  his  writin'  to  Muster  Flannigan. 

So  he  writ  back  to  Finnigan: 

"Don't  do  sich  a  sin  agin; 

Make  'em  brief.— FLANNIGAN." 

When  Finnigan  got  this  from  Flannigan, 

He  blushed  rosy  red,  did  Finnigan; 

An'  he  said,  "I'll  gamble  a  whole  month's  pa-ay 

That  it  will  be  minny  and  minny  a  da-ay 

Before  Sup'rintindent,  that's  Flannigan, 

Gets  a  whack  at  this  very  same  sin  agin. 

From  Finnigan  to  Flannigan: 

Reports  won't  be  long  agin." 

Wan  day  on  the  siction  of  Finnigan, 

On  the  road  sup'rintinded  by  Flannigan, 

A  rail  gave  way  on  a  bit  of  a  curve 

An'  some  kyars  went  off  as  they  made  the  swerve. 

"There's  nobody  hurted,"  saz  Finnigan, 

"But  reports  must  be  made  to  Flannigan." 

An'  he  winked  at  McGorrigan, 

As  married  a  Finnigan. 

He  wuz  shantyin'  thin,  was  Finnigan, 

As  minny  a  railroader's  been  agin, 

An    the  shmoky  ol'  lamp  wuz  burnin'  bright 

In  Finnigan's  shanty  all  that  night. 

Bilin'  down  his  repoort  was  Finnigan. 

An'  he  writ  this  here:     "Muster  Flannigan, 

Off  agin,  on  agin, 

Gone  agin.— FINNIGAN." 


INDEX. 


HISTORICAL. 


A  Ride  on  the  Piano 725 

Act   Incorporating  an   Illinois   Central   Rail- 
way     13 

American  Passenger  Service 745 

American  Train  Dispatcher,  The 747 

Amount  Paid  by  the  I.  C.  into  the  Illinois 

State  Treasury 34 

Armour  as  a  Brakeman 751 

Arthur,  Peter  M .- 647 

"Atlantic,"  The 677 

Ayer,  Benjamin  Franklin 60 

Banks,  Gen.  Nathaniel  P 36 

Bellville  &  Southern  R.  R 117 

Bessemer  Steel  Process 68 1 

"Best  Friend,"  The 677 

Bill  to  Incorporate  the  Illinois  Central 274 

Biographical 128 

Blackstone,  Timothy  B 61 

"Blenkensop,"  The'. 676 

Boston  &  Providence  R.  R 681 

Boston  &  Worcester  R.  R 680 

Brayman,  Gen.  Mason 36 

"Brunton,"  The 676 

Building  of  Illinois  Central 684 

Bunch  of  Railroad  Incidents,  A 751 

Burnside,  Gen.  Ambrose  E 36 

Cairo   Bridge 31 

Cairo  City  &  Canal  Co 13 

Calhoun,  John  B 29 

Car  Inspector,  The 748 

Carroll,  Charles,  of  Carrollton 680 

41 


Carson,  Irving  W 37 

Cedar  Falls  &  Minnesota  R.  R 1 18 

Cedar  Rapids  &  Chicago  R.  R 1 18 

Charter  of  the  B.  &  O.  Railway 680 

Cherokee  &  Cedar  Rapids  R.  R 1 18 

Chesapeake,  Ohio  &  Southwestern  R.  R 1 18 

Chicago  Harbor  &  Improvement  Co 37 

Chicago,  Havana  &  Western  R.  R 117 

Chicago,  Madison  &  Northern  R.  R 117 

Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans  R.  R 1 18 

Chicago  to  Omaha  via  I.  C.  R.  R 727 

Chicago  &  Texas  R.  R 1 18 

Clarke,  E.  E 653 

Clarke,  Leverett  H 58 

Class  and  Traction  Power  of  Engines 119 

Completion  of  Main  Line 33 

Cost  of  Great  Britain's  Railways 680 

Cost  of  Rails 30 

Curley  and  his  Engine 741 

"DeWitt  Clinton,"  The 680 

DeWolf,   William 37 

Directors    of    the    Illinois    Central    Railroad 

Company no 

Disposition  of  Granted  Land 25 

"Dragon,"   The 678 

Dubuque  &  Sioux  City  R.  R 118 

Dunleith  &  Dubuque  Bridge 118 

Early  Estimates  of  Cost 33 

Effect  of  Panic  of  1837 686 

Engineers  Prove  Faithful 748 

Engineer's  Story,  The 752 


760 


INDEX. 


Everett,  Charles  W 37 

Exports  from  Galena 31 

Fast   Runs 719 

First  Contract  for  Grading 1 16 

First  Line  to  Apply  Locomotive  Traction. .  .680 

First  Line  to  Carry  U.  S.  Mail 680 

First  Locomotive  Built  in  the  U.  S 677 

First  Locomotive  Used  in  the  U.  S 677 

First  National  Legislation  in  the  U.  S.  Per- 
taining  to   Railroads 681 

First  Patent  Granted  for  Locomotives  in  the 

United  States 677 

First  Purchase  of  Rails 30 

First  Railroad  Built  in  the  U.  S 680 

First  Railroad  for  Passenger  Traffic  in  Eng- 
land  679 

First  Round  House  in  the  World 678 

First  Steam  Freight  Line 679 

First  Steam  Railroad  Train  in  New  York. .  .680 
First  Steel  Used  in  Railroad  Construction  in 

the  United  States 681 

French,  Gov.  Augustus  C 25 

Galena 31 

Great  Western  Railway  Company 16 

Gridley,  Ashael 26 

Government  Amply  Repaid 685 

Grant  to  Iowa  Territory 683 

Havana,  Rantoul  &  Eastern  R.  R 117 

"Hercules,"  The 678 

Hey  worth,  Hon.  Lawrence 25 

Historical  Biographies 65 

History  of  the  Illinois  Central  R.  R.  Co 1 1 

Holbrook  Charter 13 

How  Illinois  has  Fared 686 

How  She  Got  Her  Money's  Worth 752 

Hughitt,  Marvin 61 

Illinois  Central  Employes'  Hospital 713 

Illinois  Central  Test  Car 711 

Incorporation  of  Illinois  Central  R.  R.  Co. ...   22 

Incorporators  of  the  Illinois  Central 27 

Indiana  &  Illinois  Southern  R.  R 117 

Influence  on  Country's  Development 687 

Kankakee  &  Southwestern  R.  R 117 

Kirkland,  Maj .  Joseph 37 

Lake  Front  Act  of  1869 37 


Lake  Front  Act. 


39 


Land   Commissioners 23 


Land    Grants 19 

Land  Grants,  Stuy vesant  Fish 683 

Laying  of  Rails  in  Baltimore 680 

Liberal  Giver,  A 751 

Lincoln  Car,  The 121 

Lines  Opened  for  Traffic 116 

Litchfield    Division 118 

Liverpool  &  Manchester  R.  R 680 

McClellan,  Gen.  George  B 36 

Mason,  Roswell  B 28 

Mechanical  Marvel,  A 749 

Memorial  for  Charter 25 

Mileage  and  Equipment  of  I.  C 113 

Mileage  in  Various  States ,116 

Mileage  Y.  &  M.V.  R.  R 116 

Miscellaneous  Matter 673 

Mohawk  &  Hudson  R.  R 680 

"Mount  Clare,"  The 678 

Ninety  Miles  an  Hour 695 

Number  and  Classification  of  Cars  Owned  by 

the  Illinois  Central 119 

Number  of  Locomotives  owned  by  the  I.  C. .  1 19 

Ohio  Valley  Railroad 1 18 

Oldest  of  Locomotive  Engineers 715 

Old  N.  O.  J.,  &  G.  N.  Time  Card 716 

Omaha  Division,  Completion  of 1 18 

Organization  of  First  Engineering  Party...  1 16 

Organization  of  the  Land  Department 22 

Peoria,  Decatur  &  Evansville  R.  R 119 

"Perkins,"    The 679 

Personnell  of  the  Management 123 

Philadelphia  &  Trenton  R.  R 68 1 

Pioneer  in  the  Boneyard 723 

Portsmouth  &  Roanoke  R.  R 681 

Pre-Emption  of  Lands 18 

Presidents  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  Co 95 

Railroad  Man,  The 743 

Railway  Signal  System 735 

Road  Planned  to  Reach  Mobile 684 

Rails  Used  by  the  Illinois  Central 120 

Railway  Connection  with  the  South 48 

Railway  System  of  Great  Britain 680 

Ransom,  Gen.  Thomas  E.  G 36 

Religious  Railway,  A 707 

Revenue  Freight  Cars 119 

Revenue  Per  Mile  Operated 120 

Right  of  Way  Bill 16 


INDEX. 


761 


Riots  of  July,  1877 46 

Robinson,  Gen.  H.  L 37 

"Rocket,"    Stephenson's 677 

Securing  Right  of  Way 27 

Settled  for  the  Calico  Dress 753 

Sketch  of  I.  C.  and  its  Traffic 689 

Sketch  of  Railroading,  its  Joys  and  Dangers. 71 7 

Sleeping  Car  Contract 47 

South  Carolina  Railroad 680 

South   Chicago  Railroad 117 

State  Appropriation  Under  Act  of  February 

27,    1837 13 

Stephenson,    George 676 

Stuart,  Col.  David 37 

Stuy vesant  Docks 688 

Surveying  Parties 29 

"T"  Rails.  First  made  in  U.  S 681 

The    "600". 679 

Total  Grant  of  Land 23 

Transportation   Advancement 675 

"Trevithick,"  The 675 

Tucker,  Col.  James  T 37 

Tucker,  Joseph  F 59 

Turchin,  Gen.  J.  B 37 

Visit  of  Foreign  Delegates 44 

Welling,  John  C 60 

Wentworth,  Hon.  John 19 

Wilmington  &  Susquehanna  R.  R 681 


Woes  of  the  Ticket  Seller  .................  753 

Wyman,  Gen.  John  B  .....................   37 

Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  R.  R  ...........  1  18 


RAILROAD   FRATERNITIES. 

Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers  ......  647 

Grand   International   Auxiliary  to  the   B.  of 
L.  E  .........  ..'  .......  ."  .............  651 

Order  of  Railway  Conductors  .............  653 

Ladies'  Auxiliary  to  the  O.  R.  C  ...........  659 

Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Fireman  .......  66  1 

Ladies'  Society,  B.  of  L.  F  .................  665 

Brotherhood  of  Railway  Trainmen  .........  667 

Ladies'  Auxiliary  to  the  B.  of  R.  T  .........  669 

Order  Railway  Telegraphers  ..............  671 


POETRY. 

Rhyme  of  the  Rail  .......................  755 

Missouri    Ike  ............................  756 

What  the  Car  Wheels  Sang  ...............  756 

Flannigan  &  Finnigan  ....................  757 


762 


INDEX. 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 


Abbott,  J.  North 198 

Abrell,  John  A 3°4 

Ackerman  William  K I41 

Adams,  A.  M 392 

Adams,  Oscar  E 147 

Addkison,  Robert  E 334 

Albright,  Lee  W 282 

Albright,  Lewis 146 

Alderman,  William 176 

Alford,  Robert  S 253 

Allen,    George .•  •  •  454 

Alsop,  Joseph  W 84 

Ames  Thomas 493 

Anderson,  Harry  H 402 

Anderson,  John  A 592 

Andrews,  J.  M 378 

Andruss,  J.  B 296 

Armistead,  R.  L 211 

Armstrong,  George  H 178 

Arnn,  E.  T 531 

Arnold,  M.  N 562 

Arthur,  William  R 618 

Ash,  J.  C 402 

Ashley,  William  H.  Jr 282 

Ashton   James 326 

Aspinwall,  William  H 87 

Ayer,  Benjamin  Franklin 60 

Bacot,  Byron  L 362 

Bacot,  W.  B 363 

Baer,  Elwood  E 544 

Bailey,  Daniel  S .428 

Baker,  E.  H 507 

Baker,  Horace 558 

Baker,  W.  F 327 

Ball,  Henry  A 305 

Banks,  Gen.  Nathaniel  P 36 


Banks,  Thomas  Allen  Jr 206 

Banks,  William  E 313 

Banta  James  H 537 

Barker,  W.  E 579 

Barnes,  Isaac  F 532 

Barnes,  L.  Ed 368 

Barnett,  Charles  J 354 

Barnett,  George  L 347 

Barr,  William  N 177 

Bartlett,  William  H 202 

Barton,  Thomas  F 633 

Beach,  J.  F 372 

Beals,  Henry  H 597 

Beals,  William  L., 298 

Beanland,  William  G 224 

Becker,  George  M 291 

Bellows,  Albert  W 496 

Bennett,   George   G 487 

Benton,  George  E 358 

Benwell,  Harry  C 227 

Beven,  William 383 

Bigleben,   Adam   R .557 

Bishop,  John  C 533 

Blackman,  Joseph  A 315 

Blackstone,  Timothy  B 61 

Blades,   Harry  W 233 

Blodgett,  Alexander 551 

Blount,  Isaac  T 418 

Bonds,  William  P 243 

Boone,   Jacob  W 262 

Bornschein,   Joseph  J 247 

Boston,  F.  W 168 

Bowers,  Philip  W 427 

Boydston,  B.  A 454 

Boyle,   Patrick " 622 

Bradley,  C.  W 347 

Bradley,  W.  A 492 


INDEX. 


763 


Branner,  F.  M 248 

Brayman,    Gen.    Mason 36 

Breckenridge,   Allender  R 555 

Brennan,  Robert 328 

Brewer,   Samuel  H 212 

Brice,  H.  O 545 

Bringle,  N.  E 378 

Bristow,  Sidney  D 155 

Broas,  Albert  E 211 

Brooks,  L.  R 405 

Brown,  D.  H 526 

Brown,    Harry   J 365 

Brown,   J.    Wesley 225 

Brown,  Orville  W 304 

Brown,   Roldin   A 514 

Brown,    William 485 

Byrant,  C.  A 176 

Buck,  R.  C 599 

Buckner,  L.  G 367 

Burgess,  Charles 297 

Burhyte,  A.  D 136 

Burnell,  John  T 372 

Burns,  D.  E 600 

Burns,  James 485 

Burns,  Luther 213 

Burnsides,  Gen.  Ambrose  E 36 

Burrall,  William  Porter 99 

Burrer,  Frank  L 367 

Burrous,  P.  D 345 

Busch,    Benjamin 493 

Butler,  W.  0 576 

Caldwell,  Eugene  B 251 

Calhoun,  Samuel  J 436 

Calkins,  C.  C 194 

Cameron,  D.  C 234 

Camp,  H.  E 188 

Campbell,    A 217 

Campbell,  Hollie 443 

Canfield,  Egbert  N 516 

Carey,  H.  C 536 

Carey,  M.  F 155 

Carey,    Thomas 315 

Carney,  Charles 5rS 

Carney,  J.  G 570 

Carson,  Irving  W 37 

Chandler,  J.  M 433 


Chandler,  R.  L 464 

Chapman,  Samuel  B 593 

Charlton,    Harry 386 

Chevalier  David  L 156 

Chevalier,  Henry  L 176 

Clancy,  Daniel  F 294 

Clark,  Eli 505 

Clark,   George  A 498 

Clark,  S.  C 541 

Clark,  W.  K 594 

Clarke,  James  C 107 

Clarke,  Leverett  H '. .  .   58 

Clarke,  R.  A 580 

Clermont,  A.  E 634 

Cobourn,  W.  D 2^5 

Cole,  Geof.  W 567 

Cole,  Hon.  W.  Q 501 

Collins,  E.  A., 478 

Collins,    Thomas 511 

Colmesnill,  William  T 203 

Colquhoun,    W 428 

Conaty,    Peter 467 

Conrath,  P.  J 554 

Conwell,  William  A 268 

Cooley,  F.  R 147 

Cooper,    Hiram 402 

Corcoran,    William 515 

Coughlin,  M.  J 555 

Coulter,  J.   T 575 

Covington,    Howard 558 

Cowan  Edward  D 435 

Coyle,    Bernard 184 

Crabb,  Cooper  W 612 

Craig,  Charles  B 274 

Craig,  James  H 278 

Craig,  Thomas  N 286 

Cranmer,  T.  E 406 

Crisp,  Edward  F 387 

Crockett,  Allen  G 321 

Crones,   John 567 

Crossett,  E.  L 579 

Crowley,  John  F 568 

Crownover,  George  M 143 

Crumm,   S.  W 556 

Crutchfield,  Ed.  W 264 

Culley,  Sam.  C 445 

Culton,  David  J 241 


764 


INDEX. 


Cunningham,    H   T 296 

Cunningham,  J.  A 39$ 

Curley,  Michael  S 455 

Curley,  W.  B.. 33* 

Curran,   Bernard 594 

Curran,    Franklin 603 

Curran,    Michael -. . .  293 

Curtin,  Edward 308 

Dagron,  L.  L 382 

Dahl,  A.  0 242 

Dailey,   Eugene 137 

Dalton,  Frank  C 423 

Dana,  E.  0 265 

Dana,  Edgar  W 544 

Danks,  Edward 454 

Dardis,   James 295 

Davidson,    Forbes 418 

Davis,  G.  H 587 

Davis,  J.  L 361 

Davis,  Rodney  D : 598 

Davis,  W.  A 265 

Davis,  William  B 483 

Davis,  William  L 412 

Dawes,  Robert 257 

Dawson,  A.  J 505 

Dawson,  Lance  L 338 

Day,  W7.  G 404 

Dean,  George  C 264 

DeBolt,  Cornelius  B 146 

Dekle,  L.  W 394 

Delaney,  M.  F 366 

Detrick,  William 615 

Deveny,  W.  A 277 

DeWolf,    William 37 

Dicke,  F.  J 277 

Dickinson,  E.  H 391 

Dillon,  Adelbert 521 

Dietrech,  H.  W 273 

Dietrick,  J.  W 267 

Dixon,  Charles  K 481 

Dodds,  William  A 523 

Dodge,  J.  W 245 

Doherty,  John 157 

Dolan,  John 507 

Donoghue,  Edward 235 

Donnegan,  Owen, 531 


Donovan,  J.  T 243 

Donovan,  Michael 284 

Dooley,  James  P 298 

Douglas,  James  H 473 

Douglas,  John  M 105 

Driscoll,  E.  A 263 

Dunbar,  C.  E 408 

DuBois,  J.  M 192 

Dugan,  George  M 630 

Dugan,  John  G 194 

Dunham,  Edwin  C 385 

Dunham,  Frank 492 

Dunham,  Joseph  A 416 

Dunn,  C.  E 448 

Dunn,  J.  F 463 

Dunn,  O.  M 323 

Dunn,  W.  B 611 

Dunning,  William  DeWitt 425 

Dunsmoor,  Charles  H 138 

Dunsmore,  J.  F 570 

Duvall,  Reginald 262 

Eagleson,  W.  W 295 

Earnist,  A.  S 547 

Earnist,  William  W 273 

Eccles,  T.  H 496 

Edams,  John  B 542 

Edwards,  T.  M 568 

Egan   Michael 434 

Egger,  William 618 

Eich,  Henry  C 207 

Elliott,  David  D 393 

Ellis,  C.  C 435 

Elrocl,  Samuel  G 641 

Engelbrecht,  C 502 

Ensor,  William  H 353 

Erickson,  H.  T 252 

Estey,  H.  P 156 

Evans,   Frank, ' 143 

Evans,  Julian  T. 456 

Everett,  Charles  W 37 

Everett,  R.  J 437 

Faessler,  Charles 411 

Fagg,  T.  M 306 

Fairburn,  A.  J 163 

Fairburn,  L.  W 138 


INDEX. 


765 


Farnum,  George  W 303 

Farnum,  William  E 586 

Farrington,  N.  S 484 

Pass,  Louis  J , 221 

Fauquier,  H.  M 356 

Ferguson,  F.  A.  C 325 

Ferguson,  William  T 364 

Fenner,  D.  H 552 

Fern,  C  .0 164 

Fern,  Frank  E 182 

Fern,  R.  M .' 173 

Fish,  Stuyvesant 131 

Fitch,  Samuel  M 507 

Fitzpatrick,  James 471 

Flanagan,  M.  G 162 

Flickinger,  D.  M 144 

Fletcher,  Charles  B 506 

Fletcher,  William 324 

Fluck,  William  F 301 

Fogerty,  Henry 471 

Foote,  Lewis  C 166 

Ford,  John  G 386 

Ford,  Leon 228 

Ford,  Stephen  0 317 

Forsythe,  William  S 258 

Fortin,  Edward  L 599 

Foss,  Lorretto  H 421 

Foster,  George  H 336 

Fox,  Benjamin  F 193 

Fox,  John  H 138 

Fraley,  Andrew  J 254 

Franklin,  A.  T 462 

Frantz  William  M 532 

Prates,  J.  A 411 

Freeman,  C.  P 307 

Frisbie,  N.  W 431 

Fuller,  Ed 461 

Fulmer,  J.  S 575 

Fuqua,  John  H 335 

Galvani,  B.  F -.414 

Galvani,   Charles 424 

Gardner,  Charles  W 331 

Gardner,  William 256 

Garmes,   Henry 5°S 

Garvin,  F.  J 398 

Garrard,  S.  L 605 


Garrett,  A.  T 553 

Gates,  H.   F 172 

Gaven,  John  J 553 

Geary,  Patrick  H 318 

Gepper,    Michael 424 

Gerry,  Edward  W 511 

Gerry,  W.  H 508 

Ghent,  Z.  T 293 

Gilkinson,    Stewart 474 

Gilleas,  M 634 

Gillen,  C.  E 308 

Girard,  August  E 61 1 

Glavin,  William  and  Thomas  Jr 641 

Glove,  John 612 

Godwin,  Robert  A 237 

Good,  J.  B.  F 458 

Goodale,  R.  J 606 

Goodwin,   Isaac 292 

Goodwin,  Z.  J 421 

Gordin,  George  R 476 

Gorman,  John  R 132 

Gossett,  J,  P 284 

Gould,  D.  R 186 

Grace,  Thomas  F 488 

Graney,  John 201 

Granger,  George 287 

Gray,  Oscar  D 196 

Gregory,  E.  T 163 

Greig,  Charles  D 147 

Griffin,  J.  R 168 

Griffin,  Philip  R 183 

Griffith,  R.  M 168 

Grinnell,  Henry 89 

Griswold,   George 68 

Griswold,  John  N.  A 101 

Grogan,  Pat 622 

Guiteau,  F.  T 482 

Gunther,  James  C 238 

Gutshall,  David 494 

Hackett,  G.  W 177 

Hadaway,  W.  A 438 

Hafeli,  F 629 

Haines,  A.  G 172 

Hales,  Thomas  F 599 

Hall,  Austin 293 

Hall,   John 504 


766 


INDEX. 


Hall,  W.  C 224 

Hall,  William  F 166 

Hallam,  Dr.  John  L 628 

Hancock,  William  G 246 

Hanson,  John  W 158 

Hanson,    Sam 297 

Harlan,  E.  R .238 

Harlan,  R.  J 610 

Harms,  Arthur, 251 

Harahan,  J.  T 604 

Harahan,  William  J 588 

Harper,  Grantley  B 365 

Harper,  John 225 

Harper,  Sidney  J 546 

Harrell,  Benjamin  E 545 

Harrell,  Charles  W 318 

Harrell,  J.  D 195 

Harrington  John  E 306 

Harriman,  Frank  B 552 

Hart,  Andrew  S 304 

Hartigan,  John   C 634 

Harvey,  G.  E 575 

Harwood,  Fred  H 266 

Hassman,  George  W 527 

Hatch,  O.  L 407 

Hatfield,  Willard  W 427 

Hatz,  George  J 472 

Haven,  Franklin 83 

Haviland,  William  J 148 

Hawks,  H.  G 283 

Hayes,  P.  L 201 

Haynie,  W.  C 234 

Healy,   P. 522 

Heath,  William  A 593 

Hedgpeth,  Marshal  R 491 

Hegler,   Ed 276 

Helmick,  William  J 376 

Henchcliff,  Titus 617 

Henney,  Frank  D 536 

Henry,  William  T 473 

Herbert,  W.  R 377 

Herring,  Ben 228 

Hildreth,  Charles  F 155 

Higgins,  John  W 633 

Hight,  A.  B. 457 

Hill,  A.  H 502 

Hill,  Hiram 356 


Hill,  Martin 167 

Hixon,    McHenry 207 

Hodge,   George   L 483 

Hoffman,  Joseph  E 637 

Hogan,  John  A 314 

Holland,  Jerry  W 266 

Holland,  J.  M 134 

Holly,   John.  . .' 478 

Holt,  Charles  A 615 

Hooper,  A.  L 286 

Hopkins,  W.  V 287 

Horton,  Samuel 453 

Hoskins,  James  M 261 

Hoskins,  W.  T 218 

Houseal,  John  1 191 

Houseal,  J.  Fred 337 

Howard,  H.  D 305 

Huber,  M.  J., 587 

Hudson,  Thomas  J 641 

Hughitt,  Marvin 61 

Hume,  W.  A 487 

Humphrey,  Dominic  T 503 

Hunt,  Wilson  G 107 

Hunt,  W.  J 630 

Hurd  Charles  E 514 

Hutchison,  J.  R 272 

i 

Ickes,  William  L 411 

Trie  Henry  H 522 

Jacoway,  B.  J 235 

Jacobs,  John  C 441 

James,  Fred  S 642 

Jaquith,  A.  L 357 

Jarman,  George  E 414 

Jarvis,  C.  C 208 

Jarvis,  John  F 181 

Jay,    Philips 438 

Jeffery,  Edward  T 151 

Jenkins,  Robert  C 463 

Jenkins,  Richard  H 374 

Jennings,  Frank 616 

Jewett,   T.  J 383 

Johnson,   John 278 

Jones,    Carey 556 

Jones,  Carter 606 

Jones,  Charles  E. 145 


INDEX. 


767 


Jones,  C.  S 426 

Jones,  H.  M 351 

Jones,  John  A 213 

Jones,  J.  H 404 

Jones,  John  G 222 

Jones,  Merlin 511 

Jones,  Samuel  P 555 

Jones,  W.  D 324 

Jordan,  Charles  L 217 

Jordan,  George 237 

Jorgenson,  Allen  J 257 

Joyce,  P 158 

Keenan,    Patrick 561 

Keirce,  Michael  J 223 

Kell,  Louis  H t 372 

Kelly,  A.  D 582 

Kelly,  Joseph 477 

Kelly,  Michael 317 

Kelley,  William  F 627 

Keloncl,  William  A 548 

Kemp,  J.  B. 543 

Kempton,  M.  H 482 

Kennedy,  Alex 456 

Kennedy,  Matthew 205 

Kenison,   F.   0 603 

Kerwin,   S.   S 521 

Kibler,  John  H 244 

Kibler,  Joseph  H 494 

Kieff,  John .628 

Kilborne,   Byron  K : . .  .517 

Killoran,  W.  T 188 

Kinabrew,  James  W 406 

King,  John  J 393 

King,  William  S 538 

Kinkle,   John   B 368 

Kirkland,  Maj.  Joseph 37 

Kirkwood,    William .417 

Knight,  H.  W 576 

Knowles,   W 314 

Knowlton,  Henry  A 552 

Kornbeck,  P.  0 352 

Krewson,   M 466 

Krueger,  J.  W 395 

Kurth,  William 136 

Kyle,   Thomas   A 302 


Labbe,  Victor 497 

Ladd,  J.  D 600 

Lambert,   E.   J 518 

Lane,  John  H 591 

Langham,  J.  R 495 

Law,  A.  J 392 

Lawless,  Edward 276 

Lawrence,  Benjamin  T 223 

Lawrence,   H.  J 253 

Lawrence,  J.  R 277 

Lawton,  John  E 334 

Lemon,   George 585 

Leonard,  Thomas  M 464 

Levy,  F.  G 563 

Lewis,  James  H 292 

Lewis,  S.  A .' 346 

Lichtenberger,  Benjamin 431 

Lilly  Albert  Artie 381 

Lilly,  Joseph  R 353 

Lincoln,  George  A 267 

Lindrew,  Ole  L 524 

Linstrom,  Charles 373 

Linton,  W.  H 623 

Lipsey,  James   E 547 

Lischer,  Edward  P 145 

Lock  wood,  Judge  Samuel  D 91 

Lomax,  J.  C. .  . . 205 

Lomax,  K.  H 458 

Lonergan,  P.  James _ 282 

Long,  Thomas  A 232 

Longinotti,  David 453 

Loomis,  C.  A 497 

Lord,  Grant  0 258 

Loutzenhiser,  Lot  A 321 

Love,  J.  C 586 

Lowry,  William  C 323 

Lucllow,  Thomas  W 89 

Ludwick,  Edwin  B 528 

Lud wig,  Henry 307 

Luscombe,  Henry 1 34 

Luttrell,  James  W '. 171 

McCallum,  Geo.  D 364 

McCann  John  M 333 

McCarthy,  Chas.  H 137 

McClellan,  Gen.  Geo.  B 36 

McClelland,   Marion 306 


768 


INDEX. 


McClelland,  Otto  R 275 

McClure,  W.  I , • 327 

McConachie,  D.  D 465 

McCormick,  T.   P 574 

McCosh,  Frank 569 

McCosker,  Thos.  J 377 

McCourt,   H ,-  •  •  .548 

McCoy,  Geo.  B 252 

McCumsey,  J 603 

McCune,  E.  P 187 

McDermott,  John 452 

McDonald,  C.  J 292 

McFarlane,  W.  W 146 

McFerson,  Chas 285 

McGraw,  Wm.  H 543 

McGuire,  Jno.  L.. 215 

Mcllwain,    Ephraim 271 

Mclnturfr,  R.  B 375 

Mclntyre,  George 461 

Mclntyre,  James 338 

Mclntyre,   William 465 

McKay,  Robert  C 205 

McKee,  Thos.  J 313 

McKellip,  David 241 

McKenna,  Wm.  B 535 

McKillop,  A.  J 273 

McKinley,  W.  D 174 

McLaughlin,  B.  J 328 

McMurtrie,  J.  D 214 

McNamara,  James  W 574 

McNamara,  John  J 198 

Mabey,  Silas  B 175 

Makey,  Howry  G 387 

Maddux,  James  S 557 

Maine,  Wm.  L 294 

Manley,  Ira  A • 391 

Margadant,  Frank  G 473 

Markham,  G.  V 641 

Martin,  Allen  C 335 

Martin,  I.  H 206 

Martin,  James  C 275 

Mason,   Dolph 488 

M ason,  Roswell  B 93 

Mauldin,  S.  R 397 

Maxfield,  J.  L •. 316 

Mead  Miss  Anna  C 445 


Meinzer,  Leo 183 

Mercer,  Ambrose  E 247 

Mercer,   Thomas 348 

Merry,  Capt  John  F 513 

Metcalf,  Sherman  A /|/|/| 

Metz,  Henry  M 504 

Meyer,  J.  William 196 

Meyers,  Alonzo  R 526 

Mifler,  G.  0 165 

Miller,  H.  L 447 

Miller,  James 617 

Miller,  Ozias  S 534 

Miller,  S.  S 244 

Mills,  Arthur  H 468 

Mitchell,  W.  C 315 

Mixon,  O.  F 218 

Moales,  W.  H 561 

Mooney,  Frank  T. 403 

Moore,  C.  H 211 

Moore,  John 90 

Moore,  Thomas  A 343 

Moran,  J.  T 142 

Morgan,  M.  T 591 

Morgan,  Richard 197 

Moreno,  C.  A 441 

Moreno,  Theodore  Jr 252 

Morris,   Gouverneur 80 

Morris,  J.  A 562 

Morrison,  J.  W. 564 

Mosher,  B.  E 344 

Morthland,  David  C 226 

Muhr,  Peter  A 275 

Mulconery,  Maurice  C 415 

Mulconery,   Michael 416 

Mulhall,  Joseph  H 236 

Mulkern,   J.   F 144 

Mulvin,  John 228 

Mulvoy,    John 581 

Mullan,  Henry  C 497 

Mullan,  J.  W 133 

Muller,  J.  G 197 

Mullinix,  G.  F 213 

Mtmn,  W.  L 226 

Murphy,  Jere  P 444 

Murphy,  Philip  H 407 

Murphy,  Thomas  F 487 

Murray,  P.  H.  Jr. 424 


INDEX. 


769 


Murrell,  Dr.  H.  H 612 

Muse,  J.  P 396 

Xall,  S.  W 316 

Neal,  Capt.  David  A 85 

Nelson,  Lewis  P 143 

Nelson,  O.  G 332 

Newell,  John 106 

Niman,    George 131 

Norman,  Fred  C 134 

North   Samuel 518 

Oakley,  William  L 332 

Ogden,  Vincent  E 242 

Ohlson,    P 446 

Olmstead,  Irving  C 355 

O'Malley,  John 422 

Orchard,  James  J 484 

Ormond,  William  B 504 

Ormsby,  Richard  W 164 

O'Rourke,  James  J 358 

O'Rourke,   Peter 582 

Osborn,  John  A ' 521 

Osborn,  William  H 101 

Owen,  A.  S 274 

Oxley,  R.  D 630 

Palmer,  E.  D 285 

Palmer,  Hugh  L 397 

Patterson,  J.  C 403 

Patterson,  W.  D 516 

Patzen,  P.  J 576 

Paul,  J.  T 345 

Payne,  E.  J 395 

Peckens,  E.  D 621 

Peckens,   S.   N 503 

Pendergrast,  Richard  C 458 

Perkins,  Eli  W 221 

Peters,  Geo.  E 567 

Petrie,    Robt 302 

Pettingill,  Jesse  D 214 

Philbrick,    A 610 

Phillips,  R.  F 397 

Pickart,    Anthony 534 

Pierce,  H.  G 512 

Pimm,  T.  J 193 

Place,  Fred  E 425 


Place,  James  D 161 

Place,  Thomas  W 371 

Plumb,  Wm.  G 185 

Poland,  A  J 617 

Polmyer,  Wm.  R 173 

Pomeroy,  A.  F 598 

Poole,  James  E 527 

Pope,  E.  H 467 

Powles,  Samuel  T 597 

Price,  H.  L 202 

Price,  W.  H 446 

Priestly,  Dr.  Chas.  S 447 

Priestley,  Harry  D 445 

Priestley,  Thomas  S 443 

Pursley,  James  H 288 

Quiggins,  Chas.  J 222 

Quinn,  Dr.  Oliver  B 336 

Quinlan,  J.  H 533 

Ralph,  A.  H 355 

Randall,  Job 587 

Rankin,  Wm.  G 605 

Ranson,  Gen.  Thos.  E.  G 36 

Rantoul,  Robt.  Jr 71 

Rarrick.  E 615 

Rasback,  James 618 

Reader,  A.  E 388 

Reagin,  John  W 425 

Reames,  Samuel  M 238 

Reardon,  Daniel  J 162 

Redus,  W.  E 274 

Reece,  J.  P 154 

Reed,    Charles 287 

Read,  F.  A 557 

Reep,  Harvey  C 312 

Reeves,  S.  W 551 

Renshaw,   Wm 621 

Rhodes,  Henry  L .623 

Rhyne,  Ross  W 443 

Richter,    Frank 268 

Richter,  Lewis 268 

Ridley,   H.   B 408 

Rigfgin,  J-  J 475 

Ring.    Nicholas 517 

Robbins,    R 148 

Roberts,  Chas.  E 593, 


770 


INDEX. 


Roberts,    H 623 

Robertson,  Geo.  J 4O1 

Robinson,  Gen.  H.  L 37 

Rogers,  Wm.  F '. 323 

Rooker,  W.  W 553 

Rooney,    Henry 135 

Roper,  L.  E --I57 

Rosebrugh,  John  R 311 

Rought,  Geo.  S 277 

Rowley,  H.  W 297 

Ruffin,  Thomas  D 236 

Ruffin,  William 542 

Rugg,  F.  A 541 

Rugg,  F.  B ; 331 

Russell,  E.  P 582 

Ryan,  W.  J 457 

Sabin,  Hon  C.  J 621 

Sampsell,  Wm.  W 525 

Sanderson,  Alfred 508 

Sanford,  John  FA 77 

Schermerhorn,  F.  H 311 

Schilling,   Nicholas 474 

Schlax,  Peter 594 

Schulkers,  Joseph  R 38 1 

Schuyler,  Robert 97 

Scott,  John  A 257 

Scott,  William  M 585 

Scudder,  E.  S 616 

Searles,  H.  G 185 

Seaver,  Horace  L 45 1 

Shafer,  C.  H 391 

Shannon,  Thos.  F 231 

Sharp,  Albert  A 281 

Shaughnessy,  J.  J 291 

Shaw,  Arthur  M 498 

Shea,  W.  J..... 254 

Sheahan,  D 248 

Shegog,  John  E 574 

Shell,  Amos  E 637 

Shoff ner,  Dr.  James  H 468 

Shoffner,  William  F 537 

Shull,  E.  H I?8 

Sights,  Preston  A 246 

Simons,  C.  J 135 

Simpson,  George 466 

Sinclair,  Albert  E 594 


Skene,  E.  P.. . . 638 

Skillman,  Edward  B 373 

Sloan,    David 624 

Smith,  Archie   T 395 

Smith,  Charles  B 344 

Smith,  Charles  L 157 

Smith,  Charles  R 415 

Smith,  Henry  A 174 

Smith,  Iveson  E 366 

Smith,  James 538 

Smith,  John  P 624 

Smith,   Lucian 183 

Smith,  M.  A 562 

Smith,  Pleasant  A 486 

Smith,  William  H 627 

Smith,  W.  H 355 

Snycler,  George 624 

Sommers,  C.  W 422 

Southwick,  Wm.  C 436 

Spence,  W.  G 303 

Stack,    Maurice 363 

Staley,  D.  R 452 

Staley,  J.  C 580 

Stanton,  W.  W 348 

Stearns,    Esleeck 546 

Stearns,  Fred  H 186 

Steelman,  C.  W 573 

Stewart,  Alix  M 558 

Stewart,  John  B 534 

Stewart,  J.  B 361 

Stewart,  Wm.  T 342 

Stewmon,  A.  W 401 

Stinespring,   Geo.   H 417 

St.  John,  C 432 

Stovall,  Edgar  F 232 

Stromgren,  Chas.  R 485 

Stuart,    Charles 495 

Stuart,  Col.  David 37 

Stuart,  F.  M 307 

Stuber,  Nicholas 451 

Stufflebeam,  B.  E 337 

Sturges,  Jonathan 67 

Sullivan,  Albert  W 604 

Sullivan,  Cornelius  J 301 

Sullivan,  J 184 

Swanson,  Carl  F 263 


INDEX. 


771 


Swartwood,  Hugh  C 592 

Swerts,  I.  R 388 

Tait,J.T 175 

Talifaro,  Claude  W 352 

Tate,  Samuel  W 426 

Tate,  Thomas 448 

Taylor,  E.  A 145 

Taylor,  Fred  B 133 

Taylor,  F.  W 423 

Taylor,  J.  G 283 

Taylor,  M.  M 171 

Taylor,  Robert 272 

Taylor,  William  A 333 

Taylor,  W.  1 308 

Thomas,  William  F 341 

Thompson,  Geo.  E 581 

Tracey,  J.  J 265 

Tucker,  Joseph  F 59 

Tucker,  Col.  James  T 37 

Turchin,  Gen.  John  B 37 

Turley,  A.  G 61 1 

Turner,  Geo.  P 142 

Van  Patten,  M 351 

Van  Rensselaer,  J.  F 166 

Van  Vleck  Lawrence 192 

Yaupel,   Louie 538 

Viall,  L.  R 494 

Waddington,   Wm 181 

Wagner,  Frank  G 136 

Waggener,  W.  C 491 

Wakefield,  A.  N 286 

Waldron,  F.  L 396 

Walker,  J.  A 322 

Walker,  T.  B 284 

Wallace,  Harold  U 468 

Wallace  John  F 638 

Wamsley,  W 629 

Ward,  Frank 276 

Ward,  G.  L 132 

Ward,  T.  F 433 

Watson,  Herbert  B 569 

Waugh  Geo.  E 288 

Webb,  Hon.  John  A 432 

Webb,  Maurice  S 343 


Webb,  William  D 475 

Webb,  William  W 384 

Webster  Daniel 463 

Weeks,  Bonzano 374 

Weigel,  D.  S 301 

Weir,  Horace 443 

Weitzel,  John  S 496 

Weldon,  T.  F 580 

Welling,  John  C 60 

Westcott,    Frank 543 

Whalen,    Patrick 328 

Whalon,  James  T 522 

Whelan,  J.  F • 573 

Wheeler,  B.  F 233 

Wheeler,  Frederick  R 255 

Wheeler,  J.  A 506 

Wheeler,  W.  M 375 

Wheelock,  F.  G. 325 

White,  S.  K 385 

White,  William 412 

White,  W.  0 227 

Wildeson,  T.   S 523 

Wiley,  Leroy  M 69 

Wilkinson,  P.  B 398 

Wilkinson,  Wm.  R 256 

Willard,  M.  B 288 

Williams,  A.  L 563 

Williams,  Jesse  D 266 

Williams,  John  S 541 

Williams,  John  T 405 

Williams,  William  H 362 

Wilson,  James  A 382 

Wilson,  John  Hays 637 

Wilson,   Thomas 475 

Winder,  J.  A 564 

Winters,   Frank 258 

Wise,  Elliott  F • 524 

Wolf,  James  A 554 

Wolfe,  John  L 167 

Wood,  James 545 

Woodcock,  J.  B 568 

Wooley,  Wm.  C .609 

Worden,  Wm.  D 354 

Wray,  W.  L 255 

Wright,  Edward  A 588 

Wright,  Thomas  J 629 

Wright,  Wm.  Z 158 


772 


INDEX. 


Wylie,  F.  W 5^ 

Wyman,  Henry  S 47^ 

\Yvman,  Col.  John  B 37 

Yeardwood,  R.  J 525 

Young,  B.  M 569 


Young,   H.  G 501 

Young,  T.  M 472 

Youngblood,  J.   E 462 

Zanone  Frank  J 212 

Zimmerman,  J.  E 486 


INDEX. 


773 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Frontispiece — Central   Station,   Chicago. 


PORTRAITS. 

Ackcrman,  William  K 140 

Arnn,  E.  T 530 

Barker,  W.  E 578 

Barton,  Thomas  F 632 

Heals,  Henry  H. 596 

Becker,  George  M 290 

Blodgett,  Alexander 55° 

Cole,  Hon.  W.  Q 5°o 

Crockett,  Allen  G 320 

Crones,   John 566 

Crossett,  E.  L 578 

Culton,  David  J 240 

Curran,  Franklin 602 

Davis,  J.  L 360 

Detrick,  William 614 

Dickinson,  E.  H 390 

Dixon,  Charles  K 480 

Donnegan,    Owen 530 

Faessler,    Chas 410 

Fitzpatrick,  James 470 

Fish,   Stuyvesant 1 30 

Fluck,  William  F 300 

Fogerty,  Henry 470 

Frisbie,  N.  W 430 

Fuller,  Ed 460 


Gardner,  Charles  W 330 

Gerry,  Edward  W 510 

Glavin,  Thomas  A.  Jr 640 

Goodwin,  Z.  J 420 

Graney,    J 200 

Harms,    Arthur 250 

Hawley,  Gideon ." 714 

Hayes,  P.  L. 200 

Hedgpeth,  Marshall  R 490 

Hoffman,  Joseph  E.; 636 

Hoskins,  James  M 260 

Houseal,  John  1 190 

I  ekes,  William  L 410 

James,   Fred   S 643 

Jarvis,  John  F 180 

Jeffery,  Edward  Turner 150 

Jones,  Merlin 510 

Keenan,  Patrick 560 

Kelley,  William  F 626 

Kenison,  F.  0 602 

Kerwin,  S.  S 520 

Lane,  John  H 590 

Lemon,   George 584 

Lichtenberger,  Bejamin 430 

Lilly,  Albert  Artie 380 

Luttrell,  James  W 170 

Mcllwain,  Ephraim 270 

McKellip,  David 240 

Markham,  G.  V 640 

Moore,  C.  H 210 


774 


INDEX. 


Moreno,  C.  A 44O 

Morgan,  M.  T 59° 

Perkins,  Eli  W 220 

Peters,  George  E 566 

Place,  James  D 160 

Place,  Thomas  Wheelock 370 

Rarrick,  E 614 

Reeves,  S.  W 55o 

Renshaw,  William 620 

Robertson,  George  J 400 

Rugg,  F.  B 330 

Schermerhorn,  F.  H 310 

Seaver,  Horace  L 450 

Sharp,  Albert  A 280 

Shell,  Amos  E. .636 

Shaffer,  C.  H 390 

Shannon,  Thomas  F 230 

Smith,  William  Henry 626 

Steelman,  C.  W 572 

Stewart,  J.  B 360 

Stuber,  Nicholas 450 

Thomas,  William  F 340 

Van  Patten,  M 350 

Waggener,  W.  C 490 

Weigel,  D.  S 300 

Williams,  John  S 540 

Wilson,  John  Hays ' *.  .  .636 

Wooley,  William  C 608 


GENERAL  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Air  Brake  Instruction  Cars 668 

Air  Brake  Instruction  Cars. .682 

Baggage   Checks 20-21 

Bridge  over  Missouri  River 90 

Cedar  River,  near  Waterloo,  la 726 

Centrifugal  Snow  Plow 100 


Clark,  E.  E 633 

Coon  River  Trestle 117 

Cotton  Field,  Yazoo  Valley,  Miss 734 

Cotton  Field  in  the  Yazoo  Valley 750 

Device  for  Inserting  and  Removing  Driving 

Box  Brasses 702 

Drilling  Machines 698 

Effects  of  a  Collision 56 

First  Railway  Bridge  in  Corea 670 

"Freight  Conductor  En  Route" 98 

Gideon,  Hawley 714 

Hydraulic  Punch  and  Shear 718 

Hydraulic  Shear 722 

Illinois  Central  Employes'  Hospital 712 

Illinois  Central  Test  Car 711 

Lincoln  Car,  The 121 

Oldest  of  Locomotive  Engineers 715 

O.  R.  C.  Traveling  Card 658 

Scene  in  Yazoo  Delta 694 

Stuyvesant  Docks,  New  Orleans 688 

Test  Car  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R 710 

Train  with  Electric  Locomotive 670 

Tunnel,  Monticello,  Wis 744 

Water-power  Dam  at  Waterloo,  la 35 

Wrecked  Locomotive 56 

LOCOMOTIVES. 

"Atlantic,"  The 70 

"Brunton,"  The 679 

"Camel-Back,"   A 82 

Camel-Back,  Line  Engraving 84 

"Dragon,"   The 74 

"Hercules,"   The 68 

Largest  Locomotive  in  the  World 28 

"Mt.  Clare,"  The ' 72 

"Mogul,"  First  Passenger 78 

"Newton,"  The 676 

No.  "640,"  the  largest  in  the  world 28 

No.  "18,"  freight 41 

No.    "942" 47 

No.  "245,"  Suburban 59 

No.  "144,"  Switch 80 

No.  "383,"  Passenger 86 

No.  "638,"  Freight 88 

No.  "i  156,"  Passenger 92 

No.  "223" 104 


INDEX. 


775 


"Perkins,"   The 76 

"Seguin,"  The 677 

Stephenson's  "Rocket" 680 

LOCOMOTIVES,  FOREIGN. 

Egyptian  State  Railways 664 

French  State  Railway 650 

Great  Northern  of  England 656 

STATIONS. 

Cherokee,  Iowa 108 

Chicago,  Park  Row Frontispiece 

Fort  Dodge,  Iowa 106 

Freeport,    111 102 


Memphis — Poplar  street  and  Main  and  Cal- 

houn  streets 17 

New  Orleans,  La 53 

Sioux  City,  Iowa 44 

Waterloo,  Iowa 708 

SHOPS. 

Burnside,  111 14 

Freeport,    111 62 

McComb  City,  Miss 50 

Paducah,  Ky 32 

Water  Valley,  Miss 38 

Waterloo,  Iowa 24 


APPENDIX. 


At  the  request  of  many  patrons  of  this  work  we  have  added 
the  following  blank  pages  that  a  future  record  may  be  preserved. 
It  will  be  found  very  desirable  for  the  purpose  of  entering  data 
of  deaths,  accidents,  promotions,  or  any  events  pertaining  to  those 
whose  life  record  is  herein  portrayed. 


APPENDIX.  779 


APPENDIX. 
780 


APPENDIX.  781 


?82  APPENDIX. 


APPENDIX.  783 


784  APPENDIX, 


APPENDIX.  785 


?86  APPENDIX. 


APPENDIX. 


?88  APPENDIX. 


APPENDIX.  789 


?90  APPENDIX. 


APPENDIX.  791 


792  APPENDIX. 


APPENDIX.  793 


APPENDIX. 


APPENDIX.  795 


APPENDIX. 
796 


APPENDIX.  797 


APPENDIX. 
798 


APPENDIX.  799 


APPENDIX. 
800 


APPENDIX.  801 


802  APPENDIX. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


"STORY  OF  THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD 


